Soup and Crostini.....the perfect pair

yeah yeah tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich are the ACTUAL perfect pair, but for me, my split pea soup and prosciutto crostini were the perfect pair for me tonight.  I just downed all of it.  Would you like me to share?  Wouldya?  That's what I thought.  So, first let me start by saying I have never ever made split-pea soup so I sort of flew by the seat of my pants, but I gotta say, it came out STUPENDOUSLY!  My mom always makes bean soups and they are utterly delicious, so homey, yet so LIGHT because THEY'RE BEANS!  Her secret is to use a ham bone- where did I get a ham bone, you ask? I served a ham for Easter- DUH!  After we got all of that glorious meat off the bone (and by "we" I mean Scott- love you!), I set out to make my split pea soup.  You should have a dinner party and serve ham JUST so you can make this soup.  You will live off of it for the rest of the week.  It will save your grocery bill because it's REAL inexpensive (minus the fact that you had to buy a huge ham....we won't talk about that).

Ingredients for Split Pea Soup
* note: I doubled this recipe and I will write out the ingredients as such, but you can half this to make a normal amount

• 2 bags of split peas, rinsed and picked over (I didn't really know what this meant but just do it- if you see any beans that look like rocks, throw 'em out)
• at least 4 cups of chicken broth (that's 2 of those boxes)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and peppa

Directions for Split Pea Soup

• In a large stock pot, sautee garlic and onions in some olive oil over medium heat until onions are transluscent.  add a pinch of salt, also add your pinch of red pepper flakes
• stick your ham bone in there and add your chicken stock- if the stock doesn't cover the ham bone, add water until the ham bone is covered
• add your bay leaves
• bring your stock to a boil, then add your split peas with another pinch of salt and some black pepper
• turn heat down to low and let this baby simmer for at least 45 minutes (I think I let it go for a couple of hours)

*I'm not gonna lie, when I tasted the soup I wasn't convinced.  It was OK. I added some more salt and pepper and hoped for the best.  It's best to serve this soup the NEXT day- PLEASE let this soup allow its' flavors to marry and fall in love in the refrigerator.  Check your soup for flavorings one last time (don't be discouraged if it's not great yet) and stick it in the fridge over night.  When you're ready to eat it for lunch or dinner the next day, re-heat it and try it to see what it needs.  It should be PERFECT AND READY TO GO if you've layered your flavors the day before.  You gotta let the fridge do her thang and help out your soup!

Ok now if you're not wanting a plain ole' grilled cheese with your soup (although who wouldn't want that?), here's another option: basil prosciutto crostini.  It's not like the most ingenious thing, but man is it flavorful.  This is one of those things that you sort of build with what you have on hand. I know I'm about to sound like a foofie foodie here (yes I meant to do that) but I just happened to have fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, prosciutto, bread, and some parmesan. So here it goes:

Ingredients for Basil Prosciutto Crostini

• bread.  ideally you want a french bread or something you can use as a crostini, but I only had sourdough so I halfed it
• some prosciutto (AF ladies, this is in the section of the commissary where they sell butter)
• big fresh basil leaves
• sliced tomato
• 1 garlic clove, skins removed
• olive oil
• parmesan cheese
• balsamic vinegar

Directions

• turn on the broiler and put your bread (however much you're making) into the oven for a few minutes (like 3)
• once they're toasted, take your garlic clove and rub it vigorously all over the bread
• layer one piece of prosciutto, then a slice of tomato
• grate some parmesan over it
• stick in the broiling oven for 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly
• put those beautiful basil leaves on top and sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic
• enjoy.

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimmichurri Sauce

Let me just state that as I write this all hell is breaking loose around me- the world is apparently coming to an end according to the weather man I'm listening to.  There are tornadoes in surrounding cities and hail coming our way. Ok, Ok.  I get that it's dangerous- but he's just killin' me.  So, where's my "tornado safe place" as the weather man calls it?  At my computer, thinking about food, and yes, right next to a window.  Don't worry, I'll move if I hear sirens.  All that aside, my dinner last night was delicious and I want to share it with you.  I didn't take step by step pictures because I was flying by the seat of my pants and didn't know it would turn out as well as it did...but boyyyy did it.  I kept it light (we don't do beef a lot in this house but recently I am a HUGE fan of flank steak so when we do steak I serve it with something light....like my Roasted Corn and Black Bean "salad" if you will)

(i'd like to apologize for the terrible quality that is not doing the deliciousness of the food justice- i accidentally loaded it onto my computer before sending it through "instagram" and then after it was loaded, it deleted off of my phone so there was no hope.  I promise the side dish is more succulent than it looks!! and ok...i might have added too much oil but it did NOT taste oily and I ate around it...my heart thanked me)

Ingredients

• 1 package of flank steak
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 handful of flat leaf parsley
• 2-3 cloves of garlic depending on how large they are
• canola oil
• salt- a good pinch

I didn't do anything with the steak except sprinkle some grill seasonings on both sides, rubbed it in a little bit, and threw it on a hot grill.  Flank steak doesn't take too long too cook- I'd say check it after 4 minutes per side- it should be brown and deliciously seared.  obviously it depends on how well you like your steak done, but i think 4-5 minutes per side is lovely.  When it's done, please let it rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes! This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak so when you cut it, the juices don't run everywhere- which dries the steak out, and NOBODY wants a chewy, dried-out steak!

