food for scot

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas

2012-02-08T20:14:00.008-07:00

I have made like 85 tostadas in the past 6 months. Which is a lot considering I had very few before then. I mean, who came up with that concept? And is it supposed to be impossible to eat? Should you pick it up and take a bite? Or are you supposed to be able to cut into it...because that is impossible.

I actually brought these leftovers to work. I packed the whole enchilada. Is that a saying? Does it mean like the whole package? Why? Enchiladas don't have that many components.

So, I packed the crunchy tortilla, the black bean mash, the roasted butternut squash, the sautéed chorizo AND the rest of the fixings: queso fresco, finely minced red onion and chopped cilantro. I packed them more or less separately and assembled on the desk. After I put together the "whole enchilada" I lifted up the tostada ready to take a huge bite and the secretary came in to deliver something. I literally had my mouth open and was milliseconds before biting down. Tostadas...not an office friendly meal. Not first date food. Not clean shirt food.

After some research, it appears tostadas were invented to use up stale tortillas. Alright. Whatever.

It may appear as though I don't like tostadas. But I actually really do. I just want to be alone when I am eating them.

PS: At some point over the past month I decided to cover the spot where I take my photos with a yellow and blue towel (e.g. in the above photo). It wasn't an artistic move. It didn't really have much thought behind it other than the fact that the current wood block is super ugly. I guess that is the definition of cosmetic. And now, a series of about 10 posts will have that towel in it. It is still there tonight. Consistent.

Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas
slightly modified from Closet Cooking

4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound chorizo, casings removed, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (19 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
* water (optional)
12 small corn tortillas
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1/4 cup queso fresco (or feta), crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro

Toss the squash in the oil, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt, spread the mixture out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until the squash tender and just starts to caramelize on the edges, about 30- 40 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, cook until browned, about 10 minutes and set aside retaining a tablespoon of leftover oil/grease in the pan.

Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, chili powder and cumin and cook until warm. Mash the beans until you get them to the consistency that you want. It helps to add water and simmer until it evaporates.

Brush the tortillas lightly in oil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Spread the refried beans over the top of the tortillas, sprinkle on the roast squash, chorizo, red onion, queso fresco and cilantro.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10
Scot (taste): 10/10
Effort: 3/5
Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Pork Vindaloo

2012-02-04T22:10:00.008-07:00

One thing I know about dogs is that they definitely wish they could hug. Imagine if you couldn't hug. What would you do when you are greeted by your mother, who you haven't seen for a few months? How would you comfort your friend who is crying because she is overwhelmed by life? Or...how would YOU apologize for getting really distracted and not obeying the recall command?

Being a dog is a constant struggle. (© DG)

The answer to those above questions is obviously: stretch, yawn and lick. Ever since I have had the pleasure of being in Copper's life, I have been fascinated by the concept of dogs feeling awkward or embarrassed. Scot insists that dogs do not have that emotion. But I am sure they do. Any time Copper is excited, he stretches. But I know that if he could hug, he would just hug instead. And stretching is his way of getting through those awkward moments of being so excited he doesn't know what to do with himself. Stretching is often accompanied by a yawn. And then if the face is in the ideal location, licking is also possible. But he is a minimal licker. He is very classy and sophisticated. He saves licks for only special occasions.

After the wonderful suggestions I got from a friend, I have fully immersed myself into the Indian cuisine. I got two of Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks. Scot got me two Indian spice boxes for my birthday. I have been to the Indian grocer several times. And I have been cooking non-stop Indian. I often do this where I get on kicks and make a lot of one type of thing for a while. But I have to say, I am particularly fascinated by Indian food. And Madhur is guiding me in the best possible way. After making 5 of her recipes so far (and I just got these books 1 week ago!), I have been thinking about food in a new way. For one, it sure makes it seem like all other foods are highly under spiced. Not that spices need to be in every dish...but these Indian dishes have it all figured out in my book. Also, some of my favorite spices appear all over the book including coriander, cumin, chile powder, mustard, etc.

BTW, thank god someone finally made some better use of the mustard seed. Mustard is my favorite condiment of all time. I don't do ketchup. But mustard is highly underused in my life. I am now equipped with yellow and black mustard seeds and have been enjoying them in several Indian dishes. This particular recipe calls for a grainy mustard in the place of soaking the mustard seeds in vinegar. Look for the chunkiest, grainiest mustard available. Mine just looks like a bunch of mustard seeds sharing a jar. I decided to share this recipe first because it was amazing. But also because all the ingredients are easy to find (besides the extra grainy mustard, I always have the rest).

My friend had an intervention with me this past Monday (and by intervention, I mean she was the only one there). She told me, as she does bi-annually, to stop posting recipes that require a visit to the Asian, Indian or any other specialty food market. I told her I just posted a recipe for Rice Pilaf and it contained basically two ingredients: butter and rice. She wants me to post a recipe for mac and cheese with bacon and broccoli in it. So, there you go! Another dinner option!

BTW, in the above photo, a side dish of cauliflower is also pictured in the bowl. It was mega good.

BTW^2, I have learned that Naan has 250 calories per loaf. It's deliciousness all makes sense now.

BTW^3, these pork cubes are deliciously tender if you let them simmer away long enough. And it is a great use of a cheap cut of meat.

Pork Vindaloo
by Madhur Jaffrey, Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

1 1/2 tablespoons grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and cut into fine half rings
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a pulp
1 1/4 lbs boned shoulder of pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
2/3 cup canned coconut milk, well stirred

Combine the mustard, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt and vinegar in a cup. Mix well.

Put the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the onion. Stir and fry until it is medium brown. Put in the garlic. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Put in the spice paste. Stir and fry for a minute. Put in the meat. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and 2/3 cup water if you are cooking continuously in a pressure cooker, or 1 cup water if you are to cook in the frying pan. (Transfer to a pressure cooker at this stage if that is your intention.) Cover and either bring up to pressure, or bring to a boil if you are using the frying pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker and 60-70 minutes in the frying pan.

(Serving: 3-4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 70 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 10/10

Scot (taste): 9/10
Effort: 2/5
Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Vegetarian Posole (Hominy Stew)

2012-01-29T22:19:00.005-07:00

I think it is time to talk about Scot's sense of humor. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of witnessing it first hand, I thought I would give you a taste of some of his jokes, specifically relating to food:

1. Tastes chocolate frosting, "Ganache that's good."

2. Whenever I make couscous, "I need to get to school early tomorrow, couscous I have to print something before class." In general, replaces "because" with "couscous" for about a week.

3. Any dish with thyme, some reference to time, usually, "How much thyme does this take?"

4. "Avocado"="Have a cow doe"

And while I was making this soup, I had the empty can of hominy sitting in the sink and there was a small piece of hominy sitting next to it on the countertop. And he made some joke about the piece of hominy relating it to the phrase..."Peace and Harmony". It was such a bad joke, that neither of us can even remember what it was.

Every once and while, he comes up with something that is enough of a stretch that it is actually really funny to me. But usually, it is so bad that I am just glad no one has to witness it and force a courtesy laugh.

Speaking of Scot, he declared this soup a 10 after the first bite. I feel obligated to tell you that sometimes I think Scot is an emotional rater of food. And he ate this after coming off a "curling win high". Not that I disagree with his rating, this is a delicious soup. What makes it special is the smoked paprika and ancho chile powder, spices that really can't be replaced. The smoked paprika, especially, gives the soup a smokey flavor and makes it taste like bacon. It is also full of veggies like hominy, black beans, and butternut squash. I actually left out the butternut squash (not by choice) but I have no doubt that its presence would make this soup EVEN better.

Vegetarian Posole (Hominy Stew)

from Sandy Gluck, cohost of “Everyday Food” via The Radio Blog

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 cups peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks butternut or other winter squash

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

11/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cans (15 ounces each) hominy, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned plum tomatoes in puree

Coarse salt

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into wedges

1 lime, cut into wedges

In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the squash, bell pepper, jalapeno, chile powder, oregano, and paprika and stir to combine. Add the hominy, black beans, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt.

Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, about 25 minutes minimum, but the longer the better. Top with cilantro and avocado and serve with lime wedges.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 45 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 10/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Stroganoff Meatballs

2012-01-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Listen. I grew up eating Beef Stroganoff.

(BTW, everyone on the East Coast starts important conversations with the command, "Listen". Not only is it scary, it also causes me to not listen. Because I am struggling inside with the fact that they told me to listen, implying that they were under the assumption that I wasn't actually intending to listen in the first place. This all causes a lot of anxiety inside my Midwest soul and makes me doubt all things about my existence.)

For those of you who did not grow up eating Beef Stroganoff, it is basically mushrooms and beef cooked in a beef gravy made with sour cream. Usually served over egg noodles. This meatball recipe tastes exactly like the classic Beef Stroganoff dish, but I have to say I like it in meatball form better!

To make a long story short, my sister, Jen, told me I had to get this meatball recipe from my Aunt Linda. See, Jen is a vegetarian and does not eat meatballs anymore. So, she likes to live vicariously through me. We were talking once and she was like, "do you remember those meatballs Aunt Linda used to make at all the parties at her house? You HAVE to make them." My Aunt Linda is a wonderful cook (and entertainer) and I always enjoyed anything she made. I got the recipe from her in the summer, so it has taken me a while to get around to making them. And man, they are SO good.

This is also my first time baking the meatballs before letting them simmer in the sauce. And I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly tender they were. It was no different from frying them in some oil. And much easier. Thanks so much Aunt Linda for a great recipe!

Stroganoff Meatballs

adapted from Aunt Linda and Uncle Dick

for the meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (85/15)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup milk

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

bread crumbs, as needed

for the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp butter

1 8-ounce package of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

a couple of handfuls of more exciting mushrooms, cleaned and chopped (I used shiitake)

salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup of red wine

2 cups of chicken stock

a few spoonfuls of sour cream

4 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Make meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients for the meatballs except for the bread crumbs. Once mixed together, add in a handful or two of bread crumbs in order to form the meatballs easily. You want to add as little of the bread crumbs as possible.

Form meat mixture into approximately 24 meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a large, deep skillet, melt together 1 tbsp of olive oil with 3 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 more tbsp of butter and the flour. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook and reduce down for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.

After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the meatballs and when the sauce is ready, submerge the meatballs in the sauce. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better. Add sour cream and keep warm on the stove or transfer to a crockpot until ready to serve. Serve over buttered egg noodles, on their own as an appetizer, with bread, mashed potatoes, or a baked potato. Top with green onions.

(Servings: 6-12, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Empanadas

2012-01-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

A year or two ago, our stepmom, Gigi, made a Puerto Rican feast for me and my family. I know how hard it is to cook for people. It is intimidating. You instantly doubt everything about how you do things. Not to mention, what if so and so doesn't like blah blah blah? Let's just all admit that cooking for people instantly causes anxiety.

Which is why...when someone makes me dinner, I am honored for life. I don't care if it has enough salt. I don't care if it is burnt. Or undercooked. Or overcooked. It pulls at my heart. It touches my soul. I file it in my brain as most favorite things about life.

In honor of Gigi, I wanted to make these empanadas. Puerto Ricans often call them "pastelillos" (and that is what Gigi and her family call them). This recipe is not necessarily Puerto Rican, but the meat filling seems pretty classic enough.

Also, these are baked, not fried. Of course, they would be amazing fried. And you are welcome to do it. Trust me, I was tempted. But, I gave it a shot and baked them, and the were DELICIOUS. You know me and my full fat loving self...and these didn't miss a beat. So good.

I served these with some Puerto Rican beans and guac. I originally planned to make rice and beans, which is what Gigi served them with. But my last minute decision was just to go with beans and guac since we aren't needing carbs at the moment. I used this recipe for the beans and it was an excellent accompaniment. Scot ventured off to the Latin market and bought these Goya products for these beans. I should have just made my own sofrito, but the jar did make it easy!

