Spring Quiche

Spring is in the air—finally! Despite the lack of snow (I guess Aimee’s official “first snow” pic will have to wait until next year), winter seemed to linger later than usual this year. But the temperatures finally seem to be rising (for good this time?) and I am ready for spring produce. One great way to use it is in a quiche. Quiche is a great weeknight meal, it doesn’t take that long to put together (particularly if you use a pre-made dough for the crust) and it always seems fresh. It is also open to endless flavor possibilities. Just mix in some sautéed veggies and a little cheese and you are good to go. I like to get it ready and stick it in the oven right before I start Aimee’s bedtime routine so it is ready to go once she is down for the night. Easy and delicious (and if you happen to use a tart pan, pretty to look at too!).

Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Quiche

Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 prepared pie dough (Trader Joe’s has the best but any frozen/refrigerated pie dough will work)

1 bag of baby spinach

½ yellow or white onion, diced

1 whole roasted red pepper, cut into strips

½ cup of shredded cheese (I am partial to swiss or gruyere)

4 eggs

1/3 cup half and half

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 425. Press pie dough into 9-inch tart pan (or pie plate). Sautee onion in 2 TBL olive oil until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add in spinach, tossing until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Meanwhile beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in half and half and eggs until well mixed.

3. Spread onion/spinach mixture onto bottom of the dough. Top with roasted red peppers and cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

From the Slow Cooker: Ratatouille and Orzo

I know I am overdue for a post on life with a newborn, but, in keeping with my blog's original theme, I thought I would first share one of the things I've learned about trying to cook dinner with a baby on hand so far.

I am on maternity leave until after the holidays, and aside from taking care of Aimee during the day, I try to make dinner most nights. Early on, I focused on frozen meals but we quickly got tired of our Trader Joe favorites and the baked pastas and casseroles that I had made prior to Aimee's birth. So I started trying to think about quick and easy dinners that I could get on the table with relative ease.

So far, I have found that the trick to cooking with an infant (for us anyway) is to either a) cook something all day (in a slow cooker/crock pot) or b) cook something really quickly right before you are going to eat (when Jason is home to keep an eye on the baby). Cooking all day has actually been the easier thing for me--I can get things ready to go during Aimee's morning snooze in her swing and then pretty much "set it and forget it" until Jason is home from work and we are ready to eat.

Aimee snoozing in her swing the day we brought her home from the hospital!

Unfortunately, I am short on good slow cooker recipes that aren't soups, stews or pot roasts. I have tried a few in the last 6 weeks but was only really happy with one of them -- ratatouille and orzo. This was insanely easy-- chop up some vegetables and throw them into the slow cooker with some olive oil and a can of diced tomatoes. Cook on low all day and add some orzo in at the end. Top with fresh basil, goat cheese, and a little balsamic vinegar and you've got a delicious and healthy meal. It's also easy to eat with one hand if you need to hold/calm a crying infant with the other!

Do you have any suggestions for good slow cooker recipes?

Ratatouille and Orzo
From Parents Need to Eat Too

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 red peppers, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
3 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
3 TBL chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup orzo
Goat cheese
Balsamic vinegar

1. Combine eggplant, onion, pepper, tomatoes and half of garlic in the slow cooker. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

2. Stir in zucchini. Cover and continue to cook on low for another 2-2.5 hours.

3. During the last hour, add remaining garlic, 2 TBL of basil and salt and pepper to taste.

 4. In the last 15-20 minutes, add orzo. Before serving, top with crumbled goat cheese and remaining basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries

Valentine's Day is coming and that means it's time for me to decide exactly what type of sweet treat I'll be giving to Jason as part of his gift. I haven't quite made up my mind (and certainly wouldn't spoil it here before the big day!) but thought I would share a wonderful cookie recipe I made last weekend in case others out there are looking for similar inspiration.