Ok, chimmichurri sauce: toss everything except the oil (stems of the herbs are ok to include!) into a food processor (if you don't have one, you can certainly use a blender- i'd just chop up the garlic slightly before tossing it in).  give it a whirl and then slowly stream in the canola oil- enough until it looks wet- not too wet and saucy, but wet.  you'll know when this happens.  taste for seasonings and if you need more salt, add it.

note: kate, I know anthony doesn't love cilantro- but he won't even recognize it.  remember when you came to visit me in puerto rico and we went to that restaurant "raices" and ate mofongo?  do you remember the green sauce that came with it?  THAT is what this tastes like.  I made it and didn't even realize it until scott pointed it out.  The fact that he compared it to one of our favorite Puerto Rican restaurants rocked my world!


Ingredients for Roasted Corn and Black Bean salsa/salad/side dish thing

• 1 avocado, diced (it makes it...truly)
• 2 limes
• canola oil (meh, maybe 1/3 cup?)
• salt and peppa
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 ears of corn
• cilantro- maybe 1-2 tablespoons (but you can never have too much)
• 1 chopped tomatoes (whatever kind you like)
• *I would have added some red onion but I didn't have any
• *mexican COTIJA cheese (the crumbly stuff) would also be delicious in here

Directions

• char your corn on the grill when you throw the steak on- it took a goooodddd 15-20 minutes but we were also dealing with wind that kept blowing the flame out so who knows how long it will take you
• while your corn is grilling, juice both of your limes into a medium size bowl.  add a pinch of salt.
• gently stream your canola oil into your lime juice, whisking it as you pour.  taste for seasonings.
• add your cilantro, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, red onion (if using) and your corn. mix all together
• *note: here's the way I cut my corn off the cob.  Ya know that hole in the middle of your cake bundt pan?  I stick the ear on top of that to hold it steady, then I slice around with a knife and the corn has a place to fall- in the bundt pan!  It's marvelous.
• add your cheese (if using) at the end.  Yes, this could be used as a dip with tortilla chips, but it is a delicious, light and healthy side item, as well!

This is the perfect late spring/summer dish!  Enjoy!

ps: I wrote this yesterday- and then lost power and internet RIGHT before I posted it, and as a matter of fact, all hell did break loose- only it didn't break loose here in Columbus, it broke loose in Tuscaloosa.  Please pray, friends.  It is utterly devastating.  I didn't mean to take light of the situation in my above statement I'm just giving you background for what was happening yesterday- but today is a new day, and unfortunately, it's an incredibly sad day for Tuscaloosa and other cities that were devastated by these tornadoes.  sorry for my little PSA, here.  go make this dinner and enjoy- on a more positive note!

It's Bacon!!!

Today I took my last test as a graduate student.

Whooooo!!!!!

I'm done with school I'm done with school!

And it feels sooooo good.

So to celebrate I made breakfast for dinner: my fave. Scrambled eggs, cranberry orange muffins (from a mix, don't be impressed) and TURKEY BACON.

Yep, you heard me. Turkey bacon. Sounds weird? Sounds gross? Do I sound like Rob Lowe from Parks and Recreation? Anyone? Nope. It's not gross. It tastes goooood and... are you ready for it?

35 calories per slice. Not bad, huh?

I felt soooo East Texas sittin' there at the stove with my fying pan... like I was reconnecting with my roots.

Go eat some turkey bacon.

Chocolate Pudding Wedges with Cinnamon Toasts

don't judge my presentation- what it lacked in presentation, it made up for in rich, delicious flavor!

I love any chance I can get to try new recipes, so when I had a meeting at my house this week, I knew I was going to make dessert so I got out all of my dessert recipes (well, almost all) and sifted through them and this guy came out on top.  It's thick, creamy, not too sweet, and delicious on top of those cinnamon baguettes.  The recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate, and I was tempted to try it with semi sweet, but my friend Evelyn told me it'd probably be too sweet- and she's probably right, although next time I might try doing half bitter sweet half semi sweet. The original recipe, however, is pure delectability, so try it first, and then play around depending on your chocolate tastes :) This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens February 2010 magazine (one of the pages I probably stole in a doctor's office or something)

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's brand)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60% to 62% cacao...I have no idea why it's so particular.  just go with it)
• 2 tablespoons of dark rum, optional
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (plus about a tablespoon or two)
• 1/4 stick butter AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (btw, I keep my butter at room temp.  It's safe. If you use salted, don't add the salt, if you use unsalted, obviously, add the salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 12 baguettes sliced diagonally

Directions

• In a large heavy saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  
• Add 1/2 cup of the milk.  Whisk to a smooth paste.  Turn on the stove to medium-high heat then whisk in the remaining milk and whipping cream.  Stir constantly until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges (this took me about 5 minutes- don't be discouraged if it takes a bit- but make sure you keep stirring until it thickens).  Then, stir 30 seconds more.
• Add chocolate, stir 1 minute to melt.  Remove from heat; stir in rum and vanilla
• Transfer pudding to a lightly oiled 9 inch deep dish pie plate.  Cool, uncovered, for 2 hours at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate over night.
• For cinnamon toasts, combine the room temp butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt (if using) with a fork until well combined.  
• Spread the butter mixture over the baguettes (you can also keep this butter recipe and use for muffins, breads, etc.  your husbands/wives/children/girlfriends/boyfriends/whoever will LOVE you)
• put the baguettes on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes
• to serve, DON'T DO IT LIKE I DID. it looked ugly.  INSTEAD: slice them up, they will look prettier.  I was trying to be rustic but it just looked like a big blob- thank God it tasted good!  anyway, slice 'em up like a thick piece of pie, and serve alongside the baguettes. 
• spread the chocolate wedges over the bread and enjoy!