Empanadas

slightly adapted from Saveur May/June 1999 #35 via use real butter

for the dough:

1 cup water

3/4 cup butter

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp salt

pinch paprika

for the filling:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced

1/2 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 lb ground beef

salt

1 small russet potato, peeled, finely diced, and boiled

8 green Spanish olives, pitted and chopped

3 scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped

For the dough: Heat water and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter has melted. Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center and sprinkle a pinch of paprika in the well. Pour a little of the warm liquid in and stir with fingertips to make a wet paste. Pour in remaining liquid and work the flour into the dough with your hand until you get a wet, oily dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I put it in the freezer for 1-1.5 hours and it worked just fine).

For the filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, bell peppers, paprika, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and cumin, and cook until onions are soft. Add beef, season to taste with salt, and cook until beef is browned. Place filling in a large bowl and when cooled, add potatoes, olives, scallions, and egg. Mix.

Preheat oven to 400F. Tear off pieces of dough to roll about 12 golf-sized balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough balls on lightly floured surface into 5″ circles. Place 3 tbsp of filling in the center of each dough circle (I used three heaping large spoonfuls and it was the perfect amount to use all the filling). Fold over and press edges firmly to seal. Rope pinch the edges tightly. Place empanadas on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 15-25 minutes.

(Servings: 12, Prep time: 2.5-4 hrs., Cook time: 25 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 4/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

After a fearless battle with cancer, Gigi has moved on to bigger and better things. Her positive spirit never faulted and I feel lucky to have been even a small part of her life. Everyone in our family will miss her so much.

Rice Pilaf

2012-01-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

This is a rice pilaf recipe that I have been making for some time. It is one of those sides that goes with just about anything. It has wonderful flavor from the butter and from the chicken stock. I like to add lots of black pepper. There are many different variations of rice pilaf, but I particularly like adding the bits and pieces of spaghetti. I am sure I would like some veggies thrown in, but the simplicity of this version is wonderful.

And I can't go on without at least mentioning Rice-a-roni. I may have had an obsession with Rice-a-roni when I was a teenager. Obsessed enough for my bestie to buy me 16 boxes of Rice-a-roni for my 16 birthday. And this recipe is pretty much what is on the box except no seasoning packet. We can all benefit from removing seasoning packets from our lives. Can we all agree that serving "rice pilaf" is much more impressive than serving "rice-a-roni"?

One note on the liquid/rice ratio, it might vary a bit depending on what kind of rice you use (like if you use a regular short or long-grain rice rather than jasmine). It also might depend on where you live. In CO, I always had to use a lot more liquid. It is pretty hard to screw this up, though. You can always add more liquid if the rice and noodles have absorbed all the liquid but aren't full cooked. It is not very sensitive at all. Jasmine rice is very nice in this, though, since it isn't nearly as sticky as the regular long grain. And I just prefer the chew quality.

This is, of course, not to be overshadowed by the lobster tail and dish of butter sitting along side it. Apparently, we were in the midst of "lobster season" the past several months and no one told me. Sort of rude. I didn't move out East to miss lobster season.

If you are wondering, I used this method for cooking the lobster tail. It was magical.

Rice Pilaf

adapted from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 heaping cup of broken spaghetti bits (about 1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 cup jasmine rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

Salt and lots of black pepper

In a medium saucepan melt butter over moderate heat. Add thin spaghetti bits and rice and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth or water, salt and pepper, and bring liquid to a full boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer and cook rice 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Effort: 1/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Endive, Pear, and Roquefort Salad

2012-01-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

Ina Garten was born and raised in my new county. And she still lives quite close. I also just got her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris, for Christmas. So, I have been cooking a lot of Barefoot Contessa-esque meals. I am into it.

I love salads. I eat them as main dishes. I add them to dinner when it needs that little bit of rounding out. I bring them for lunch. I order them at restaurants.

But, I feel like I have made just about every combination possible. And anytime I see an idea that is even slightly different from something I already make, I just have to try it. This salad recipe has two aspects I wanted to try:

1. Belgian endive - what is that like?

2. Egg yolk in the dressing. I have been meaning to try such a thing in a non-Caesar dressing.

The fruit, nut, blue cheese combo is already one of my favorites. I have recently been enjoying the very creamy, soft blue cheese. It is usually labeled as some sort of Italian blue cheese, or the best kind I have tried, blue cheese made from goat's milk (obviously). In other words, I didn't use Roquefort for this salad, but you can choose your favorite blue cheese.

For #1, the Belgian endive was a nice change. It is not bitter at all, as I had expected it to be. Probably slightly more bitter than something like Romaine, but I would say that I was more surprised by how clean and almost watery it tasted. Juicy.

For #2, we all knew that would be delicious. It is how you would make a Caesar dressing, but the flavors are much more subtle. I did use a Champagne vinegar, which is really nice. The yolk gives the dressing such body and makes it very creamy. It is delicious. And I am not responsible if you use dirty eggs.

Endive, Pear, and Roquefort Salad

by Ina Garten, from Barefoot in Paris

4 to 6 heads of Belgian endive

1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

*1 egg yolk, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons good olive oil

2 ripe Bartlett pears, halved, cored, and sliced

1/4 pound good Roquefort cheese

1/2 cup toasted walnut halves

Trim off the core end of each head of endive and slice it in half lengthwise. Cut out the cores, separate the leaves, and place 1 1/2 to 2 heads of endive on each plate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, egg yolk, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Toss the pears with some vinaigrette and place on the endive. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the endive leaves to moisten them. Crumble the Roquefort onto the endive. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve at room temperature.

*RAW EGG WARNING: Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other foodborne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Effort: 1/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Eggs and Toast with Goat Cheese

2012-01-06T22:09:00.007-07:00

Are you fascinated by birth order stuff? I am! Partially because I am second born out of four and it is well known that middle children are most perfect. Ya know, they aren't spoiled with attention like the first born. They aren't spoiled by being the baby of the family their whole life.

There is no doubt in my mind that my oldest brother just read that while shaking his head.

All kidding aside, I am relatively obsessed with birth order. It is only a matter of a few interactions with new people that I not only try to predict where they fall in their family, but I also verify this prediction by asking. I am actually not even very good at predicting. BUT, when I do find out, I always do one of those "ahhhhh, makes sense".

Which brings me to my point...my little baby sister cannot spread cream cheese on a bagel. She is 19. There are a lot of difficult parts about growing up, moving out of the house, becoming an adult. But spreading cream cheese on a bagel just isn't one of them.

So in honor of my last born sibling and some of the simple talents she never developed because people always spread the cream cheese on her bagel for her...here is my next kitchen tip.

2012 foodforscot Kitchen Tip: Have trouble spreading cream cheese on your freshly toasted bagel? The number one thing to focus on: confidence. You can't start to spread and question your cream cheese placement. Once the cheese hits the toasty surface, it cannot be changed. Just go with it. The process needs to take under 20 second per half or you might as well just eat the spread separately. If you aren't ready for this speed racing spreading, your best bet is to let your bagel cool down for a few minutes. But that will leave you with sub par results. At this point you need to weigh whether you want inconsistent, non-uniform cream cheese on your bagel OR a luke warm product. The choice is yours.

And finally, to continue with my series, Food from Me to You, here is one of my favorite, easiest dinners. Because of my state of the art IHOP training back in the day, I know how to make eggs the way I like them. And eggs with runny yolks (I consider them over easy, but everyone defines that differently) and toast is THE best dinner. I love eggs so much, but sometimes have a hard time eating them early in the morning. For some reason, they aren't as good when they are the first thing I eat. But mostly, I am so lazy in the morning that I have a hard time getting out of my granola slump. I am also so hungry in the morning. I barely make it from my bed to the kitchen without massive amounts of whining. Regardless, I always eat eggs for dinner. If I have some sort of weird/incomplete meal to eat, I just put an egg on it. Normally, I eat the over easy egg with goat cheese crumbled over the top and toast. Sometimes I add some veggies, if I have some. Normally I make this when I don't have much, so it is never the same. In the photos here I have added smoked salmon, tomatoes, goat cheese and some potatoes.

Eggs and Toast with Goat Cheese

Yum!

(Difficulty: Easy)

foodforscot Ratings:

Scot (taste): 8/10

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Effort: 1/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Salmon with Sautéed Kale and Cranberries

2012-01-04T20:03:00.001-07:00

Here is another random meal I made right after Thanksgiving (Food from Me to You...what an awful name for a series). I often make a piece of fish and we eat it over some veggie medley like this. I don't even want to talk about the fact that I put goat cheese on this. But I do because I actually think it is a vital component. Anytime I eat something sweet, I need to like kick it in the face with something either creamy or super savory and salty. And the bitter greens and tart/sweet cranberries paired with silky salmon and goat cheese from heaven is crazy good.

In general, when I am in a hurry and just want to whip something up, I almost always turn to 1-3 of these ingredients:

1. Kale

2. Goat Cheese

3. Fish

Eating a piece of well cooked salmon is always a highlight of my weekly meals. All these photos are so ugly, but life really does go on.

2012 foodforscot Kitchen Tip: Learn to cook fish properly by practicing. Cook fish once a month until you make one night and declare it the best fish you have ever ate. Succulence.

Salmon with Sautéed Kale and Cranberries

2 salmon fillets (skin on or off, I like the crispy skin)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Herb butter (or butter + some fresh or dry herbs)

1 bunch of kale, clear, dried and roughly chopped

A large handful of cranberries

Goat cheese, crumbled

Put olive oil in small non-stick sauté pan and preheat over medium/medium-high heat. Season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear each side until crisp (if the skin is on, I do skin side first). While on second side, add herb butter and baste the salmon fillets while they finish cooking. You can easily see when fish is done by just keep an eye on the side view. When there is no dark pink (or very little dark pink) left, just stop.

In a separate skillet, add some more oil and put over medium/medium-high heat. Add kale and wilt down for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add cranberries and cook until they have burst and are cooked down, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve each salmon fillet over the cranberry kale mixture. Top with crumbled goat cheese.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Scot (taste): 8/10

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Ham, Australian Cheddar, Fig and Grilled Zucchini Quesadilla

2012-01-03T21:58:00.001-07:00

Next up in the series, Food from Me to You...a new quesadilla recipe. Quesadillas like this are my go to "I am too busy to cook" meal. Even though I avoid excessive use of deli meat, I do eat it randomly. And I always give it a quick sear on the skillet before putting it in my concoctions, tastes about 80 times better that way. This quesadilla is a combination of ham, australian cheddar (super creamy), a fig spread and grilled zucchini. I definitely put either some goat cheese or some cream cheese in these, as well, because clearly, I am incapable of not adding soft cheese to every single thing I put on the plate.

Also, I love acid. And anytime I make a quesadilla or grilled sandwich or make some sort of a grilled cake (like these), I always eat it with aggressively dressed greens. Some baby spinach, spring mix, arugula, etc. I usually eat about half a bag of baby spinach (so like 2.5 ounces) with one quesadilla. So normally it is a lot more greenage than what is in the photo. I think I was just running low.

The purpose of sharing this recipe isn't so you go out and buy all these rather strange ingredients and put them together (although, go for it, this was extremely well liked by Scot), it is instead to share with you one of my regulars. BTW, fig spread is Scot's Betty Boop lately. Or his new "sweet potato". If you have never had it, it is basically the filling in a Fig Newton, but classier.

PS: In case you didn't notice, I gave foodforscot a Facebook page for Christmas. And I added FB liking capabilities all up in here. I am hoping this allows for better communication. The commenting via the blog is sort of 1991, so I hope adding the ability to comment on FB makes things a little easier. Also, YOU can upload pics and comments on the FB page anytime and send me hate mail there.

2012 foodforscot Kitchen Tip: Don't buy salad dressing. I promise you, you will never regret it. All you need is to stock your pantry and fridge with ingredients (which basically never go bad) that allow you to whip up whatever dressing you want. I eat some sort of vinaigrette or dressing at least 3 times a week and I make it each time (or use up the leftovers right away). So what ingredients are need to whip up a dressing?