While oatmeal cookies in and of themselves may not seem all that exciting, you can spice them up with a variety of add-ins. From the very traditional raisins to chocolate chips to nuts, oatmeal cookies can be a very versatile cookie indeed. As I mentioned on my last post, I volunteered to bring something sweet to a friend's house last weekend to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl (yay Giants!). I had been thinking about oatmeal cookies for weeks and decided to go in that direction. Rather than the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie I've made in the past, I decided to throw in chocolate chips and some dried cherries-- a combination that is delicious and special enough for your Valentine.

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries
Adapted generously from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients: 
1 stick of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup dried cherries, chopped (next time I might add in a few more)
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.   Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add the regular and brown sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed. Once incorporated, add the rest of the flour mixture.
4. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and dried cherries until everything is well-mixed.
5. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then move to a cooling rack. Cook completely.

Making Up for Lost Time

I don't remember if I mentioned it here on the ol' blog, but several months ago I was given additional responsibilities at work which meant that my already hectic work life got even more hectic. As a result, I've been working later and coming home more tired and that has (as you can probably tell) greatly impacted the time I spend in the kitchen during the week.

About a week ago I got some good news--a promotion for a job well done! The flip side of this is that my level of effort at work shows no signs of letting up. This week was particularly rough--I'm not sure whether it was because I felt like I was behind for most of it (trying to get caught up from being on travel for 4 days the previous week) or the two days I drove back and forth to Baltimore, but work really kicked my butt this week. Which meant I only ended up cooking dinner once. The other nights we ate out, ordered in or Jason made eggs for dinner (twice in fact).

 Check out this awesome bagel sandwich Jason made for dinner Friday night-- with bagels I brought home from work of course. Made me feel like a failure in the kitchen but it sure did taste good!

So I've been trying to make up for lost time this weekend by cooking up a storm. Last night I made an eggplant and polenta casserole which turned out really well (see below) as well as a batch of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies (stay tuned for more on that) to take to a friend's to watch the Super Bowl this evening. And I as I write this, a pot of winter minestrone is simmering away for tomorrow's dinner.

I'm definitely still trying to find a better work/home balance (particularly when it comes to making yummy, nutritious dinners during the week) but am hoping that a little extra time in the kitchen on the weekends will help me get through the week with a little less stress.

I'm anxious to hear if anyone out there has suggestions for getting dinner on the table during the work week??

Layered Eggplant and Polenta Casserole
Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 TBL olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used the garlic and onion variety for more flavor)
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 (16 ounce) log precooked polenta, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place rack on highest position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggplant rounds in a single layer on baking sheet and roast in oven for about 10 minutes or until just starting to soften. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and slightly golden, about 5-8 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juices). Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the juices have evaporated and the sauce is thickened--about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer (overlapping so that they all fit). Spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the top and top with shredded mozzerella.
4. Cover with foil. Move oven rack down one position. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly and serve.

I'm Back

Now that Christmas is long since past, I thought it was about time I got back to blogging. I'll be honest-- this Fall really kicked my butt; between long work hours, the holidays, and a general sense of fatigue I did not have much time for writing or cooking. But I'm going to try and be better in the new year and at least keep the five or so of you still reading this thing up to date on what's going on in our lives....with a few recipes here and there to boot.

So what have we been up to lately? Mostly catching up on rest and trying to get a few new things done around the house. Over the last couple of weeks we've tried to make our entryway more appealing (it's my least favorite space in the entire house) and have begun plans for completing our living room area on the main level. More details on both of those to come.