If people weren't around me, I would have licked the plate.

Dolmades: Little Packages of Greek Goodness

Meredith’s recent post “Greek Fare” really got me in the mood for some Greek food. It was my turn to cook for small group this week and as I was brainstorming for what I could make to feed six people, my mind kept turning those roasted potatoes and tzatziki sauce that she made. I love anything with a yogurt base. I obsessed over this meal all day on Tuesday… my mom and Meredith can tell you… I was calling them in between classes and on breaks trying to think of what I could serve as a main course and how I could make my own pita bread. I finally decided to give myself a little challenge and make dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves. If you look at my class notes for this past Tuesday, the margins are filled with ingredients that I was considering filling the dolmades with. Wednesday was my birthday, so I decided to give myself a little gift and skip class to cook :) Praise God I did! It took me about five hours... a task that is certainly not for the faint of heart. In the end, however, it was totally worth it. I had so much fun making them and they were absolutely delicious. If you’re interested in spending an entire day in the kitchen making delicious treats to impress your friends, too, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

- A jar of grape leaves (I found them in the international section of my Kroger)
- I cup of cooked basmati rice
- 1 lb of ground sirloin steak
- 8 ounces of feta
- 3-4 large lemons
- About two cups of organic flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly
- Lots of fresh oregano (I don’t know how much… I cut some from my garden)
- A package of chopped hazelnuts, toasted
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil


Directions:

1.Cook the rice according to package directions

2.In the meantime, cook your onion in a large saucepan with a little salt and olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and sirloin until the beef has browned all the way through

3.Combine the cooked rice, sirloin, onions, garlic, feta, parsley, oregano, hazelnuts, and the juice and zest of two lemons in the food processor and give it a little whirl (you will probably have to do this in batches). After you’re done take a little taste and see if it needs any extra seasoning.

4.Now that your filling is all ready, carefully remove the grape leaves from the jar and soak them in a bowl of cold water. This will make them easier to deal with. One by one, take a grape leaf out, place it shiny side down on your board, and cut off the stem. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the leaf and wrap it up like a little package, making sure to tuck the filling in tight. It may take a few times to get the hang of it, but you’ll find a rhythm. It makes A LOT of dolmades.

5.Coat the bottom of a large dutch oven with some lemon juice and olive oil. Cover the bottom of the dutch oven with a single layer of your wrapped dolmades. Put the top on, turn the heat on low, and steam the little babies for about five minutes. Do this with all your dolmades.

6.They’re ready! You can serve them immediately hot, or you can make them a day ahead of time like I did and serve them cold.

I served this with the roasted potatoes and tzatziki sauce that Meredith posted about before. I also made some easy flat bread by combining a cup of whole wheat flour with ¾ a cup of water and a little salt. Roll it out and bake it for about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your dough. Dane and Julie brought a Greek salad and we had a feast!

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

I cannot tell you how much I love making this mango salsa.  I have to wait until spring/summer time to make it when the mangoes are ripe and a tropical dish works, but it's a family fav.  This dish is RIGHT up my flavor alley.  Thank you, Jesus, for creating mangoes.  The mango salsa recipe is from Ina Garten and she serves it with seared tuna, which would be RIDICULOUSLY amazing, except for I can't afford tuna so we went with some pork tenderloin! It's also yummy over chicken, or any kind of fish.  I doubled the recipe below- I'm showing you the original, but I highly recommend doubling it!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for searing
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste (1 pepper)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves 
• pork tenderloin

Let's talk about how to cut a mango.  It's quite the science.  Based on cutting this lovely fruit along with the ginger, jalapeno, and onion, I'd give yourself about 30-40 minutes to prep for this meal (it's worth it!!)

slice it all the way around cross-wise with a sharp knife

peel those 4 sections.  depending on how ripe your mangoes are, you might be able to peel it easily with your hands.  or just use a knife.

this is a pretty ripe mango- I've seen riper, but you're basically looking for something with minimal green (none would be preferential) and red/orange skin.  moving on.

start slicing the mango CAREFULLY.  it is SLIMY so be CAREFUL! I IMPLORE YOU! cut around all sides, then chop 'em up.  it can be roughly chopped.

now for the Directions:

• preheat the oven to 350
• prep all your chopping for the mango salsa
• get a sautee pan nice and hot with some oil- a couple tablespoons.
• dab your tenderloin with some paper towels so you get any moisture off (remember, things that are moist do not sear well!)
• season the tenderloin generously with salt and pepper on all sides
• the pan should be smoking at this point
• add your tenderloin (or tenderloin(s) if 2 tenderloins come in your packages...or do they all come that way?) and sear on each side for about 3 minutes
• after your pork is nice and brown on all sides, toss the pan in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a thermometer (stuck into the pork) reads 165.  
• let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes under some foil- DO NOT CUT THE PORK. i repeat: DO NOT CUT THE PORK. it WILL dry out if you do!
• while the pork cooks in the oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat
• add your chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno
• sautee all together until onions are transluscent, adding your salt at this point
• add your chopped mangoes, orange juice, brown sugar, a touch more salt, and pepper. you may need more brown sugar depending on how ripe your mangos are (ie; if they are not super sweet, you'll need to add a bit more sweetness)
• let this cook down for about 15-20 minutes. 
• it will look fairly chunky, like this:

• 
• i blended half of it and added it back to the pot to continue to reduce so it was more saucy
• when you're ready to serve it, add your wonderfully fragrant chopped mint (I used more than the recipe called for because I love the stuff)
• serve with rice.  i cooked the rice according to the package and added some more chopped mint.  oh, and for some wonderful flavor, you could cook the rice in coconut milk.  it's so stinkin' good.

for some added color (mine wasn't very vibrant), you can add some saffron to your cooking liquid before adding the rice- or some turmeric for that deep gold color

•  i also would serve a steamed or roasted asparagus or a nice salad with this for your green.  my friend victoria made some delicious collard greens (the first time i've had them!) for supper club when i served this and they were delicious, too.

it was pretty stinkin' delicious.

here's to you, Kate

This is the one time where I will treat this like a blog, as opposed to a normal food blog.  If you love Kate McKinney, too, please keep reading :) (that should be all of you, even if you don't know her!)

Today is my best friend in the entire world's 24th birthday.  Every time I introduce Kate I ALWAYS say "this is kate, she's my best friend. we learned how to walk together."  It's been 23 years of a friendship- and not just any friendship- a friendship that has withstood the test of time.  No matter where we have been- Tyler, TX and Peachtree City, GA, Sky Ranch, Memphis, TN and Lagrange, GA, Galeana, Mexico, Houston, TX and Columbus, MS, we have remained THE best of friends.  Kate has been my go-to person for 23 years.  The person who I know without a doubt will listen to me without judgment, the person who will give me tough love when I need it (and probably get kind of a high pitched voice and laugh a bit while she does so), the person who I can be the most vulnerable and honest with (besides my husband- don't worry, honey), the person who I can actually treat like a sister and even when we have to "process" things together (that's our term for working something out) there's never a moment where it's stressful because we know we're like sisters- we're in this for life! 


The most fascinating part of all of this- our friendship I mean- is that the odds were against us!  I mean, I moved away when I was 7- what 7 year olds keep in touch and remain best friends?  We did.  Not only was there distance, but kate was a "toot" (as we Texans say- it means to be mean) to me as a kid- I mean, a real TOOT.  She's grown up into quite the opposite, but even if she was a toot I have a feeling we'd still be besties :)  Our moms  helped foster our friendship because they are great friends and took us to the beach pretty much every year and we also went to camp (Sky Ranch- you who have kids- SEND YOUR KIDS!!! it's the best, most impactful summer camp EVER.  Correct me if I'm wrong, KK, but that's where we BOTH accepted the Lord, right?)  But still- we could have remained just good, family friends whose families get together once a year- but we didn't- we developed our friendship outside of our families on our own and THANK GOD WE DID because I couldn't imagine my life without my sweet KK.  Our friendship has developed and grown as we have.  We've gone from talking about boys, school, friends, to talking about husbands, social work, and lots, and LOTS of food (there have been many other topics in there but we won't go there).  Quite literally we talk on the phone an average of 2x a day- and sometimes about nothing! but it feels weird if a day goes by where we haven't communicated, ha!  She's helped me analyze every situation in my life- no matter how big or small- and if you know me, you know that I am an obsessor and have to analyze every nook and cranny of a situation before I feel resolved.  Kate does that with me.  One of my favorite things about Kate is how we laugh together- it can be so random but we both will laugh at the dumbest thing for like 5 minutes straight.  It won't even be that funny (and I can't even think of an example) but we just GIGGLE.  She has brought so much joy- and PEACE- to my life.  We have been attached at the hip- although those hips have been miles apart- for 23 years.  Here's to another 60+!  I love you, Kate!  Happy Birthday to the best friend God could ever give someone (again I will say, besides our wonderful husbands! but you gotta have your girl).  I could probably write a book including funny stories and pictures and everything I love about Kate and am grateful for, but I'll settle with this blog post for today.  That did give me an idea though....kate, shall we write a book someday?  hmm.....

I didn't write any of this as eloquently as kate would, and i'm sure as the day progresses I will think "I COULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN THAT!!" but kate, know that you are one of the most important people in my life and i just adore you.

Here's a birthday song I learned in Puerto Rico that I like to sing to everyone when it's their birthday:

Cumpleanos a ti, cumpleanos a ti, cumpleanos a ti, cumplanos a ti (ok here comes the good part- the rhythm changes but you won't be able to tell that, sadly):

feliz, feliz en tu dia.  amigita que Dios te bendiga, que reine la paz en tu dia, y que cumplas mucho mas!

i love you with all the fibers of my soul, KK!  thanks for being my besty :)

Greek Fare

So I love Greek food and I love how light it CAN be- ie, a delicious and healthy tzaziki sauce served with some grilled chicken on top of flat bread or naan, along with a light and lovely greek salad and roasted potatoes.  mmmmmmm.  if you like light, healthy meals and eating on your back porch (or front like kate) with the one you love, try this meal!