-Vinegars (I always have balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar...but Champagne, Sherry, and other flavored vinegars are fun to throw into the mix)

-Oil (almost always olive oil, but for Asian and Mexican, you want a light oil like Veggie)

-Salt and pepper

-Dijon mustard

-Honey (or other sweeteners like Maple syrup, agave, jelly or jams, etc.)

Those ingredients alone can do wonders. However, there are probably lots of other ingredients and condiments hanging around that can give you even more options including: Worcestershire sauce, Soy sauce, other mustards, Sriracha, fresh or dry herbs, weird Asian oils/Fish sauce/etc., lemons, limes, ketchup, relish, and many more.

Are you thinking...what about the creamy dressings? Well, all you need is fat: mayo, sour cream, yogurt, milk, etc.

I always have all of these ingredients. And I hate bottled salad dressing. Even before the "eat whole foods, don't eat processed foods" movement, I hated bottled salad dressing. I think it is because once you start making vinaigrettes, you won't turn back.

Should I take a bow? Geeez. Sorry about that multi-paragraph kitchen tip. I think you get the idea.

Ham, Australian Cheddar, Fig and Grilled Zucchini Quesadilla

Ham

Australian Cheddar

Goat cheese, probably

Dijon

Zucchini, sliced and grilled

Fig spread

Spinach flour tortillas

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Make a quesadilla and serve with a salad greens tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

(Servings: any, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Impossible)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 1/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Kale, Tomato and Goat Cheese Twice Baked Potato

2012-01-02T19:43:00.001-07:00

Day 164 in this new city and I still don't remember how to get from my house to the grocery store. Unfortunately, that is not a joke. Being an idiot is a constant struggle.

I am doing a new thing here on foodforscot. It probably won't change your life. But if it does, it might make be feel a little better about being navigationally challenged.

I have been stocking up recipe after recipe (aka photo after photo) of all these meals I have made over the past 5-6 crazy months of my life. I haven't posted them because many of them are "ideas" rather than recipes. And I am lazy! They are just things I whip up when I don't want to recipe test and just want to cook and eat without figuring out how much of this and how much of that and how long for this, etc. So...stay tuned for weird, random, maybe overly obvious meals, recipes and ideas. I don't know how long this will last, but I hope for it to be frequent and fun. Which is why I will call this series:

Food Ideas for You from Me

First up in this series are these twice baked potatoes. You may know/remember my thing with baked potatoes. But can I just re-iterate that a good baked potato can seriously make you feel like all is right in the world. It has to be the most under-rated potato side. Even I, the number one fan of the baked potato, sometimes discriminate. I usually stuff them with steamed broccoli, cheese and/or bacon, but this kale, tomato and goat cheese version is amazing. Make sure you respect the preparation of the baked potato. The key to a good baked potato is to really scrub the potato skin so that it is super clean. Because when it is oiled and sprinkled with salt and pepper before baking, it makes the most delicious crispy skin to enjoy. If you make a good baked potato or twice baked potato, you will scarf down the entire things (including the skin).

PS: I have been pretty good about updating the recipe index, sometimes it is 1-6 recipes behind. I updated the weeknight meals tab with a few things last night. I still have a few more things to add, but will continue to update. The restaurants tab is in need of some updating. Fortunately and unfortunately, I have a LOT of new places to add.

2012 foodforscot Kitchen Tip: Keep a lot of kitchen towels around. I probably have 30+. Use them frequently. Replace them frequently. Use them to wipe down your cutting board, to dry produce, to wipe off your hands as you cook, to wipe off your knife, to wipe down your pan, etc. I feel like for the longest time I skimped on my dish towel use (afraid of laundry maybe...?), but now I use one or two a day and it makes my time in the kitchen flow so much better. Also, have a variety of types. I like those thin white ones, thick towel-y ones, big ones, those hatch patter ones, etc. All good for different things.

Kale, Tomato and Goat Cheese Twice Baked Potato

3 baking potatoes

olive oil

2 ounces of goat cheese

3 tablespoons of butter

3 ounces of Monterey jack, shredded

1 bunch of kale, rinsed, dried, stems removed and chopped

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash potatoes under water and scrub the skin clean. Takes about 2 minutes per potato. Completely dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes on baking sheet and pierce each potato several times with a fork. Liberally coat potatoes with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven until fork tender. Usually takes about an hour for a medium sized potato.

While potatoes are baking, heat up some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped kale and cook for about 15 minutes until kale is cooked down and wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove potatoes from oven and let cool slightly (or enough so that you can work with them…if you have hands of steel, start right away). It helps to cut them in half length-wise and let them sit for a few minutes to cool down. After the potatoes are sliced in half length-wise, scoop out the insides leaves about 1/4 inch of flesh and skin so that potatoes don’t fall apart. Mash together the potato insides, goat cheese, butter, some of the Monterey jack cheese (leave enough to top off the potato halves), and salt and pepper, to taste. After mixture is somewhat homogeneous, add the cooked kale and cherry tomatoes and fold to combine. Fill each of the six potato halves with the mixture and top with remaining Monterey jack cheese. Place back on baking sheet and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.

(Servings: 3-6, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 1.5 hrs., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

2012-01-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

This dish is so 2011. That joke never gets old. And Scot has already used it at least three times.

I have emerged from hiding. While I was in hiding, I found lots of shareable recipes. This just happens to be one of them. Remember back when I confessed my love for Indian food? That Chicken Tikka Masala was so delicious, but lacked two things I love about most Indian food...that is, being healthy and vegetarian. Chana Masala is just the solution.

This dish is very comforting and warm. Warm as in hot. Be careful with the cayenne. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp, which is quite a lot. I would recommend starting with about 1/8 tsp if you aren't a spicy head. I used the full 1/2 tsp and water was required while eating. But in a wonderful way.

PS: Did everyone eat black eyed peas to bring in the New Year? I did. And boy am I feeling lucky and ready to tackle 2012. (I haven't showered in 3 days)

PPS: I promise to post more. My schedy has worked itself out and now I am like...totally going to post everyday.

PPPS: LYLAS.

Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

from smitten kitchen

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium onions, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (this is potentially quite spicy, you might want to use less)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon amchoor powder (see note)

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small

2/3 cup water

4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 lemon (juiced) (or a whole lemon if not using the amchoor powder)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

2011-12-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

All I want to do is write about my dog. But I am trying to stay focused here. Pasta. Broccoli Rabe. Sausage. Mix. Eat.

That is really all there is to this recipe, which is why I like it. In order to eat bitter greens like broccoli rabe, it is all about pairing it with something uber savory, salty and/or creamy. Fat works too. As you have probably noticed, lately I am all about quick and easy meals like this.

Buy good, fresh sausage. :D

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

from Tiny Urban Kitchen

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed and cut into bite size pieces

1 lb. broccoli rabe, blanched (see below)

1 cup broccoli rabe water (see below)

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. pasta

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil for cooking the pasta.

Heat oil and add garlic in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and sauté until meat is cooked and loses its raw look. Add blanched broccoli rabe. Add rabe water and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the contents are hot.

Meanwhile, cook pasta rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Place over medium-high heat and stir in 3/4 cup of broccoli rabe and sausage sauce. Using a wooden spoon, toss together for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour into a large serving platter or bowl. Spoon remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese.

Blanched Broccoli Rabe – (2 bunches)

Wash and dry broccoli rabe. Place broccoli rabe in a deep saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring just to a simmer over high heat. As soon as bubbles appear at the sides of the pan, remove it from the heat. Reserve cooking water. Immediately place broccoli rabe in cold water to stop the cooking process. When broccoli rabe is cool, drain well in a colander and pat dry. Chop broccoli rabe into 2-3 inch pieces.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 6/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Beef Stir Fry

2011-12-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? Don't answer that. It is rhetorical. Conversation starter type thing. Breaking the ice because I am pretty much a horrible updater.

I had a great T-giving. I think I might pass on a few of the recipes. I think technically I am supposed to wait to do that until next year. Like right before next Thanksgiving. But let's be honest, there is no way that is happening.

Here is a recipe that I never thought I would be sharing! Beef stir fry is one of the first dishes I made on a regular basis. Mostly because it is something I grew up eating a lot. I went through a phase from when I was maybe 10 until I was 15 where I did not like cooked vegetables. I ate salads and raw veggies. I have always loved veggies. But when my parents made a stir fry, I have vivid memories of putting rice on my plate and picking all the meat out of the wok to put on my plate.

Everyone has problems.

But I have not made beef stir fry in a LONG time. I think I was 'over it' for the past few years. After spending time with some friends over Thanksgiving, I learned that real Asians prefer Jasmine rice (small sample size...two). No but, I always buy regular long grain white rice. Jasmine rice is a long grain rice but less sticky. I actually like sticky rice. But if I am told to try Jasmine rice, then I am going to!

So, I thought I would make good ol' beef stir-fry and eat it over some Jasmine rice. Instead of just stir frying everything together and seasoning with soy sauce and red pepper flakes like I normally do, I looked to see how other people make beef stir fry. I came across this recipe and it is about ten times better than what I normally make. Scot and I were really surprised by how good it was and the amazing leftovers.

Are you wondering if I liked Jasmine rice better? Well, I am going to leave that TBD. Definitely less sticky. But I wasn't really paying attention to whether I liked it better or not because I was really into the beef stir fry.

NOTES:

-Subbing chicken would definitely work, although I prefer beef in stir fry. All veggies would also be delicious.

-You can use the stir fry beef sold at the meat counter if you want an even quicker meal.

-Any combination of stir fry vegetables would be just fine. But beef and broccoli really are a match made in heaven.

-I have a rice cooker and it completes my life.

-Call me ghetto, but I secretly like garlic powder. You could leave it out of the marinade and add freshly grated garlic to the sauce.

Beef Stir Fry

adapted from Taste of Home, Ruth Stahl

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1/2 cup water, plus

2 tablespoons water, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lb sirloin roast/steak, cut into thin strips (helps to put it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before slicing)

vegetable oil

1 package of Cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 small yellow onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 small head of broccoli, cut into pieces

1/3 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon freshly grated

Cooked Jasmine or long grain white rice

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth. Add beef and toss.

Also, prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth. Set aside until you are ready to add it to the stir-fry.

In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove from wok and set aside.

Add more oil and sauté mushrooms until they are very tender. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add more oil and stir-fry onion and peppers, about 4-5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 2-3 minutes. Return the mushrooms and beef to the wok and finally, add the sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens up. Serve over rice.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Lemon and Olive Quinoa Cakes

2011-11-15T20:58:00.002-07:00

I am pretty deece at planning ahead and organizing my life. But at the same time, I feel like I am always doing everything last minute. Sometimes I wonder if I should just redefine what last minute is so that I am more satisfied with my preparation for things. Maybe I should decide that "last minute" is literally a minute before something needs to be done. That way when I am up until 3 am working on something, I can feel like I am doing things way ahead of time.

What I am talking about: Thanksgiving. This is the first time I will be making the meal, at least, the whole meal. And there is no doubt in my mind that I will be up until midnight on Wednesday night getting ready for Thanksgiving the next day. I think I will do my family proud by keeping the essentials on the table, but also trying some new things. Want to know my current menu? Here is what I am doing:

-Alton Brown's Brined Turkey - I ordered a fresh turkey. I will let you know if it was worth it. This recipe is killer.

-Gravy (just from the Turkey drippings and some homemade chicken stock) - my dad disagrees with my method, he likes to add milk.

-Mashed Potatoes - I just do cream cheese, butter, cream, salt and pepper. Just like my mom taught me.

-Orange-Cranberry Sauce - a classic.

-Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes - You know my sweet potato dilemma, I am going spicy.

-Sausage and Kale Stuffing - I struggled with what kind of regular bread stuffing to make and went this which is full of veggies (kale and butternut squash) and other non-bread items like sausage.

-Cornbread, Leek, Bacon, Apple, and Pecan Stuffing - Cornbread stuffing with apples and bacon is my favorite!