And with the three-day weekend, I actually spent some time in the kitchen-- something that is becoming more and more of a rarity these days. With the cold weather we've been having I decided to give my BFF's chicken pot pie recipe a try. While a bit time consuming, it was not terribly difficult-- especially given I decided to forego the homemade pie dough and opted instead for the pre-made refrigerated variety. My one quibble is the proportions-- the original recipe said it made 4 individual pot pies. I decided to halve it so that it would be just enough for Jason and me to eat for dinner last night. Uh....yeah. I don't know what size of individual pot pie Ina likes to serve, but the halved recipe seemed like plenty for four. It was so much that I had to skip the individual sizes and put it in an 8 inch square baking dish instead. And while still tasty, The crust to pie ratio wasn't quite the same. Oh well-- live and learn. Next time I will quarter the recipe :)

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Ina Garten

Note: This recipe is half of the original; I would say it serves 4

Ingredients:
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, diced
6 TBL butter
1/4 cup plus 2 TBL flour
5 cups chicken stock
2 TBL heavy cream
1 cup baby carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
2 TBL minced parsley
1 piece of refrigerated pie dough (or you can make your own)
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Place chicken breasts on foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, shred or cube meat and set aside.

2. Heat chicken stock. Meanwhile, chop the yellow onion and carrots.

3. Turn oven up to 375. Heat butter in a large pot or dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the warm chicken stock and simmer on low for about 1-2 minutes until thick. Add cream, salt and pepper.

4. Add chicken, carrots, peas, pearl onions and parsley. Turn off the heat. Spoon pot pie filling into either 4 individual ovenproof bowls or an 8 inch square casserole/baking dish.

5. Beat egg with 2 TBL water to make an egg wash. Brush sides of baking dish(es) with egg wash and top with pie dough (if using individual bowls, you'll want to cut the dough so there is about an inch hanging over the bowls). Press the dough around the edges of the baking dish(es) to seal. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and cut 2-3 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

6. Place dish(es) on a baking sheet and place into oven. Bake for about 45-60 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Eat, Think, and Be Married--Now with Recipe Browsing Capabilities!

One good thing that comes from waking up (before) the crack of dawn? I actually get around to organizing recipes within my handy-dandy new recipe categories at the top of my blog. I'm still only through 100 or so posts (133 or so more to go) but this is at least a start in terms of being able to browse my recipes by category. More organization to come!

Ratatouille Tart

Wow-- my resolve to post every day this week didn't last long, did it?! I really need to find some motivation to do something other than watch HGTV when I get home from (what is usually a long day of) work.

Anyway.... a couple of weeks ago I made a ratatouille tart for dinner using a simple yet elegant recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Ratatouille is french dish typically made with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes (among other things). Smitten Kitchen's recipe deconstructs the ingredients and makes it into a sort of fancy pizza;  puff pastry (instead of the regular flour and yeast based dough) is topped with tomato puree (or sauce) and then thinly sliced vegetables with a healthy sprinkling of herbs and cheese at the end.

In general the meal is pretty easy to put together--once you've got the vegetables thinly sliced that is. Fortunately for me, on the day I made this for dinner Jason was home from work early and got things started by prepping the vegetables (using his favorite kitchen tool-- the mandoline). Once I got home all I had to do was put everything together and pop it in the oven.

All in all, a healthy, delicious and surprisingly elegant summer meal.

Ratatouille Tart
From Smitten Kitchen (recipe cut in half but other than that made as outlined on SK's website)


Ingredients:
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight
1/2 small eggplant
1/2 zuchinni
1/2 yellow squash
1 red pepper
1/4-1/3 cup of pureed tomato or tomato sauce
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dried or fresh thyme
Crumbled goat cheese


1. Heat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place puff pastry on the parchment paper and prick pastry all over with a fork.
2. Spread tomato sauce (in desired quantity) evenly over the pastry, leaving a one-inch border around the edges.
3. Slice vegetables thinly using a sharp knife or mandoline. Arrange slightly overlapped slices of vegetables in rows over the tomato sauce, alternating vegetables as you go.
4. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with fresh or dried herbs (all to taste).
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and veggies look soft. Sprinkle with goat cheese and cut into squares. Serve with a mixed green salad and enjoy.