"where are the roasted potatoes?" you wonder?  well, i didn't think of them for this dinner so it was a SUPA light dinner but trust me, you'll want to make them to add as a side!

Ingredients for Tzaziki Sauce

• a container of regular ole' unflavored yogurt (you can buy greek if you want but here's the deal: it's more expensive and to achieve the thickness of greek yogurt, all ya gotta do is dump your yogurt in a strainer set over a bowl, stick it in the fridge over night, and let all the moisture come out.  you might have to dump the bowl a couple of times if it fills up with yogurt juice....ewww that sounded gross)
• salt and pepper
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cucumber (you really only use half to 3/4 of it), peeled and diced very small (mine weren't small or peeled and i wish i'd done that)
• 1 small onion, finely diced

Directions

• after having drained the yogurt overnight to make it thick, mix it with the cucumber, onion, and  lemon juice (really get that lemon juice out of it by pressing on the lemon and rolling it on the countertop back and forth or you can pop it in the microwave for like 8 seconds)
• add about 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  mix it all together and taste it- does it need more salt? more pepper?  add it if you need to little by little!
• set it aside in the fridge until you need it- this can be made up to a day in advance.

Grilled Chicken

• SIKE! i got nothin for ya.  get creative here- i marinated the chicken in some olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and some Trader Joe's 21 salute seasoning.  I realize that not all of you have that in your pantry, so you can leave that out and you can use a greek seasoning instead (such as cavendar's) although i couldn't find that at my commissary so just stick with everything else and your chicken will turn out great.
• but however you make it, PLEASE serve it on top of some naan (indian, i know) or pita with tzaziki sauce on it. it's scrumptious

Greek Salad Ingredients

• head of romaine, cut into ribbons, or however you like
• tomatoes, cut small
• cucumber, cut small
• red onion, sliced (soak your red onion in ICE WATER for about 10 minutes before putting it on the salad- it will take away that awful red onion bite while still preserving it's wonderful flavor! your breath will thank me)
• feta cheese
• you could also add pepperoncini (banana peppers) and olives to go all out Greek

Dressing

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup oil (i use canola or olive)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

put all of the ingredients into a small tupperware and shake it all together.  taste for seasonings and add more salt, pepper, or oregano if need be.  this is my favorite salad dressing because it always seems to be fool proof.  i haven't found much luck with making other vinaigrettes but this one never fails me.

i'm not going to tell you how to make a salad....but i will tell you to MAKE IT because it's yummy and healthy.

Roasted Potatoes Ingredients


*can make A LOT if you use the entire bag of potatoes, but adjust as needed for different amounts of people. 7-10 potatoes should take up the entire sheet pan, which is what this recipe covers

 

we've got salt (the white bowl), pepper, 4 cloves of smashed, roughly chopped garlic, oregano, and olive oil.  oh, and the potatoes aren't pictured but you'll need a bag of red potatoes.  

cut your potato into bite size pieces like so:

after cutting it in half, put it down on the flat side and cut it into thirds like this

then cut your potatoes into thirds the other way.  you'll end up with this:

voila!

if you didn't know how to cube a potato, now ya do.  let's keep it movin'.  

Directions for Roasted Potatoes

• preheat the oven to 425.
• after cubing the potatoes, put them on a sprayed baking sheet
• (if they are wet- because potatoes have water in them, dab them with paper towels to absorb any moisture. they won't roast very well if they are still wet)
• drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes
• generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes (remember- potatoes are naturally bland- they need HELP to take them to the next level in flavor town so help 'em out!)
• sprinkle the oregano evenly over the potatoes
• take that roughly chopped garlic (preferably not minced so they don't completely burn in the oven) and sprinkle it over the potatoes
• now take those pretty clean hands of yours and mix everything together.

• pop 'em in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, but stir them around at the 20 minute mark.  if you like your potatoes crispier, maybe you wanna leave them in longer- but just keep an eye on them
• here's what mine looked like:

• dip them into the yummy tzaziki sauce!

ok so you've got your salad, your chicken, your tzaziki, your roasted potatoes and your pita.  now EAT and most importantly, ENJOY!

Gluten Craving: Homemade (Margarita-ish) Pizza

There is only one more week until Easter and Lent is over. My gluten-free commitment really hasn’t been that hard until this final week. I have been craving bread… vegetables and rice just really aren’t cutting it for me right now. In the Episcopal Church we don’t include Sundays in the 40 days of Lenten fast… but I’m really only Episcopalian by marriage so I have been kind of undecided about whether or not that Sunday indulgence thing is legit or cheating… My cravings have been so bad, though, that last night I made up my mind and decided it was legit :) So today, Palm Sunday, I made a delectable, gluten-filled, homemade pizza to celebrate the breaking of the fast. I was at Kroger, in my pajamas, at 11pm last night to get a packet of yeast and was so excited that I went ahead and made the dough when I got home. Now, I never, EVER bake… almost every time I have tried it has been an utter disaster. I am ecstatic to say, however, that this was a success!!! I made whole-wheat pizza dough using a recipe that I got from eatingwell.com. Here it is:

Ingredients:

•3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, (105-115°F)
•1 package active dry yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons)
•1 teaspoon sugar
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 cup whole-wheat flour
•1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
•2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

Directions:

1.Stir water, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl; let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour and cornmeal until the dough begins to come together.