-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter - Risky.

-Soft Knotted Rolls - these might not happen.

Dessert: Pumpkin Pie from the Flour cookbook (here is close recipe) with whipped cream

Probably too much. I mean, definitely too much. But ya know.

Have I ever told you the story of my sister and her pumpkin pie? Several Thanksgivings ago, my sister made the pumpkin pie. And it was a big deal because she made the pumpkin puree from scratch. One day there was a little pumpkin on the counter. The next day there was a pumpkin pie on the counter. So...we all praised her from making her pie from scratch. And we also all went on and on about how good it tasted. Only to find out (I think, several years later), that the pumpkin puree didn't work out and she actually just made it from a can. I have never been able to trust her since. (For the record, she insists that what I have explained here isn't even what happened. Don't listen to her.)

The bottom line is: there is very little evidence that fresh pumpkin puree makes any difference. However, I still made some to make my pie from (Aunt Linda always does it, so shall I). Pumpkin pie is on my "Thanksgiving only" list, so I thought I should do it justice.

Anyways, as usual, this discussion has nothing to do with the recipe I am posting. I have made quinoa cakes a few times before, but I always just make it up as I go, so I never have a recipe to share. I enjoy throwing quinoa cakes into a weeknight meal mix. They aren't that quick to make from the start, but once you have to mixture made, they make a really quick dinner. And I LOVE them with a green salad and a delicious dijon based vinaigrette. As with any veggie based cake, they can be a little finicky and fall apart easily. For the last 500 cakes that this recipes makes, I ended up heating oil in a non-stick skillet and then just putting an thin, even layer of the quinoa mixture over the entire skillet. I crisped up the first side and then just kind of broke it up to flip it in pieces. It isn't pretty. But just as good. And I was hungry. PS: These do NOT taste half as good without the salad and vinaigrette. Necessary.

Lemon and Olive Quinoa Cakes

adapted from Joy the Baker

1 1/2 cups raw quinoa

2 1/4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, beaten

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan or Gruyere cheese

1/3 cup coarsely chopped green olives

1/3 cup chopped parsley or green onions

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon water

olive oil

In a medium saucepan place quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together onion, garlic, cheese, olives, parsley, lemon zest, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cooled quinoa. Add beaten eggs and stir until all of the quinoa mixture is moistened. Add water to thoroughly moisten mixture. Quinoa should be slightly wet so it doesn’t dry out during cooking.

Scoop out mixture by the 2 tablespoonful. Use clean, moist fingers to form into a patty. Create as many patties as you’d like.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. If you pan is large enough, add four to six patties to the hot pan. You’ll need a bit of room to successfully flip them.

Cook on each side until beautifully browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Low heat helps the quinoa cakes cook slowly. Brown on each side then remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve warm with a small spinach salad, or with scrambled eggs. Also, the quinoa mixture can be left, uncooked in the fridge for a few days. Cook as necessary.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Green Israeli Couscous

2011-11-13T21:58:00.001-07:00

Have I talked yet about feta? Until a few years ago, I always bought pre crumbled feta. It was just easier to sprinkle it in. But also, I used to shop where there were just two options: crumbled and not crumbled. Same brand usually, just two options. And whether IIII crumbed it myself or not, it always tasted the same.

But please listen to me people: don't buy feta that way. It is so dry. So chalky. And while that salty bite is nice, the real deal feta is 3000 times better.

The real deal that I am talking about is the block of feta that sits in a liquid (like fresh mozzarella). I wish I had a picture, but I am not that smart. It is so soft, full of moisture, but still has the salty, tangy wonderfulness that we all need in our feta. It is so good you would actually want to eat it by itself. Go for it! I promise you will be happy you did.

Using a good feta is probably crucial to our 9 and 10 ratings. The Israeli couscous is tossed with feta, peas, sauteed zucchini, pistachios, and some lemon zest and juice. I used fresh English peas, but frozen wouldn't be detrimental to the dish. I just think this mixture is perfect.

Also, pistachios are close to my heart. I have fond memories sitting around the table with my family, and especially with my grandma, shelling and eating pistachios. I remember one particular time when my grandma and I were eating them and talking about how good they were and my grandma told me they were bad for us or had a lot of fat in them, something like that. And I asked her why. She goes, "anything that tastes this good, can't be good for you." Amen. But, then again, when I was really young I asked my grandma if there was fat in water and she goes, "Honey, there is fat is grandma's water."

Green Israeli Couscous

based off of Joy the Baker

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups dry Israeli Couscous

generous pinch of salt

1 zucchini, diced

2 cups fresh English peas, boiled in salted water for about 5 minutes and drained

4-5 green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios

salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

about 3 tablespoons olive oil

about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, bring three cups of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, followed by Israeli couscous. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until couscous is just tender, with a slight bite, about 10 to 13 minutes. Drain into a fine mesh strainer and set aside.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, sauté the zucchini in a little bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add cooked couscous and cooked peas. Toss with the rest of the ingredients, taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 10/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Chicken Tikka Masala

2011-11-08T21:31:00.003-07:00

I am really into Indian food right now. I have always liked it, but there is an Indian restaurant that I have gone to for lunch several times in the past month and I am now hooked. There are two things that draw me to Indian food:

1. I love the ginger, garlic, yogurt, and other fresh flavors paired with all the warm spices like cloves, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, etc.

2. It is so vegetarian. And healthy!

This is my most Indian dish I have ever made. And upon some Wiki research, I learned that this dish isn't really all that Indian. It is British? And the most popular British dish at that. I have never been to the UK, so I guess I will need to verify that at some point in my life. But it definitely has some Indian connections.

And you know, I should have known this dish was not super authentic since it has chicken and cream in it. Not vegetarian and not overly healthy like most of the dishes I have had are. BUT, it is delicious and has the warmth that I like so much about Indian food. And I think this would be perfectly delicious if you just substituted a couple of cans of chickpeas for the chicken.

I was recently having dinner with some new friends and this is an exact quote from our wonderful conversation:

"A turkey club is too ethnic for my mom."

If you are like my new friend's mom...that is, a little hesitant to trying ethnic food, this is the perfect Indian dish to start with. It has enough familiar flavors and ingredients like tomatoes, chicken and cream that it is very comforting. And with the wonderful combination of wintery spices, fresh ginger, garlic, it will knock your socks off. Lastly, go for the naan. If you buy it from the bakery, make sure to grill it in some garlicy olive oil.

PS: I added a new tab up there. A little guide to weeknight meals. Check it out!

Chicken Tikka Masala

recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira via Food Network

For the Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large

bite-sized chunks

For the Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)

2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons paprika

8 Roma tomatoes, diced (I used a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 to 2 cups water

Oil, for grilling

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste

1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slowcooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-31T21:56:00.002-06:00

Halloween. Is today. My dog is sleeping next to me and still wearing his pumpkin shirt. He was supposed to be an alien, but I don't know if that ever happened.

Fall has been weird this year. I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for the colors to change. Then, it happened. And I am pretty sure I missed it. Here is the only (semi decent) pic we have of the fall colors.

And then this happened (slightly different angle, but same spot more or less).

And before any of that happened, I was filling every second of my free time with Broadway shows. I am not complaining, but weird October.

I wouldn't say I did pumpkin justice this October (and I know I still have November), but I did make these cookies. Ever since the pumpkin shortage several years ago, I am incapable of buying only one can of pumpkin puree. So, I had all these ingredients on hand when I scheming up this mixture of oatmeal and pumpkin. Yes, I am obsessed with oatmeal everything.

I am also obsessed with pumpkin and chocolate together. We have a local ice cream place that sells delicious pumpkin ice cream and I get it combined with the chocolate ice cream. Not mixed. Just side by side.

Anyways, make sure you use extra fancy cinnamon. Vietnamese cinnamon, that is. These really won't turn out without it.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Simply Recipes

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cups whole wheat flour

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semi-sweet chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for another 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine the flours, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk together. Slowly add it to the butter mixture until just combined, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom once or twice to ensure even mixing.

Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for a minute or two to set, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

(Servings: 48 cookies, Prep time: 30 min., Bake time: 1 hr, Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

2011-10-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

If there is a taco recipe out there, I will probably try it. If the taco looks like Halloween, I will probably try it in October.

I will also put goat cheese on it. Seriously, everything time I am involved, I add goat cheese. When my sister ate these, she said "the goat cheese really makes it." I sighed. Doesn't it always?

Halloween is coming up so I am supposed to making/posting ghost cupcakes and spider cookies. But guess what? That isn't my thing. My kids will eat these tacos and I will pass out tooth paste on Halloween. Or pennies. No, jk. I like candy. My favorite is candy corn. Only the yellow, orange and white ones. No others. And definitely not the dirty pumpkins.

This reminds me of my friend (R^2/R) who LOVES the pumpkins. He knows their official name, which is "mellow creme pumpkins". True fan right there. I should probably buy some halloween candy. I oscillate between adult and teenager on an annual basis. Next year I will totally have the candy bought at least two weeks in advance.

Or at least a week.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

from Joy the Baker

For the Potatoes:

2 sweet potatoes (really orange-fleshed yams), peeled and cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and red chili flakes to taste

juice of 1 lime

For the Cabbage Slaw:

2 heaping cups shredded cabbage (I used a combination of purple and green

cabbage)

1/4 cup finely diced yellow onions

2 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro

juice of 2 limes

salt and red chili flakes to taste

For the Beans:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lime

small corn tortillas

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place peeled and diced sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet. Top with olive oil, salt and chili flakes, and lime juice. Toss together until all of the potato chunks are coated. Place in the oven to bake until softened through and toasted brown. This usually takes about 40 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet once or twice during baking to toss the potato chunks around. This will ensure that the cubes cook evenly. Remove from the oven and let stand when cooked through.

While the potatoes cook, assemble the Cabbage Slaw. In a medium bowl, place cabbage, yellow, and chopped cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and chili flakes. Toss to coat and set aside while the potatoes cook and beans heat. Letting the cabbage slaw sit will help soften the cabbage.

To cook the beans, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add ground cumin and stir until fragrant. Add beans and lime juice. Cook until heated through.

Heat corn tortillas in a hot saucepan with just a touch of oil. Heat through and serve with potatoes, beans, and slaw.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

2011-10-20T20:51:00.000-06:00

We really enjoyed this simple dinner. The artichokes in the broth give it this super acidic boom chicka bow wow.

And I love a broth. I am sleepy. Bye! Try this!

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning fish

2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound frozen artichokes, thawed

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the grilled halibut. Serve immediately.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn, and Feta Cheese

2011-10-16T22:01:00.000-06:00

I added bacon to this and I am sorry. This is a perfectly delicious vegetarian meal. And I fully support that. But I had some bacon in my fridge. Bacon that I definitely should have put in my freezer so that I didn't convince myself to put it in every dish that it would work in. But it so works in this dish.

JSYK. You can add it and it might be extra delicious.

I seriously feel bad about the bacon.

I stuffed a variety of peppers including red bell, poblano and maybe anaheim(?). Woah, look at me mixing things up. I even stuffed a tomato.

Every time I stuff things, I have way more stuffing than I have things to stuff. But also, the stuffing is so delicious to just eat on its own. I mean, you could even skip the pepper and just make the quinoa as a dish on its own.

Wow. Good flow in this blog post. Sorry if this gave you a migraine.

Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn, and Feta Cheese

from Eats Well with Others

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup quinoa (or in my case 3/4 cup quinoa and 1/4 cup bulgur)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch of scallions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced

2 jalapeno chiles, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

4 ears worth of corn kernels (about 2 cups)

1 bunch spinach, leaves only

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 lb feta cheese, cut into small cubes

2 large red onions, thinly sliced into rounds

1/2 cup veggie broth or white wine

4 peppers

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp salt, then the quinoa. Give it a stir, then cover and simmer over low heat until the grains are tender and reveal their spiraled germ, about 15 minutes.