 

Summer Caesar

I'm so behind on posting it's pathetic. And I actually have some recipes to share! So I'm going to challenge myself to post every day during the week this week and try to get caught up.

First up---a summery shrimp Caesar salad.

I found this recipe on Everyday Food's website last week as I was browsing around looking for some quick and easy culinary inspiration. Work has been even more ridiculous than usual lately (last week was HORRIBLE) and I've been on the lookout for super quick and easy meals-- too often recently I come home too late and too tired to spend much time in the kitchen and we end up ordering pizza or going out to eat. Which is not good for my wallet or my waistline. So I'm try to find some easy dishes that take very little effort to put together.

This shrimp Caesar was even easier than I thought it would be. I bought frozen shrimp that had been already been peeled and deveined so all I had to do was thaw, toss with the garlic-lemon zest-olive oil mixture and roast in the oven with cubes of crusty bread. While that was cooking away, I made a quick and easy homemade Caesar dressing with an unlikely ingredient-- hard boiled egg yolk! It sounded so odd, I almost skipped it but I am so glad I didn't. Mashed up and then whisked into a mixture of garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and olive oil, it was the perfect emulsifier. Tossed with a little grated Parmesan and Romaine lettuce and you had a quick, easy, and delicious summer meal.

 

Shrimp Caesar Salad

Adapted slightly from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon
1/2 baguette, cut into cubes
1 hard-cooked egg yolk, mashed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2-3 TBL grated Parmesan (to taste)
2 large hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. In a medium bowl, combine zest from lemon, 1 TBL olive oil, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add bread cubes. Cook until shrimp are cooked and bread cubes are golden and crunchy, about 7-8 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine remaining garlic, juice from the lemon, mustard, egg yolk and 2 TBL olive oil. Whisk until smooth. Stir in Parmesan. Add Romaine and toss to coat. Season with salt and lots of pepper.
4. Divide salad among plates and top with shrimp and croutons. Serve! (Makes 2 large main salads or 4 smaller side salads).

Patriotic Treats: Berry Crumb Bars

How lucky are we that there are so many naturally occurring red, white and blue foods this time of year?! I mean what the 4th of July be without a flag cake decorated with whipped cream, strawberries (or raspberries) and blueberries? I am sure that's what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they chose July 4th as the day on which to declare their independence (It is also worth noting that Canada Day and Bastille Day are also in July. The Canadian flag is red and white. The colors of the French flag? Blue, white and red. Are you seeing a pattern here?)

Although I decided against the traditional flag cake for my contribution to our friends' July 4th BBQ, I did decide to keep the patriotic vibe going with red, white, and blue berry crumb bars. In this recipe (a slightly adapted version of Smitten Kitten's blueberry crumb bars), you start with a shortbread-like dough that serves as both the crust (when patted into a 9x13 pan) and crumb topping (when sprinkled over the top) and add in a layer of your favorite berries tossed with lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. SK also shared the following tip-- these cut a lot easier when chilled so stick them in the fridge for 30 minutes or an hour after they've cooled to room temperature if you have the time. A perfect patriotic treat that Washington and Jefferson would have been proud of.

Berry Crumb Bars
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
3-4 cups fresh berries (I used a mix of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1/2 cup sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of your fruit--always check first!)
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together, flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in butter and egg. Pat 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. In a separate bowl, toss berries with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Spread evenly over crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry mixture.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into square. Enjoy with fireworks or your favorite John Philip Sousa anthem.

Healthy Summer Burgers

After eating out for a week in Palm Desert, all I wanted last Sunday was to make something myself. Preferably something a little lighter and something relatively quick and easy (since I didn't want to spend my too much of my last evening before going back to work slaving away in the kitchen). I decided to try a recipe for salmon burgers that I had found in the June edition of Better Homes and Gardens-- one of the magazines I had purchased to take with me to on our trip (I was such a fan of the magazine that I decided to subscribe-- a two year subscription was only $16!).