2.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix the dough in a food processor. Process until it forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.)

3.Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. (To make individual pizzas, see Variation.) Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Because my husband and I have vastly different tastes we debated for about an hour last night before finally agreeing that I would make a pizza with fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, summer sausage, and basil from the garden (I picked almost every leaf off that plant out of spite for its refusal to grow). I had some incredible left-over tomato/olive-based pasta sauce that I also used. I served roasted fennel alongside and, I must say, it was a delightful pairing. Top YOUR pizza with whatever tickles your fancy! Save some pennies and get creative by using what you have in your fridge/pantry!

Red Wine and Cherry Rice Pudding: A Cure for a Bad Day

I had a rough day at school today and came home all cranky and irritable. Every week Anthony and I have dinner with our small group: two other couples from our church with whom we share life and faith, struggles and joys. I am so blessed to be a part of this group full of such rich friendships. (Shout out to Dane, Julie, Bonnie, and Charles! By putting you on our blog it basically means you’re famous now…)

So every week one couple provides the weekly meal, and the other couples bring a side dish of some sort. This week it was my turn to bring dessert, which is not really my forte in the first place, and in the second place I am gluten-free for Lent so that really limits dessert options. But then I remembered this INCREDIBLE rice pudding that my mom made once and I thought “Oh how lovely. How can you go wrong with milky rice, tangy cherries, and rich red wine?” And ,so, I proceeded to press play on my Dixie Chicks play list, pour myself a class of South African pinotage, and begin making this delectable dessert. Now, listen people, there is NO bad day that the Dixie Chicks, red wine, and leisurely cooking in your cornflower-blue and daffodil-yellow kitchen cannot cure. Except that the Dixie Chicks are my spirit band and they may not be your spirit band… so when you are having a bad day you should probably just listen to whoever sings to your soul.

So… this recipe is not really that healthy (more healthy that other desserts, though, I suppose), nor is it that cheap (I spent about $17 on ingredients) unless you already have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry, but it is delicious and it’s ok to splurge a little cash and calories when you’re having a bad day. Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

-1 cup of red wine
-¾ cup of brown sugar (for the sauce)
-1 pint of dried cherries
-1 quart of whole milk (but I used a can of light coconut milk with 2 cups of whole)
-1 cup of basmati rice
-1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
-The zest of 1 lemon
-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (for the rice)

Directions:

1.Heat the wine and ¾ cup of sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cherries and reduce the sauce down until it’s thick (this never really happened for me so whatever)

2.Combine the milk, rice, cinnamon sticks, and zest. Heat over low-medium heat. Simmer for about an hour. Stir frequently and add more milk if necessary.

3.Add the sugar to the rice mixture and stir until dissolved. Remove the cinnamon sticks.

4.Serve the pudding and top it with that incredible wine-cherry sauce! Oh baby!

I just have to say that I am not very good at following recipes and am SO my mother’s daughter in that way. She NEVER follows the recipe, always flits off doing her own thing, and sometimes gets a little crazy with ingredients. I love that about her though :) .This recipe turned out delicious when both she and I made it, so I think that is a good sign. It’s fool-proof … if you don’t follow the directions exactly it’s still going to be good. Feel free to substitute and explore! Enjoy, everyone!

(The “skeleton” for this recipe came from the Everything Mediterranean Cookbook by Dawn Altomari-Rathjen and Jennifer M. Bendelius. I, of course, changed a few things up.)

Beef Stroganoff

This is a meal I had a lot when I was growing up and it was without a doubt one of my favs.  I totally forgot about how much I loved it until I came across a recipe and it took my back to my childhood.  I used Tyler Florence's Beef Stroganoff recipe as my "skeleton" as Kate calls it, but did a couple of things differently.  The results were INCREDIBLE.  THIS, my friends, is blog worthy.  Monday night's dinner, not so much, but Tuesday night's dinner- YES.  you people must have this recipe.  I went all Pioneer Woman on you and took pictures of pretty much every step I took.  Humor me here, friends. Let's begin.

prep time: up to 15-30 minutes

cook time: Tyler says 3 hours, so we'll go with that (give yourself enough time to make this!)

serves: about 6 (meh, I'd say 4-5 realistically)

Ingredients

• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from the stem
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes (you can use "stew" meat to make this easier on yourself unless your just in the mood to butcher a chuck roast.)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cognac (I used cooking sherry)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (I stuck to olive oil for my heart's sake)
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (please use a damp kitchen towel and wipe off the dirt off of those little guys!)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (i used more like 3-4)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (i definitely used about 3 if not 4)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 (1-pound) package wide egg noodles

 get the beef stock in a pot with your thyme, bay leaf, and carrot.  I only had matchstick carrots, so I estimated how many matchstick carrots equal one carrot. 

pat down the beef with paper towels to absorb any moisture.  this step is CRUCIAL if you want a good sear (nice brown crust).  season your beef liberally with salt and pepper.  then mix it all together.  use your hands, don't be afraid.  you want it well distributed. 