Warm half the oil in a wide skillet. Add the scallions and chiles. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, corn, and spinach, along with 2 tbsp water. When the spinach is wilted, add the cilantro, quinoa, and feta and remove from heat. Toss everything together. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a wide skillet. When hot, add the onions and saute, stirring frequently, until they start to color around the edges, after several minutes. Pour in the broth or wine and deglaze the pan, giving the onions a stir as you do. Season with salt and pepper and distribute in a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers.

Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Cut out the membranes and seeds. Simmer in salted water until tender to the touch of a knife but not overly soft, 4-5 minutes. Remove. Fill them with quinoa mix and set them in the baking dish. Preheat oven to 400. Bake the peppers until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes, then switch the heat to broil and brown the tops. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

2011-10-10T14:31:00.000-06:00

I think we all know that eating fall squash is a requirement in October and November. And it is a wonderful thing. I have made this particular recipe several times over the past several falls and what I love about it is, first, it is so easy. Second, I love the relish. I have a weakness for soup toppings. It has gotten to the point where every time I make a soup, I search long and hard for a garnish or topping.

The relish is everything the soup is not. It is spicy and tangy and sweet. The soup is creamy and has a subtle sweetness, but is mostly savory. It has a deep flavor because of the chicken stock and fresh thyme (I always use fresh thyme in place of the poultry seasoning/ground thyme). The other thing I change is I don't usually use the two cups of heavy cream. I probably put less than a cup of half and half. But, I never do the same thing and it is delicious every time. Even though I love fat, I don't love really thick and creamy soups. I am more of a broth girl.

To pull an Ina on you, this soup is even more delicious when you use homemade stock and freshly roasted pumpkin. Duh. But it does make quite a difference. However, don't be ashamed to pull out a few cans and make this for a quick week night dinner. I have been out of homemade stock for a long time and it doesn't stop me. Speaking of which, I need to stock up on that for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

recipe courtesy Rachael Ray via Food Network

For the soup:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

2 tablespoons butter

1 fresh bay leaf

2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped (save time and purchase celery already

washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme

2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste

6 cups chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the relish:

1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon.

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

(Servings: 4-8, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Wilted Bitter Greens with Crispy Walnut Goat Cheese

2011-10-04T20:32:00.000-06:00

Breaded goat cheese? Please. You know I made this within 24 hours of recipe access.

You know I ate two disks of goat cheese with enough bitter greens necessary to eat two disks of goat cheese. I don't recommend that. It is hard to digest two disks of goat cheese.

But one serving of this is like...super wicked good. What I love the most about this recipe is that I have more goat cheese patties frozen in my freezer. And I can just whip those babies up anytime I want. At any given time, you can guarantee that my freezer will be pretty empty. We usually have frozen fruit and sometimes a pint of ice cream. I am not that good about freezing stuff (but even worse about eating the stuff I have frozen). I can't wait to eat the rest of these!

PS: I just followed the recipe as is after completely freezing them for several days before using them. They turned out great!

Wilted Bitter Greens with Crispy Walnut Goat Cheese

by Anne Burrell via Food Network

For Goat Cheese:

3/4 cup walnuts

4 slices Pullman loaf bread, or other tight crumb white bread, crusts removed

1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped

1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 (11-ounce) log goat cheese, cut into 6 equal pieces

Kosher salt

2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

For Salad:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 head radicchio, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups baby arugula, washed

2 heads Belgian endive, cut into 1/2-inch lengths crosswise

Directions

For the goat cheese: In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are coarsely chopped. Tear the bread into pieces and pulse in the food processor with the chopped walnuts until they become coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a wide, flat dish. Stir in the chopped chives and parsley. Flatten each piece of goat cheese into a disk and season with salt. Dip each disk in the beaten egg mixture and then coat with the breadcrumbs, packing the crumbs onto each disk. When all the goat cheese has been coated, chill them in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

To help facilitate the frying process, pop the disks in the freezer for 15 minutes before frying.

Coat a large, nonstick saute pan generously with olive oil and bring to a mediumhigh heat. Carefully fry the goat cheese disks in the hot oil on both sides until they are golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.

When all of the disks have been fried, keep them warm in the oven.

Remove the oil and any burned bits from the pan and give a splash of new oil. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots to the pan, and let them cook as the pan cools slightly. Add the Dijon and sherry vinegar to the pan and whisk to combine. Add the radicchio, arugula, and endive and season with salt. Toss to fully incorporate with the vinaigrette and to allow the salad to slightly wilt. Taste to make sure it is delicious.

Divide the wilted salad between serving plates and top each salad with a goat cheese disk.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 25 min., Inactive Prep time: 1 hr 15 min., Cook time: 25 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini-Radish Slaw

2011-10-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

Big things are happening in sports. What I mean by that is, isn't something big always happening in sports? World Series here. World cup there. Match point. Touch down.

I can honestly hardly keep track of it all. But specifically...college football decided to throw up all over the place. I barely knew who was part of the Big Ten LAST year (/the last million years). Big 12? What? And now they changed it all and ...shoot. I am lost.

I do know that my CO Buffs do not play my hometown Huskers anymore. This would have come in handy over the past five years of driving through Western Nebraska with my Buffs sweatshirt on.

Are these tacos a good "game snack"? Not really. But they have corn in them. Corn huskers! Football! Sports!

Ok, let's focus. I really like these tacos. And everyone needs a good vegetarian taco up their sleeve. I was drawn to this recipe because it doesn't do the typical replacement of meat with beans. Which I love. But it is nice to have something else. And let's be honest, we need to find more things to do with radishes. Very few people are like my dad and eat them straight up as part of a relish tray. I like radishes finely chopped or thinly sliced. My radishes were some weird variety that is yellow on the inside, in case you are trying to finding them in the photos.

Lastly, the sour cream is really nice with these tacos. Not that the addition of sour cream ever hurt a taco, but in this case, I think it really rounds it out nicely. But I also had these tacos without sour cream and I wasn't complaining. I made these for my ultimate team this past summer the night before one our tournaments. We made these and fish tacos and I was digging these more than the fish tacos, surprisingly. Super satisfying.

Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini-Radish Slaw

adapted from smitten kitchen

1/2 pound red radishes

small (4 to 5 ounces) zucchini, long and narrow

2 limes

4 ears corn, husks removed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light oil, plus additional if blistering tacos in skillet

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces or 70 grams) crumbled queso fresco

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

10 to 12 small (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

sour cream

Cut radishes and zucchini into tiny match stacks. Toss radishes and zucchini together. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over the radish, and season with salt to taste. Add more lime juice and some chopped cilantro, if desired. Set aside. Over a hot grill or an open gas-stove flame char the corn until well-blackened but not completely burnt. Remove cobs from heat, and when cool enough to handle, shave off kernels using a large knife and reserve.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and oil together and once hot, add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Turn heat to high, add the charred kernels of corn to the mixture, and toss to combine until heated through. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the corn mixture, and use the juice to scrape up any stuck bits. Season the corn mixture with salt and chili powder. Stir in chopped herbs, if using.

Heat your tortillas by places over an open gas flame. Or coat the bottom of a castiron skillet with olive oil and wipe it out so on the thinnest slick remains. Heat the skillet on high. Once hot, cook a tortilla for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, until lightly blistered. Repeat with remaining tortillas but if your skillet is well-seasoned, no need to repeat the oiling process.

Fill each taco with a few small spoonfuls of the corn mixture. Top with a spoonful of crumbled cheese, the radish-zucchini slaw and a dollop of sour cream. Serve with an extra lime wedge on the side (you’ll have half a lime left to slice up).

(Servings: 4, Prep Time: 40 min., Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

2011-09-27T19:51:00.000-06:00

Things are weird around here.

Copper is currently not setting foot on our grass in our backyard. Yup, that means pooping on the rocks. It is most likely a strike of some sort.

Scot has friended a spider named Al. Probably our closest friend at this point. He feeds him.

We don't have our fridge at work yet, so I eat carrots with hummus everyday for lunch. Actually, I eat carrots with hummus from about noon-4 pm constantly, everyday. I don't think everyday needs to be one word?

Scot has two new obsessions: his gate and curling. He built a gate and verifies its ability to withstand gravity at least twice a week. He joined a curling club. He pretends like he isn't trying to make the olympics but I know that is his only goal in life right now.

I am going to join the curling club once it does NOT conflict with me teaching night classes. I plan to be the one who does all the yelling.

I have been scoring in the picking recipes department. Can I just tell you that paprika and chicken belong together? And that this chicken recipe is KILLER good. I know food typically smells good when it is cooking away, but the smell here is delicious. Go make this before all the summer cherry tomatoes are gone! And if you still haven't tried this method for cooking chicken, you must. You must.

Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce

from Bon Appetit, July 2011 via Annie’s Eats

For the chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved (4 halves total)

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup flour

For the sauce:

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 clove garlic, minced

11/2 tsp. fresh oregano, minced

1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12 oz.)

1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the olive oil. Place the chicken breast halves in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining butter mixture to the pan. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until the butter is melted. Add the wine or broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Cook for a minute more until well blended.

Slice the chicken, transfer to serving plates, and top with the pan sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Pea & Edamame Ravioli with Baked Ricotta and Toasted Walnuts

2011-09-24T09:41:00.000-06:00

I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO MAKE THIS FOR FOREVER!

No seriously. I have been putting if off only for two reasons:

1. The recipe for the filling makes a lot...of filling. And halving it just leaves you with two half bags of frozen peas and edamame. So, I have been wanting to make the crostini version of this meal first (crostini with the pea and edamame spread and baked ricotta) so that I could use all the filling in two ways.

2. I need a sous chef.

Whenever I make ravioli, especially with wonton wrappers, I always wish I had a sous chef. I think sometimes people think that if you like to cook, then making dinner is all fun and games. But for me, about 80% of time, I am running late. Or it is like 9:30 pm and eating dinner at 10 pm is just wrong. Or I am so hungry that I have to eat 2 pickles while cooking.

I made an entire package of wonton wrappers into raviolis. We ate 15-20 and froze the rest because ravioli is great from frozen since you can still cook it the same way as you would fresh (just boil it longer). If you just make enough for 1 or 2 servings, it is pretty quick actually.

The point is that I loved this meal more than I even expected. The filling is delicious on its own. But in ravioli form with the baked ricotta (yum, btw) and toasted walnuts with a butter sauce. Shoot.

Pea & Edamame Ravioli with Baked Ricotta and Toasted Walnuts

by Cara from Cara’s Cravings

1 16oz. package frozen peas

1 12oz. package frozen, shelled edamame

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 to 2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

freshly ground salt, to taste

1/4 cup snipped fresh mint (I did not use)

1 package of wonton wrappers

ricotta cheese, drained for a few hours, 10 oz. is enough for 4 servings (I left it in a

fine mesh sieve over a bowl in the fridge while I went to work all day)

butter, about 1 tablespoon per serving

chicken broth, about 1/2 cup per serving

walnuts, lightly toasted

thinly sliced fresh mint (I did not use)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the peas and edamame for about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water (I just put the peas and edamame into a big bowl and microwaved it for about 5-10 minutes). Transfer to a food processor, and puree, adding water if needed to reach a creamy consistency. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet and cook the garlic until lightly browned and tender. Fold into pureed peas along with the lemon, pepper, salt and mint.

Prepare the raviolis by spooning a small amount of the pea and edamame puree onto each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges and press together into a triangle. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place a sheet of foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the ricotta the baking sheet, spreading it into a disk. Spray with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned, and set aside. It will firm up a bit as it cools.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil, and heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ravioli until tender, about 5 minutes. Let the butter become foamy and lightly browned; you'll know it's ready when it's it smells slightly nutty. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove the ravioli from the water and add to skillet with the browned butter sauce; stir and saute briefly.

Plate the ravioli and crumble the ricotta cheese over it. Top with the toasted walnuts and chopped mint.