The recipe was a cinch to make-- throw skinless salmon fillets, some breadcrumbs, an egg and some Dijon mustard in a food processor and then form into patties. Since we are still grill-less (hopefully for just another couple of months), I broiled ours and they turned out really well. I served them with sliced avocado on toasted ciabatta rolls with some oven-baked sweet potato "fries" on the side. Next time I might add in some fresh herbs or make a herby-yogurt spread to serve with them for a little extra flavor. Otherwise,  a delicious and easy summer meal.

Salmon Burgers
Adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens

(Note: I halved the recipe to accommodate the two of us but was still left with two pretty big burgers; the amounts below make more like three normal sized patties.)


Ingredients:
2 4-6 ounce fillets of salmon, skin removed and cut into two inch pieces
3 TBL bread crumbs
1  egg
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 avocado, sliced
2 ciabatta rolls
olive oil

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, and half of salmon into a food processor. Process until salmon is ground and mixture is thoroughly combined. Add in remaining salmon and pulse until salmon is coarsely chopped. Shape mixture into 2-3 patties (see note above).
3. Brush patties lightly with olive oil. Broil 4-5 minutes per side until burgers are cooked through. Place ciabatta rolls, cut side up, onto broiler pan for last 1-2 minutes.
4. Serve salmon burgers on rolls with sliced avocado and additional mustard (if desired).

Helloooooo Summer

Although Summer doesn't officially start for several more weeks, the unofficial start of Summer--Memorial Day weekend-- is upon us. And we're starting things off right. First up-- iced coffee. Jason cold-brewed our first batch Friday night which means we will be having delicious iced coffee all weekend long.

Last night we took things up another notch with a very summery meal-- seared tuna with mango slaw. The mango slaw comes from SmittenKitchen and, like most recipes I get from her, is definitely a keeper. Thinly sliced mango, red pepper, cabbage and red onion tossed with a lime-rice vinegar dressing and topped with mint and toasted cashews. Um, could it get any more delicious than that?

Finally, to top it all off-- our pool opened yesterday. Nothing says summer like reading by the pool!

Mango Slaw
Adapted (barely) from SmittenKitchen

Ingredients:
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 medium head of Napa cabbage, halved and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 limes, juiced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 TBL olive oil
1/4 tsp chili paste
Salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint
1/3 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1. Toss mango, cabbage, red pepper, and red onion in a large bowl. Whisk lime juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, chili paste, and salt to taste in a separate bowl and pour over slaw.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
3. Before serving, mix in mint and cashews.

Strawberry Week, part 3

It would be pretty impossible for me to come home with three quarts of strawberries and not make some kind of ice cream. Rather than the relatively straightforward strawberry ice cream I made last year, I decided to try something I had seen a few weeks ago on The Kitchn--strawberry cheesecake ice cream. This recipe is a take on a recipe from the fabulous David Lebovitz and is wonderful in it simplicity and its tangy cheesecake flavor. You could add in any fruit--raspberries, blueberries, cherries, even cranberries would be delicious.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Inspired by The Kitchn and adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup small diced strawberries

1. Cut cream cheese into small pieces. Add cream cheese, lemon zest, sour cream, sugar, half-and-half, and salt into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
2. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to instructions. About five minutes before the ice cream is complete, add in diced strawberries. 
3. Transfer to an air tight container and place in your freezer until ready to serve. 

Strawberry Week, part 2

It was easy to come up with ideas for strawberry sweet treats, but as I much as I would have liked to eat nothing but strawberry crisp, strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, or even strawberry scones, I did not think that would be too good for my waist line (it has a hard enough battle given my current lack of exercise routine). So I came up with an idea for a simple spinach salad topped with strawberries, goat cheese, pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. It may sound odd to top a salad with strawberries (Jason, for one, was skeptical when I told him what we are having for dinner with our chicken kebabs tonight), but it is quite tasty (by the end of the meal he was converted). A no-recipe recipe and a healthy way to eat your summer fruit!