this is my assembly line for cooking the beef.  two plate on both sides of the stock pot.  add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn the pot on medium high.  with tongs, add your beef in batches.  let them cook on each side for about 1-2 minutes, or until they can be easily removed from the pot (you'll know when they're not done searing because they won't unstick from the pot when you try to move them).  once all sides are brown, put them on the other plate. do this until all of the meat is cooked.  

that's what seared beef should look like.  nice and crispy brown crust.

while your meat cooks, however, please chop your onions. (not too many recipes ask you to do things with a "please," do they?)

i like my onions largely chopped in this recipe.

once all of your meat is cooked  turn the heat down to medium and add all of your meat back to the pot along with the onions.  let them cook together for about 5 minutes.  add a good pinch of salt. 

the recipe calls for cognac, which you can use if you have, but i didn't, so i used sherry.  same effect.  add your 2 tablespoons of sherry at this point (a little more if you think it needs it).  let this all cook together for another 5 minutes, stirring the meat and onions to combine. 

strain your simmering beef stock into the pot with meat and onions.  partially cover the pot, put the heat on LOW, and let this cook for 1 1/2-2 hours.

you can boil your noodles at any time and set them aside to wait for the stroganoff to cook.

in the meantime, chop some mushrooms, the 3 cloves of garlic, and get your thyme ready.

let me say something about mushrooms for a sec:  i used to ABHOR mushrooms (until my precious husband kept making me try them til i liked them) I couldn't even touch them much less CUT them.  but once you sautee them, get them nice and browned and eat them with other things, you don't notice them and they add PHENOMENAL flavor.  i always think of my precious college roommate, sarah adams, because the first time i chopped a mushroom i was disguisted but i did it for her to help her make dinner one time :)  love you, sarah.

sautee your mushrooms, garlic, and thyme in a pan with about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

if you're not a mushroom lover, you're thinking "wow, there's a lot of mushrooms.  i don't know if i can commit to this yet" but wait....after cooking for about 7 minutes, the mushrooms look like this:

now look at all that space in the pan!! SEE! the mushrooms shrink!  you won't notice them, you non-mushroom people, I promise.  you'll thank me later.

once the mushrooms are cooked, turn off the pan and put the 'shrooms in a container in the fridge if you've still got some time left for the meat to simmer.  if you cut the mushrooms and sauteed them toward the end of the meat's simmer time, let them hang out.

when the meat is done, turn off the heat.  now is the time to add the mushrooms, sour cream, and dijon.

i know that you all know how to follow instruction, but i just took the pictures for the sake of taking them.  bare with me here.

ok fold the dijon and sour cream in and then check for seasonings.  i had to add more salt to bring out the flavors.  oh- add your chopped parsley in, too.

it was also a bit too soupy for my liking, so i did the following:

i put some corn starch in a mixing bowl thingy and added some of the juice from the pot, then i whisked it all together vigorously with a fork and added it back in to let it thicken.  

have your boiled your noodles yet?  you might want to start thinking about it since this baby is ready for serving.

ok, tyler likes to butter his noodles, and i don't do that- i just sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil and then slather them with this glorious beef stroganoff like so:

again, i know you all know how to serve things, but i was just taking pictures for the sake of taking them.  scott was poking fun at me but I DON'T CARE!

ok enough ranting, TIME TO ENJOY!!!! GO MAKE THIS!!! 

Basil is the Posh Princess of the Herb Family

I have 2 ½ weeks left until I am done with my graduate program. Forever. That means no more school… ever. Needless to say, I have been dealing with some rather paralyzing anxiety about the future: completing my final papers and projects, graduating, taking the licensing exam, finding a JOB. Yikes, the real world scares me. (So by the way, if anyone hears of any open social work positions in the Houston area, let me know). However, I fight back: when I feel the anxiety rise up and start to take over, I promptly grab my journal and a cup of coffee in my pretty pink mug and go out to my sweet little porch that overlooks my herb garden. It is truly a restorative oasis that has brought me so much joy this spring. Don’t you just love spring? Minus the whole graduation, impending life decisions thing…

So today I was sitting out on my porch looking at my herbs and thinking about all the different ways I can use them: homemade bread crumbs, pasta sauces, infused teas... Here’s a picture. Aren’t they pretty? I know my garden is small but hey, I live in the middle of a huge city, you take what you can get.

Do you notice anything? Besides that cool piece of yard art, I mean. Like… do you notice how small and puny my basil plant is compared to everything else? This is something that really ticks me off. I give these plants so much TLC it’s not even funny. I water them every day. I make sure they have good, rich soil. I even mix in my leftover coffee grounds with the earth to give it some added nutrients. Everything else is thriving: the rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, mint and sage. But that basil… I am telling you. I have been baby-ing it for a month now and it refuses to grow in height or stature. It just sits there looking pathetic. Here’s a close up:

I don’t have room for this high-maintenance act in my life. I much more admire the resiliency of my mint plant that endured being uprooted from my mother’s garden, transported on a 3.5 hour hot car ride to Houston, and then replanted in a spot that only gets sunlight a few hours a day. It has endured hardship but is wild, tangly, thriving and beautiful. That’s my kind of girl. The posh princess basil needs to wake up and meet the real world. This is not a comfortable green house; this is humid, hot Houston. We (the basil and I) need take a little life lesson from the mint and not stagnate when faced with life’s stressors.