(Servings: 8, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 4/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Grilled Eggplant Subs with Mozzarella and Tomato Jam

2011-09-20T21:07:00.000-06:00

Ya had me at tomato jam.

Joanne posted this recipe not too long ago. And although I love everything about this concept for a sandwich, it is the tomato jam that gets me every time. It is like the Red Onion Marmalade, but with some fire-roasted tomatoes added in.

I think of this sandwich as being sort of like an Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. In the sense that it has the eggplant, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. However, the eggplant is grilled. The tomatoes have tang from the balsamic vinegar and sweetness from the caramelized onions and brown sugar. And the mozzarella is smoked (smells like ham). Also, there is no parmesan and some peppery, bitter arugula thrown in there.

Rach. Ray has some signature ingredients she uses over and over. Like Bobby Flay and manchego cheese. Like Paula Deen and butter. Like Giada and Parmesan. Like ME and goat cheese! Well, RRs is smoked mozzarella. Until I moved to the East Coast, I have never been able to find the stuff. As I am strolling through the grocery store, local smoked mozzarella just jumps out at me. It is fresh mozzarella...smoked. It seriously smells like smoked meat.

Lastly, I did salt my eggplant and let it sit in a colander to release all its liquid. Probably not necessary for a quick grill like this. But you know...just for the record. I also didn't make 1/2 cup of infused oil, I just made a couple of tablespoons.

Grilled Eggplant Subs with Mozzarella and Tomato Jam

by Rachael Ray with modification

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig rosemary

1 small red onion, chopped

One can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (15 ounces)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 eggplants, cut into slices

Salt and pepper

1 cup packed baby arugula

1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 sesame-crusted sub rolls

One 1/2-1-pound ball smoked mozzarella, sliced into 8 rounds

Pre-heat a grill pan to medium-high or a broiler to high. In a small saucepan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and let steep for 3 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the infused EVOO and the red onion over medium heat and cook until softened, 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar, lower the heat and cook until thickened, 10 minutes.

Brush half the eggplant with the infused EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil, flipping once, until tender, 2-3 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Dress the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and remaining infused EVOO; season with salt and pepper.

On each roll bottom, layer eggplant slices, a handful of greens and 2 smoked mozzarella rounds. Grill or broil to melt the cheese. Slather the roll tops with the tomato jam and set in place.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Lentil Tostadas

2011-09-18T19:30:00.000-06:00

I think all of us who grew up in the 80's and 90's with American parents probably experienced "Taco Night" on a pretty regular basis.

(Lean) Ground beef + salty mystery packets. Place on flour tortillas. Top with tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, olives and sour cream.

Did everyone do the olives? Or was that just my fam?

I think we all know that there is nothing Mexican about those tacos. So it is the American taco. And it is fine. It is easy. It is nostalgic. It is good for picky eaters because they can leave out what they don't like.

Can we just take a minute and reflect on lean ground beef? Does it have a purpose on Earth? Does anyone actually enjoy it? WHY DOES IT EXIST?!

I was at the meat counter back in good ol' Boulder once. I asked my guy who would ever need a lean piece of beef, especially if it was cut as a steak. What are they for? How do you make them taste good? He goes, "I wouldn't recommend that cut of meat on my worst enemy. It is good for nothing." (Not a direct quote, I actually can't remember exactly what he said.)

Please remember this. Just because they sell it. And just because it is on sale. Doesn't mean it is worth your calories. Eat meat that tastes good. And only meat that tastes good. (For the record, fat tastes good.)

I am very sure that vegetarian converts don't ever look back on their meat eating lives and wish they could have a scoop of lean ground beef. But they would happily eat some lentils. Or beans. Remember these bean burritos? I swear to you, you will not miss the beef with either the bean or lentil variation of this American classic. And most people have moved on from the seasoning packets anyways. ...right? So do that too. And let's give Mexican food a little more credit and use a little queso fresco!

Aren't these rainbow lentils so pretty? It is just a fun mix they sell in the bins.

Lentil Tostadas

adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup salsa

corn tortillas, fried crispy (flat, tostada-style)

Queso fresco, crumbled

1 1/2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce

1 tomato, chopped

cilantro, small handful, leaves torn

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Taste and season with salt (I probably added more than a 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt. Depends on your chicken broth.

Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture on top of each fried corn tortilla. Top with queso fresco, lettuce, tomato, and cilantro.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 5 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Pineapple Quinoa

2011-09-14T20:48:00.000-06:00

Scot says "this is everything I like." 10/10. He loves the sweet and savory thing. He loves quinoa, pineapple, edamame and red peppers (every time he eats a red pepper, he seems to be shocked at how good it is). Oh yeah, and he loves ginger.

I thought this tasted a little bit like fried rice. And I loved the cashew nuts which have a really meaty quality in this dish (and they aren't too crunchy...they are pretty soft as far as nuts go). Nuts! Go nuts!

Pineapple Quinoa

from Annie’s Eats

1 cup quinoa

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup cold water

2 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

1/3 cup raw cashew pieces (unsalted)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup cooked edamame

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and grated or finely diced

1/2 of a medium pineapple, cored, peeled and diced

1/2 cup loosely packed basil, finely chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

Toast the cashews in a large skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the vegetable oil. Stir in the bell pepper and edamame and stir fry for about 3 minutes, or until the bell pepper is slightly softened. Stir in the scallions, garlic,

ginger, and serrano and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple, quinoa and basil. Mix well to combine. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and continue to cook for a few minutes more until everything is well blended and heated through. Serve garnished with lime wedges, if desired.

(Servings: 6, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 10/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Ratatouille

2011-09-10T13:17:00.001-06:00

Ratatouille is a funny thing. First, yes, I love that movie too. It is cute and probably inspired lots of young kiddies to be chefs when thet grow up.

Next, ratatouille is ALWAYS whipped up on cooking competitions and shows. I have always wondered what the big deal was. After reading recipes and listening to people talk about ratatouille, it left me thinking "cooked vegetables with no particular flavoring...that sounds...boring." Why are Top Chefs making it? Why are Iron Chefs making it? Why does it even exist, let alone have a fancy French name?

Well, I was consumed with these thoughts and doubts all the way up until the end of making this Ratatouille. I kept tasting it and not being that impressed. I am also bothered by annoying, OCD recipe instructions that don't seem to have an rationale behind them. I feel like Julia is a bit of a jokester. She wrote this cook book to see how many Americans she could get to follow her painfully long and drown out recipes. I wouldn't be surprised if I was reading her recipe and it said, "take the chicken out the fridge for 3 minutes. Now put it back in. Turn of the power in the house. Do three push ups. Ok, now you are ready to cook the bird."

I don't mean to be disrespectful. Because Julia is my girl. I have always loved her. But her recipes make me want to jump out the window.

Anyways, back to my ratatouille. Aside from cleaning the pot, the skillet, the dutch oven, the strainer, the colander, the million utensils..., I actually really liked the final product.

Let me tell you what ratatouille really is. It is a bunch of late summer vegetables that are stewed in fresh tomato meat. Julia's recipe has you fry each piece of vegetable on its own to get a nice brown outside (probably a good idea, but roasting it would have been easier). She also does this funky layering in a "casserole" (it stays on the stove, Wikipedia, you are wrong). The layering is crazy talk. Especially since it actually says to taste and season after the layering happens. Once you re-season...you would have to mix it up. And I had to add lots and lots of salt to all these veggies.

What I am trying to say is: use this recipe as a general guide. Or use Anne's, she seems to have simplified it a bit. Ratatouille is a beautiful dish. You know how good veggies taste in your favorite vegetable stew or soup? That is the same general idea. Except, in ratatouille, they are not nearly as soft. We ate this with some fish. Traditionally it is often served with some beef or pork. I just wanted something quicker. Veggies go with anything.

Ratatouille

from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

1 pound eggplant

1 pound zucchini

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions

2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary

2 cloves mashed garlic

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded & juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)

3 tablespoons minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, sauté the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste. Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole. Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold.

(Servings: 4-8, Prep time: forever, Cook time: forever, Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 4/5

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

2011-09-08T22:10:00.001-06:00

Farro is fancy. I know this because in Boulder it was very expensive. And Boulder doesn't provide fancy foods for cheap. Not that anywhere does. But in Boulder, farro was something like $14 per lb. Scot and I have spent some significant time perusing the whole grain bins at our new Whole Foods here. And they have some crazy/cool things. And they have multiple kinds of farro. And the one we picked was only $6 or $7 per lb. That is like free!

We have had farro before, but sparingly and usually mixed with something else to keep the cost down. Farro is just some part of some type of wheat and it is whole. It is very hearty and chewy and even a little crunchy. If you like hippie food, you will love farro.

I found that the cherry tomatoes were crucial. And lots of them. They are sweet and acidic and everything that farro isn't. And all the herbs really freshen it up. This salad tastes good hot or cold. You could certainly add more veggies and that might be more enjoyable to your non-granola-crunching friend. Also, please serve with half a chicken because that just makes sense.

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network

4 cups water

10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 tbsp finely chopped basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the water and farro in a medium saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Add the tomatoes, chives, parsley, and basil to the farro, and toss to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.

The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 5 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes

2011-09-05T10:40:00.001-06:00

Over the past year-ish, I have been trying to re-program my brain on breakfast. Growing up, I never really ate breakfast. I can't remember when I was really young, but I can remember back to at least 4th grade. I remember because my 4th grade teacher said in front of the ENTIRE class, "Shanon, your mom told me you don't eat breakfast." I was embarrassed beyond belief. I think I started eating breakfast in late high school, but I have no memory of what I ate. In college, I definitely ate breakfast. I would eat a wide variety of things from granola bars, bagels, stuff from the cafeteria, fruit, etc. Once I met Scot, I started eating cereal. And with all of this, I am just talking about everyday breakfast, not like weekend, fun breakfast. And I have never eaten weird kid cereals like that marshmallow one, but I usually ate Cheerios, Honey Bunches, Life, Mini Wheats, or Raisin Bran.

My problem is: I really, really crave savory things. Pretty much always, but especially in the morning. Number two problem is that I really want to cut out processed foods completely. Cereal is the only processed food that we eat on a regular basis. I mean, I am not going crazy about it. I will buy potato chips for a BBQ. And for camping, my standards are much lower. Gummy bears are part of my life. But I don't want to eat cereal every morning. Plus, I don't even like it.

I started thinking...why are the majority of breakfasty foods that Americans eat sweet? Why is that the standard? And why don't we eat vegetables for breakfast? Fruit is pretty normal. Veggies in an omelette, frittata, or other egg dish is normal. Who decided this? I think we can all agree that lunch is kind of the same as dinner. I guess most people consider lunch to be a quicker meal.

One factor that is certainly important is that in the morning, you want to eat something that is easy to digest. And easy to prepare. And easy to eat (which is different than easy to digest). This is why I think we don't eat salads, raw veggies, etc. It is also why we probably stay away from heavier foods, meats and even fish. I know we eat those things for fancy breakfast and brunch, but most people don't wake up before work and cook up a nice cut of salmon.

After coming to this realization, I semi-accepted the focus on whole grains and carbs being the main bulk of breakfast. Oatmeal, granola, whole grain toast are all pretty common. Protein usually comes in the form of eggs or yogurt. Maybe some cheese or milk. And then fruit and veggies might be thrown in depending on which grain or protein.

Now I love oatmeal with fruit, nuts, etc. And I love a yogurt parfait with granola and fruit. But I can't eat those every morning. Plus, I don't want my everyday breakfast to be sweet. And eggs and toast won't last forever. So, I am going to be further exploring eating less "breakfasty" food for breakfast. Soups. Quinoa. Beans. Tacos. Leftovers. And most importantly, I am going to see if I like how other cultures do breakfast. I could eat congee for breakfast. I found this NY Times article, which was very helpful. Mark Bittman puts it quite well, "But even putting aside the healthy argument, the narrow spectrum of highly sweetened morning food is limiting and ultimately boring."