Spring Risotto

It's hard to believe that only a year ago I was totally intimidated by the idea of risotto. Today I feel like I can safely say I've got it down pat. I barely need a recipe anymore! I just decide what kind of flavors/ingredients I want to use and I go for it.

Normally risotto is the kind of dish I reserve for the weekend since it is not necessarily quick and easy but I decided to bend my own rules a little bit given that I worked from home for a few hours on Wednesday (Jason and I left work a little early to attend a pre-construction meeting at the home site....assuming all goes as planned, we're about 90 days out from closing!). This time around I went for something springy--lots of green, lots of crunch and very fresh. Overall the risotto came together faster than I remembered and was creamy and delicious. Fennel, leek, asparagus, zucchini, chives and peas....very spring indeed.

Spring Risotto
Inspired by previous risotto recipes from Ina Garten and Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 TBL olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped
2-3 stalks of asparagus, chopped
4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 cup of water
2 TBL olive oil
TBL butter
1 leek, white and light green parts chopped
1 fennel bulb, core removed and chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup chopped chives
salt and pepper

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 TBL of olive oil. Add zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add asparagus and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Add chicken stock and water to same saucepan and bring to a low simmer.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 TBL of olive oil and butter in a large pan or dutch oven. Add chopped fennel and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add arborio rice. Stir constantly until rice is coated with the fat and vegetables--about 2 minutes.
4. Add wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
5. Add chicken stock, two ladles at a time, stirring rice almost constantly until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat until rice is thick and creamy (it should take most of the stock)-- about 15-20 minutes total.
6. When rice is almost done, add frozen peas. When rice is done and peas are warmed through, add zucchini and asparagus and stir.
7.  Remove risotto from heat. Add in Parmesan cheese, chives, and lemon juice. Check for seasonings and serve.

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Over the last year or so I've come across a number of recipes for sesame noodles. These recipes have long enticed me with their fresh vegetables, ease of preparation and their slightly spicy, slightly sweet but always peanut-y (thanks to a good dose of peanut butter) dressing. Have I mentioned how much I like peanut butter before? No? Well, I do. As Mr. Gump would say, I like it a lot.

(No, seriously. I really like peanut butter. So much that I rarely keep a jar of the stuff in the house because I will inevitably eat it (by the spoonful) in a matter of a couple of days. So much that Spring is my favorite time of year-- primarily because it means that Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs are back on sale at the grocery store. Do I need to say more? I thought not.)

So finally this week I decided to just give one of the many recipes out there a try. I decided to go with Smitten Kitchen's recipe because....well, honestly, there wasn't much of a rationale. I happened to be pursuing her site this weekend and came upon it for the umpteenth time and decided to go for it.

The recipe and subsequent dish met all my expectations-- lots of fresh veggies, easy to make, and definitely peanut-y. I liked it, but I didn't love it. In some ways, it was almost TOO peanut-y. I liked the first few bites a lot....but then it just got old. It was too one note. Perhaps it would make a better side dish than an entree. Or maybe adding some protein (some chicken, for example) might help balance the flavors a little bit.Or maybe dialing down the peanut butter would help it out a bit.

Did I just say that?

Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (or less....)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 TBL fresh ground ginger (you could also substitute fresh chopped ginger here)
2 TBL rice vinegar
1 1/2 TBL sesame oil
1 TBL honey
1 teaspoon garlic chili paste
3/4 lb dried soba noodles (linguine or spaghetti will work if you can't find soba)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
3 TBL sesame seeds, toasted

1. Make the dressing by whisking first eight ingredients (through chili paste) in a bowl. You can also throw it all in a blender if you want. Set aside.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse well under cold water (it prevents the pasta from sticking together).
3. Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, cucumber to dressing. Toss to combine. Top with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Sunday Dinner: Mussels Edition