Need Suggestions!

Once upon a time I tried to make an edamame smoothie. Yep. Edamame Smoothie. I used frozen edamame, plain yogurt, flax seed, and honey. It was the same color as my shirt, which was cool, but it wasn't very good. Something about the meaty quality of a soy bean made the smoothie too thick... it didn't have that slurpy quality that every good smoothie has. The next time I tried I added a couple of strawberries, but then the strawberry taste overpowered that wonderful soy taste. I'm trying to brainstorm about what I can add to make this smoothie tasty, silky, and have it retain the essential essence of the edamame. Thoughts? Suggestions? Please comment below and help answer this cosmic question.

Also, this has nothing to do with food, but my precious little brother, Sam, won first place in the science fair!!!! (Nevermind that my mother falsified all the data). Isn't he the most precious boy you have ever seen????

A Little Morsel of Heaven

isn't she a beaut?

Everyone needs a go-to, satisfyingly delicious, make 'em weep, chocolate chip cookie recipe, right?  Right.  I have about a million saved to food apps on my phone, in my recipe books, on online food sites I belong to, etc.  Basically, I've been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie for a long time.  I take it very seriously. (I'm also searching for the perfect go-to healthy muffin but as all of my friends in Columbus can tell you, it's still a work in progress) The first time I made these, I sent them into the squadron with Scott and I had MEN asking me for the recipe saying they were better than their mama's. So, ladies and you few gentlemen, I give to you the. BEST. chocolate chip cookies. EVER.


Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) SALTED butter (I know ya'll think I'm crazy), softened (muy importante)
• side note- you could also sub this with crisco or go halfsies with crisco and butter which makes a RIDICULOUSLY good cookie)

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (light/dark whatever ya got)
• 2 eggs
• 1 TABLESPOON vanilla (thanks to my mom giving me a mason jar full of  homemade vanilla I won't be running out for a loonnggg time.  Thanks, mom!)
• 1 12 oz package (or 2 cups) of chocolate chips.  
• Can I say something here?  Buy the good stuff.  I promise it makes a difference to buy real Hershey's chocolate chips or ghirardelli (whatever is cheaper, let's be honest) as opposed to the Kroger brand because that chocolate just isn't good- sure it melts fine, BUT YOU CAN TASTE A DIFFERENCE, and if you're gonna make these chocolate chip cookies, they need to be done right.

• You can also add some heath bits at this point and sprinkle the cookies with sea salt just before popping them in the oven.  I learned this from my dear friend Sara who made some DELECTABLE salted toffee cookies the other weekend (i had like 4)

Directions

• Heat oven to 375.  Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
• Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl and use your hand mixer.  Just get 'em creamin'.  Beat at a medium speed, SCRAPING THE BOWL OFTEN, until creamy.  
• Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix, scraping down the bowl to make sure everything is incorporating
• Reduce speed to low add the flour mixture slowly, until well mixed.
• With the speed on low, add your bag of chocolate chips (and toffee bits if using)
• I use an ice cream scooper for my cookies to be the same size, but however you do it, get those puppies into balls and pop them onto some baking sheets.
• Bake for 10-14 minutes (I bake them for about 12- they will still look undone but you must remember, they will continue to bake a bit on the hot cookie sheet once they're out of the oven.  If you don't like them gooey, don't take my advice, and suffer the consequences of a hard cookie.  just sayin)

makes...a lot.

ps: this recipe is from Land O' Lakes salted butter package

Utilize Your Leftovers: A $0 Dinner Made of Pantry Randomness

Because the Food Network was on in the background all day while I was doing research for my paper on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I had the itch to cook even though my fridge was full of leftovers. Succumbing to the itch, I decided to make something using what I already had: an exercise in creativity and parsimony. Oh what to make, what to make? Well, there’s some leftover saffron rice, half a package of frozen peas, and a small package of salted cashews that Anthony probably bought for a late-night snack (sorry, babe!). Fried Rice! Oh yum delicious. Here’s how I did it:

Ingredients
-about 3 cups of leftover rice
-cashews
- ½ package of frozen peas
-3 cloves of minced garlic
-a couple of teaspoons of minced fresh ginger (I had some in the freezer! Here’s the deal with ginger: if you need some you have to buy a big piece of the root for only a few little teaspoons. It’s not cheap and the rest will go to waste… unless you freeze it! It keeps quite well that way.)
- some light soy sauce
- 2 eggs
-a splash of champagne vinegar (I’m not sure this is a critical ingredient if you don’t have any…. I just threw it in there just because I wanted to)
-olive oil

Directions
1. Scramble the eggs in a little olive oil (nothing else). Set aside.

2. Add some more olive oil to the pan and start frying your rice (I mean, you don’t have to drench it in oil, just enough to coat)

3.Once it gets going, add some soy sauce, champagne vinegar, ginger and garlic.Cook your garlic, but careful not to burn it.

4.Add the peas and heat through. Take a little taste to see how the flavors are melding. Add more of anything you feel like you need to.

5.Add the eggs, cut them up with your spatula, and stir it though so that there’s an even distribution of everything.

And that’s all. In the words of Ina Garten, “Now how easy is that???” Let me tell you something, people, it was so flipping good. Pretty healthy, too, I think… And it didn’t cost anything! Yay!