So stay tuned. I will let you know how it goes. You may be wondering why I am sharing a recipe for pancakes after all that gibberish up there. Well, I just am. I like pancakes. These are pretty good too. Did you know that oatmeal pancakes can be made with: oat flour (ground up oats), instant oats, quick oats, or whole old fashioned oats? It doesn't matter, they all taste good! If you process the oats into oat flour, the pancakes are a bit smoother, but even when putting in the whole old-fashioned oats, the oats cook through and taste great and hearty. I like both. I also like not dirtying my food processor when I am super lazy. I also added some chopped pecans. If you are making the oat flour, it is best to process the nuts the same way so that you don't have big chunks. I just chopped mine because I was going for a hearty, crunchy pancake. Scot loves this kind of stuff.

Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes

from Allrecipes

1 cup uncooked rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons dry milk powder (I did not use)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 banana, mashed

Place the rolled oats into the jar of a blender and blend until the texture resembles coarse flour. Whisk together the blended oats, whole wheat flour, allpurpose flour, brown sugar, dry milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

2011-08-29T18:04:00.001-06:00

I have been kind of all over the place lately. Probably 7 out of the past 8 weeks, I have been without my own kitchen. Or without my kitchen stuff. So, I have borrowed plenty of people's kitchens. And made lots of salads and sandwiches. And smoothies, because for some reason a blender was one of the kitchen tools I have kept by my side (and my knives, which now go everywhere with me). Now, I am finally back at home. With all my kitchen gear. I was so ready to cook and eat real food. And eat whatever I want. And to eat VEGETABLES! Summer is almost over! Ahhhh!

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene has left us without power...in our kitchen. We are pretty lucky since tons of people have no power at all. We live by a main road so we got our power turned back on right away. However, there is some damage and our whole house is only getting half the power. We will just be using our grill and eating all the delicious fresh produce available right now. The tomatoes are completing my life. Why can't someone invent a way to eat summer tomatoes all year round?

Anyways, I just returned home from one heck of a wedding celebration. Weddings are somewhat life-changing. Each one in their own way. I love participating in a close friend's wedding and then meeting all of her close friends and family. I feel like weddings make me love people again. And relationships.

I made these cookies for the bridal shower. Although the entire menu for the shower was inspired by the bride (lots of comfort food), these cookies were my own selfish preference. During the shower and bachelorette party, everyone was raving about the other options (Cookie Dough Truffles and Lemon Poppyseed Cookies) and it seemed to me that many people didn't even try the oatmeal cookies. However, I couldn't stop thinking about them. I normally can control myself around sweets. I usually get sick of whatever I make after eating it once or twice. But I probably ate at least 15 of these cookies. I gave some to Scot's grandparents when we went over there for dinner. They ate them the next morning (for breakfast, which by the way is an excellent idea). Grandma R. called me up immediately after finishing off the entire batch I gave her and said they are the best thing ever. I had a similar (somewhat emotional) reaction myself, so I was so glad to share the same taste with Grandma R.

These are a soft oatmeal cookie with butterscotch chips, toffee bits, and a little shredded coconut. They have some flour in them which I find essential for soft, chewy, non-flat oatmeal cookies. One of my favorite cookies in a long time.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

originally from Taylor Takes a Taste via Annie’s Eats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir to blend, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars and beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. With a spatula, fold in the oats, coconut, butterscotch chips and toffee bits until evenly combined.

Drop scoops of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just set and light golden, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool on the pans about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Servings: 24 cookies, Prep time: 30 min., Bake time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 10/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

2011-08-23T22:43:00.001-06:00

Sometimes people ask me how I have time to cook all the time. Or how I have time to cook such elaborate things.

In some ways, I do see people's point. Making things like pretzel bites, doesn't make too much sense. They aren't that easy. Not to mention, that aren't all that necessary. And I do often make unnecessary things like pretzel bites, because I think it is fun. And I knew my little sister would like them.

But in general, I cook all the time because we need to eat. And I don't understand how some people eat but don't cook. How does that even work? Sometimes I wonder when people say they don't cook if they mean they just eat out. Or maybe they mean the just eat cereal and PB&J's? Or maybe they mean they just make salads and sandwiches? Or maybe they mean they eat frozen pizzas and hungry-man? Or maybe they mean they eat Reese's and Doritos? So many options.

I do know that I do have time to cook/prepare food. It is almost always at night. It is almost always dark outside (no matter what the season). I am always in a hurry. But there is no other option, food doesn't have to be convenient, yo!

As I was making these, I was cursing in my head about how long they took and how we needed to be done before our movie. Story of my life. My little sister helped out. We got them done and eaten before the movie. They were delicious. They smell amazing. They might be a good party appetizer if you make them in advance and warm them quickly in the oven before serving. I wouldn't want to mess with boiling and baking them while the guests were there.

Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites

from Pennies on a Platter

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast (or instant yeast)

2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup warm water (110-115°F)

1 cup warm milk (110-115°F)

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

1/2 cup finely chopped ham (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar)

6 cups water

4 teaspoons baking soda

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1-2 Tablespoons coarse salt

Combine the yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl. Set aside until foamy, 5-8 minutes. (If using the instant yeast, you can skip this step and just add it to the flour.) In another bowl, stir together the remaining 2 Tbsp brown sugar and warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to the yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the remaining flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.

Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft free area for about 2 hours, until dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands and rolling pin with flour. Roll one of the four sections into a 12°—4-inch rectangle. With the long side facing you, gently press 1/4 of the ham and cheese into the bottom third of the dough, and roll as tightly as possible, starting with the end that has the filling. Cut into 12 1-inch pieces and transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of the dough.

Let rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Again, if using instant yeast you may choose to skip this step as it only requires one rise.) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Boil pretzels in batches, cooking about 20 seconds each, turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheets.

Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

Brush warm pretzel bites with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Servings: 48 bites, Prep time: 3.5 hrs., Bake time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 7/10

Scot (taste): 7/10

Cindy (taste): 7/10

Effort: 3/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Orange Chicken

2011-08-15T19:14:00.000-06:00

You know when you read an email and can't respond because you need to look further into something or need to talk to someone first or because you need to wait for something else to get planned first. But then it gets to be a week...two weeks...a month later and it is just awkward to respond so late. I feel like that is how this blog is right now. So this is me, writing back, saying "Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!"

I moved. I don't live in Boulder, CO anymore. :( I am now an East Coaster (job -> re-locay). :) Scot, Copper and I are now living in a world of bagels, delis, diners, pizza and donuts. We are also getting used to the random humidity and rain. It is fun. But Boulder and all the wonderful people there took a piece of my heart. There is also a pretty good chance that I am getting fat. ter.

My little sister has been visiting, like she does every summer. Read more about her here. When we picked her up from Laguardia, we spent the afternoon in the city. As we were walking around, I asked her what she was hungry for. She said "sandwiches or Asian". I got excited and told her she could get any Asian food she wanted in NYC. And good stuff too. So I asked, "do you like real Asian or American Asian." She said, "probably American Asian".

After crying, I told her to forget about it. Ughs-ies. If there is anything I hate more than American Asian food, it would have to be the devil or Taco Bell. Don't get me wrong, I went through the Sesame Chicken phase in high school. I did that. I went there. BUT, it ain't right. We all know that.

Anyways, if she wants "Chinese" food, I will make it from scratch. I am not afraid of a little frying. At least this way, I know what is in it. Make sure to serve it with some steamed vegetables. Like...you NEED to serve veggies with this. It is the only way to get out of this situation alive.

Orange Chicken

from Cooking at Home in America’s Test Kitchen via Annie’s Eats

For the marinade and sauce:

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

11/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

6 tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

11/2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. cold water

8 thin strips orange peel (optional)

For the coating and frying:

3 large egg whites

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups peanut or canola oil (I like a combination)

To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan; whisk to blend well. Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large zipper lock plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well. Refrigerate and let marinate 30-60 minutes, but no longer. Place the saucepan with the remaining mixture on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the mixture to the saucepan with the sauce. Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.

To prepare the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and whisk until frothy. In a second pie plate combine the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne pepper; whisk to blend. Drain the chicken of the marinade in a colander or large strainer; pat dry with paper towels. Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer the pieces to the cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in a 11- or 12-inch round Dutch oven or straightsided sauté pan until the oil reaches 350° F. Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through cooking. Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Return the oil to 350° F and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Reheat the sauce if necessary and toss with the cooked chicken pieces. Serve over rice, if desired.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 45 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 6/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Cindy (taste): 9/10

Effort: 4/5

Dishwashing Effort: 3/5

Prosciutto, Artichoke Heart, and Leek Panini

2011-07-26T12:45:00.000-06:00

It isn't like I was wondering if this would be delicious. Let's put crack dip in a sandwich with pork fat and check to make sure it tastes good. That is what I did. And I put some greens in there just to make sure we didn't die.

Don't be scared. This sandwich IS good. And you will be fine. Just eat it with a salad.

Prosciutto, Artichoke Heart, and Leek Panini

8 thin slices of prosciutto

1 leek, sliced and rinsed

1/4 yellow onion, sliced

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1-2 tablespoons of sour cream

8 slices of sourdough bread

2-4 tablespoons of cream cheese

a couple handfuls of baby arugula

olive oil

salt and pepper

In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, crisp up prosciutto and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

Add some olive oil to the pan, turn down heat to medium and slowly cook and caramelize onions and leeks. After about 10 minutes, add artichokes hearts and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and mix in sour cream. Set aside.

Prepare Panini: To make 1 sandwich, spread cream cheese on two slices of bread. Top with a small handful of arugula, a spoonful of the artichoke/leek mixture and two slices of crispy prosciutto. Grill in a Panini press or on a griddle until bread is crispy.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs and Blue Cheese

2011-07-19T21:48:00.001-06:00

When I ate one of these for the first time, I cursed in my head. If there is a more perfect bite in the world, I don't even want to know.

I need to tell you something. I am not really fancy. But I pretend to be. And for the longest time, I was intimidated by fancy ingredients. I have always been frugal. And even though most people probably wouldn't consider me frugal nowadays, I used to be hardcore (and I have gradually loosened up as I have gotten older...and richer). I used to question buying Green Giant canned green beans or just go with the Kroeger brand. I used to think it was frivolous to buy deli meat at the deli counter rather than the prepackaged deli "meat". And I used to buy frozen chicken breasts in those zippy bags. So believe me, I have been there.

For those of you who worry and budget and stress about your grocery bill, have no fear. I am here to tell you that fancy food does not need to be expensive. I know I go on and on about Whole Foods, but it is my favorite place on earth. It is what inspired me to make these...because Black Mission Figs just started showing up. And are on sale. $3.99/lb. The nice thing about Whole Foods is that you can always buy exactly how much you want. This is what it came to for me:

Figs: $3

Prosciutto: $4

Goat's milk blue cheese (amazing): $2.50

I know it ain't no pigs in a blanket...$3 for 30 people-kind of appetizer. But it isn't as scary as I once thought.

Don't go crazy with the prosciutto. Ask for it to be sliced as thin as possible. I don't like it to completely cover the fig, because then it just tastes like pork fat. Share with bro-in-law over skype.

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs and Blue Cheese

recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello via FoodNetwork

8 Black Mission figs

1/2 cup blue cheese, cut into cubes

8 prosciutto (thinly sliced, cut in half lengthwise)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat grill. You will need medium to high heat for grilling. The key is to crisp the prosciutto quickly and leave the blue cheese just melted with the inner part of the fig cool in temperature.

Cut the figs in half and place a piece of blue cheese on each fig half. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig half, covering the cheese. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap.

Grill each piece until the prosciutto begins to color and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.

(Servings: 4-8, Prep time: 10 min., Cook time: 10 min. Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 10/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 1/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Oatmeal Pancakes with Lemony Maple Blueberry Sauce

2011-07-12T22:51:00.000-06:00

This was a delicious camp breakfast. It could be easily adapted to work as a great backpacking meal (or you could just bring fresh fruit backpacking...day one/two?...otherwise just sub some dried fruit) The sauce didn't thicken up for me as much as I hoped it would, but I also didn't follow any of the measurements, so what can I really expect? It was still delicious.