I didn't eat a lot of shellfish growing up. Shrimp and the occasional lobster tail (I don't eat crab), but never clams or mussels. The couple of times I was exposed to these types of bivalves I found them chewy and not terribly appetizing so I decided that I did not like them. Then a few years ago I had moules frites (that's steamed mussels and french fries to the uninitiated) with friends and found myself liking them. But it wasn't until I tried the steamed mussels at The Liberty Tavern (which, you may recall, is one of my favorite Arlington restaurants) that I understood just how good mussels could be. Steamed in a broth made of smoked tomatoes, fennel pollen, and basil, these mussels are tender and smoky with a little heat that is impossible not to like. We pretty much have to order them whenever we go there.

Despite this growing affection for steamed mussels, I had never attempted to make them at home...until today. With the weather starting to get warmer, it just seemed like the right time to do it. I decided to start with a classic version--mussels cooked in a white wine broth, and who better to turn for a tried and true recipe than my BFF, the Barefoot Countessa.

Ina's recipe proved just how easy it is to make delicious steamed mussels at home. The result was an delicious and surprisingly elegant Sunday Dinner. The perfect way to mark the end of a hectic week.

Mussels with White Wine
Adapted slightly from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs mussels
1/3 cup flour
2 TBL unsalted butter
2 TBL olive oil
5 shallots, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
1 TBL fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup white wine
pinch of saffron
pinch of red pepper flakes (I'd probably add more next time-- you can too, if you like heat)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Lots of crusty bread for serving

1. To clean the mussels, mix flour and 2 quarts of water together in a large bowl. Add mussels and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mussels and remove the "beard' from each with your fingers. If they are dirty, scrub the mussels under running water. Be sure to discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.
2. While the mussels are soaking, chop the shallots, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes.
3. In a large stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, red pepper, thyme, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the mussels and stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until all the mussels are open. During the cooking process, give the pot (with the lid on) a shake every so often to make sure the mussels on the bottom of the pot don't burn. When done, pour the mussels and broth into a large bowl and serve with lots of crusty bread (to sop up the sauce). Be sure to discard any mussels that do not open.

Sunday Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala Edition

It's been awhile since I flexed my Sunday Dinner muscles and made something new and interesting to close out the weekend. So today I decided to get back into the game with a recipe for chicken tikka masala. The recipe comes from Tasty Kitchen-- a website run by Pioneer Woman that is equal parts blog and cooking community. Basically anyone can join and upload recipes and pictures that others can view, download, cook and rate. This marks my first non-Pioneer Woman recipe from Tasty Kitchen and I have to say I was pretty pleased. The recipe was pretty simple and definitely delicious. The only thing I'd change is the amount of spice-- we thought it could have benefited from a little more heat. Otherwise we'll definitely be eating this again soon.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted slightly from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup plain yogurt
5 TBL vegetable oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBL plus 2 teaspoon fresh ginger (either fresh ground or grated)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2-1 whole jalapeno, diced
2 TBL tomato paste
1 TBL garam masala
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Rice (for serving)
Naan (for serving)--optional

1. Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
2. In another bowl mix yogurt, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 TBL ground/grated ginger, and 2 TBL vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. In a large/deep skillet or dutch oven, heat remaining vegetable oil. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until it starts to brown. Add remaining garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, and garam masala. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Place chicken on a broiler pan (or aluminum foil covered baking sheet). Brush both sides of chicken in yogurt mixture (discard leftover mixture). Broil chicken for about 13 minutes or until done, flipping halfway through. Let stand for 5 minutes and then cut into bite size pieces.
5. Add cream to sauce, stir, and return to simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Add cilantro and chicken pieces and stir. Check for seasonings. Serve over rice with naan or other flatbread.

Salmon with Sauteed Spinach

Of all the meals I made last week, Wednesday's salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze was my favorite. The recipe, from this month's Everyday Food, was beyond easy-- broiled salmon that is brushed with a simple glaze of shallots, whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Originally I was going to serve this with a spinach salad but I realized when I got home from work on Wednesday that I was missing a key ingredient. So instead I decided to saute the spinach with garlic and a little olive oil instead. Yum. A healthy and delicious meal any day of the week.

Salmon with Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze
Adapted slightly from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz) fillets of salmon
1 TBL olive oil
2 TBL finely minced shallot
2 TBL red wine vinegar
2 TBL whole grain mustard
2 TBL packed brown sugar
Sauteed spinach, optional (see recipe below)

1. Heat broiler. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add vinegar and cook until slightly evaporated. Add mustard and brown sugar; stir until sugar dissolved and glaze is warm. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Broil for about 6 minutes or until opaque throughout. As soon as the salmon comes out, brush with as much glaze as you'd like. Serve on top of sauteed spinach if using.

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

Ingredients:
2 TBL olive oil
3 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and stir often. Just as the spinach starts to wilt, add minced garlic and toss. Continue to stir until spinach is wilted. Serve.

Makin' Biscuits

Normally Jason is in charge of breakfast but this weekend I decided to try my hand at making biscuits. Earlier in the week I had come across a recipe for angel biscuits--supposedly a foolproof way to make light and fluffy biscuits with the inclusion of baking soda, baking powder, and yeast. The best part is that the dough is supposed to rest for at least two hours and even overnight which makes it the perfect make-ahead recipe. I whipped the dough together in about 15 minutes Saturday afternoon before Jason and I headed into DC to see the Cold War Kids concert and then spent another 15 or so minutes this morning rolling the biscuits out and getting them into the oven. The result was a light biscuit with a hint of lemon-- perfect with my favorite raspberry jam. All in all a good introduction to biscuit making.

Lemon Angel Biscuits
Adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients:
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
2 1/2 cups flour
2 TBL granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt  
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, well-chilled

1. Stir yeast into 1/4 cup tepid water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve. In a large measuring cup, measure out milk and add lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add lemon zest. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the dough until it resembles large crumbs.
3. Add yeast mixture and milk with lemon. Quickly stir to combine--until just moist.
4. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
5. Heat oven to 450. Turn the refrigerated dough onto a heavily floured surface. Knead lightly just a few times, or until the dough becomes smooth enough to pat out easily. Roll the dough to a 3/4-inch thickness and cut into rounds with a glass or a biscuit cutter.
6. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last Monday Jason and I had a meeting with our soon-to-be-built townhouse community's sales staff to walk through (and make decisions about) the 500 different design options we could chose from. I worked from home the rest of the day so that I wouldn't have to take as much time off. Another perk was that I was able to get an earlier start on dinner than usual so I decided to make something that would normally be reserved for Sunday nights (when I have more time to make slow-cooking or more labor intensive recipes): chicken tortilla soup. In addition to sounding easy and delicious,  it made use of some ingredients I had leftover from the previous week--namely yellow pepper, corn tortillas and sour cream (I had made Jason's favorite fish tacos a few days before). The dish was as easy and good as it sounded-- a welcome addition to my recipe repertoire.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 TBL olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
32 oz chicken stock
3 TBL tomato paste
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
3 TBL cornmeal
5 whole corn tortilla, cut into strips
1 avocado, diced
sour cream (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder and salt. Drizzle 1 TBL olive oil on chicken breasts then sprinkle small amount of spice mix on both sides.Place chicken on a sheet pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until done. Use two forks to shred chicken and set aside.
2. Heat remaining olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions, yellow and green pepper, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add remaining spice mix and stir to combine. Stir in shredded chicken.
3. Add Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered.
4. Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water to make a paste. Stir into the soup. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Check seasonings. Turn off heat and cover. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Stir in tortilla strips and let sit (covered) for about 5 more minutes.
5. Ladle into bowls. Top with diced avocado and sour cream (if using). Serve!