I used old fashioned oats in the pancakes (with some hesitation) and they really were great. The pancakes were so filling. I could only eat 4 smaller (4 inch) pancakes.

Uh. Just wondering. Is that for me?

I doubled the recipe for 3 people and it was too much. But don't worry, Copper needed breakfast too!

Camping is his favorite. No, we did NOT take him hiking in his tank top. Totally embarrassing.

Oatmeal Pancakes with Lemony Maple Blueberry Sauce

from dirty gourmet

1/2 cup old fashioned oats or 1 packet of instant oatmeal

3/4 cup “Complete” Pancake mix (just-add-water)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cupswater

2 tablespoons oil for skillet if not non-stick

Lemony Maple Blueberry Sace (recipe below)

At Home: In a large zip-top bag, combine oats, pancake mix, cinnamon and pecans (you will need the extra room to mix the batter).

At Camp: Pour 1 cup of water inside the zip-top bag containing the pancake batter ingredients. Seal bag and mix the ingredients by gently kneading and squeezing them together.

Cut one of bottom corners of the zip-top bag with the pancake batter and squirt 1/4 of contents into a lightly oiled skillet on medium high. Let pancake cook until bubbling on top. Flip and let cook until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Top the pancakes with lemony maple blueberry sauce!

(Servings: 2-3, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Lemony Maple Blueberry Sauce

by Backpacker

1/2 pint fresh blueberries (Substitutes: any other berry, or soft fruit like peach,

pear, and plum)

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/2 lemon (juice and rind)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

At home: Pack syrup in a leak-proof bottle; pack sugar in a zip-top bag.

At camp: Using a sharp knife, gently peel the yellow part of the lemon rind. Avoid cutting too deep into the white part of the skin (it's bitter). Finely chop the yellow peel and set aside. In a skillet, melt the butter over low heat, then add the blueberries. Mash some of the blueberries with a fork, then add the remaining ingredients, including the lemon rind. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Makes 1 cup.

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Sausage, Potato and Green Bean Camp Casserole

2011-07-10T16:42:00.000-06:00

Since we have lived in Colorado, we have missed lots of 4th of July fireworks. Which means a lot of things:

1. Copper loves life a lot more.

2. We have spent the holiday mostly in the mountains.

3. The fireworks in CO are pretty lame! Just sayin'!

This year, Scot, the mountain man, declared, "I need mountains AND fireworks!" So, we took a hiking/camping trip and made it back to the city for the fireworks. Since Scot is resting from an injury, I took his sister up Mt. Elbert. And we survived! Without boys!

I am honestly a little surprised.

Nothing against the sis-in-law, it is ME. When I say I have no sense of direction, I mean it. And getting lost on the tallest mountain in CO is just not ideal. Especially when I am chaperoning a newbie.

Luckily there were 8 million other people also hiking it AND only one turn/decision along the entire trail. I love being dramatic and making things seem way harder than they are! Yay!

After a long hike, making use of the first aid kit (several times) (sis-in-law secretly fell off the mountain...aw, she's fine), and plenty of blisters later...we were ready for a hearty dinner. And this is what we had!

Smoked sausage is a great day 2/3 camping ingredient. First, it is meat. And meat is good when you are in the woods. Gawd, it is so good. Second, it is pretty "food safe". (I have no proof of this, so I am not liable...if it doesn't work out for you.)

Something about this meal was so full filling (butter). Stick to your ribs. Meat and potatoes. Yum!

For dessert, we tried out this baked banana dessert thing (it is kind of like a fancy s'more stuffed in a banana):

I personally did not indulge in one of these babies because that is just too much for me to handle. But Scot thoroughly enjoyed it. Sis-in-law did too but was a little on the fence about warm banana-ness. Definitely fun and different from your typical s'more.

Sausage, Potato and Green Bean Camp Casserole

adapted from Allrecipes

1/2 stick of butter

1 medium onion, diced

3/4 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces (I used Kielbasa)

3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and halved

7 small to medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, diced small

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup water

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter. Add onion and kielbasa and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add green beans, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Add water and tightly cover with foil. Place over a grill for 20-30 minutes (opening up and turning occasionally…added more water as needed) until potatoes are tender.

(Servings: 3, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

Copper just isn't a floor dog. And I wouldn't be one either, so who am I to judge.

Texas Caviar

2011-07-06T13:40:00.001-06:00

I had never heard of Texas Cavier until a few months ago when TWO different friends brought it to TWO different potluck events. Good story. But the truth is: this stuff is wicked good.

Might as well just call it black-eyed pea de gallo. It is really your typical pico but with beans! The Texas Caviar that is pictured here has some random additions that I just threw in to use stuff up (black beans and corn...and some tomato). But, I have since made the exact recipe below and it is a wonderful combination. In reality, you can throw whatever veg. you want in with the beans.

I personally believe that black eyed peas are the most delicious bean out there. Everywhere like such as. I have recently discovered that I am a lover of white-ish beans. Including but not limited to black eyed peas, cannellini beans, great northern beans, navy beans, and lima beans. And edamame. So, I guess I like green too. I know you were all dying to know what my favorite beans were.

PS: This is also known as Cowboy Caviar. I'd like to avoid conflict with Texas, so I will give this to them. Oh yeah, and I don't care.

Texas Caviar

adapted from Allrecipes

2 (15.8 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup diced jicama

2 fresh medium jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and minced

1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice

1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice

1 bunch cilantro, minced

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lime juice

6 tablespoons light cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days. Before serving, adjust seasonings to taste, adding extra vinegar, salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.

(Servings; 8-10, Prep time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 8/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 1/5

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2011-06-30T09:53:00.000-06:00

I was home for my little sister's graduation party. She graduated from high school. She used to be 3 years old. Now she is 18. It makes no sense how these things happen.

I am 9 years older than this little sister. 9 years! Which is exactly how long I have been in post-"high school" school. Therefore, we graduated together this year. Me from all school forever. Her from high school. This was something I always thought about once I decided to go ahead and do the 5 year grad school program.

Anyways, growing up, I was really a second mom for her. Not in like a loving, caring kind of way. In more of a bossy kind of way. I picked out her outfits. I did her hair. I fed her. All of these things were non-negotiable. She never once complained or argued with my decisions. That is the glory of 9 years separation. It is not too much older, where we didn't even know each other. But old enough where ANYthing I said goes. Having a little sister slave was a wonderful, wonderful thing.

During her pre-teen/teenage years, she was a mild inconvenience for me. Although she was probably 400 times better than I was when I was a teenager, she still had a 'tude. She sometimes didn't like the outfits I picked out. She said things like "that is really more your style than mine". Ughs! She texted while we were having important conversations. I should say: she actually never wasn't texting someone from the age of 14-17. She had boyfriends. Ew. She had the nerve to actually have opinions on things. WHO does she think she is?

Now, she has grown into quite the lady. She lost most of her 'tude. I have gained back some of my older sister respect. She listens to my fashion opinion. She still texts like a crazy person and likes boys, which is super gross, but I will take what I can get. And now, she has graduated into official adult-ness. Tear.

For her partay, my sister and I made 200+ mini cupcakes and spelled out her name with them. Scot designed the layout and figured out with x many white cupcakes, y many brown cupcakes, this is the optimal design. The two cupcakes flavors were Snickerdoodle and Cookies N' Cream. The snickerdoodle cupcakes are a cinnamon cupcake with a vanilla buttercream and a mini snickerdoodle on top. The cookies n' cream cupcakes were a chocolate cupcake with a cream cheese frosting (with oreo crumbles mixed in) and an Oreo on top. We wanted the colors to be opposite so that is why we laid the cookies flat on top of the cupcake. This is also allowed imperfect piping. I was not a fan of the Cookies N' Cream cupcakes. I mostly didn't like the chocolate cake part. But these Snickerdoodle cupcakes were spot on. Delish.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

from Annie’s Eats (cupcakes, frosting, cookies)

For the cupcakes:

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

11/2 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

13/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

11/4 cups milk

For the frosting:

20 tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar,

sifted 1/8 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. heavy cream

For garnish:

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

2 tbsp. sugar (optional)

Mini snickerdoodles (1/2 of recipe below)

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes (8-10 minutes for minis). Allow to cool in the pans about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle a pinch of the cinnamon-sugar on top of each frosted cupcake. Garnish with mini snickerdoodles.

(Servings: 60 ish Minis, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Mini Snickerdoodles

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar, plus 3 tbsp. for rolling dough

2 large eggs

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon, for rolling dough

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat again until combined, about 30 seconds. Add in the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.

In a small, shallow bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon for rolling the dough. Stir or shake well to combine. Working with a little dough each time, roll the dough into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Use a drinking glass with a flat bottom to gently flatten the dough balls (butter the bottom of the glass before starting, and dip it in sugar between cookies if it begins to stick).

Bake until the edges of the cookies are beginning to set and the center are soft and puffy, 8-10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Servings: 120, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 1 hr., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 8/10

Effort: 4/5

Dishwashing Effort: 4/5

In-N-Out’s Double-Double Animal Style Burger

2011-06-27T23:35:00.000-06:00

This is an In-N-Out Double-Double Animal Style Burger - made at home - in CO

This is what it looks like in Heaven.

3-4 bites later.

Giveratry.

Key points:

-pre-toasting buns in the oven is genius...and hot (400 yikes!)

-no need to freshly grind your beef if you get it at Whole Foods. They did mine 30 mins. before I purchased it.

-American cheese bought at the deli counter of Whole Foods seems less bad.

-2 x 1/8-lb patty combined > 1 x 1/4-lb patty. I don't get it.

-smearing mustard on a burger before grilling it is my favorite thing. It is also very messy and splattery.

-that scar on my thumb is from turnip grating casualty.

In-N-Out’s Double-Double Animal Style Burger

from Serious Eats

1/2 pound fresh beef chuck with plenty of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

2 soft Hamburger buns

Freshly ground black pepper

8 dill pickles chips

2 quarter-inch-thick slices ripe tomato

2 leaves fresh iceberg lettuce, white core section removed, torn to bun-sized pieces

1/4 cup yellow mustard

4 slices deli-cut American Cheese

If using a meat grinder: Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Grind meat and refrigerate immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible. Proceed with step three below.

If using a food processor: Place bowl and blade of food processor in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece, and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Working in two batches, place meat cubes in food processor and pulse until medium-fine grind is achieved, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses, scraping down processor bowl as necessary. Refrigerate ground meat immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees while you cook the onions: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally until onions are well browned, about 15 minutes. Once onions begin to sizzle heavily and appear dry, add 1 tablespoon water to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until water evaporates and onions start sizzling again. Repeat process, adding 1 tablespoon of water with each iteration until onions are meltingly soft and dark brown, about 3 times total. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Make the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar in small bowl. Stir to combine.

Place closed buns in preheated oven for 2 minutes until slightly darkened and crisped. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until shimmering. Open buns and add face-down to skillet. Toast until dark brown around the edges, about 1 minute total.

Form ground beef into four 2-ounce patties, using damp hands to press each into a patty about 3/16ths of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to pan, swirl to coat, and heat over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add burger patties and cook without moving until well browned and crusty on first side, about 2 1/2 minutes. While they are cooking, spread 1 tablespoon mustard on raw side of each patty with a spoon. Meanwhile, top each bottom bun with up half of spread, 4 slices pickles, 1 slice tomato, and lettuce. Flip patties with a thin spatula so mustard side is down and continue to cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a slice of cheese. Divide onion mixture evenly between two patties. Place the other two patties directly on top of the onions , sandwiching them between the beef. Transfer patty stacks to bottom bun. Top with top bun, and serve immediately.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 30 min, Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste): 9/10

Scot (taste): 9/10

Effort: 2/5

Dishwashing Effort: 2/5

A real In-N-Out Animal Style Burger (not doubs)