My First Mystery Box Challenge

Yes, so apparently I am just as obsessed with MasterChef as the next one....I really don't see anything wrong with that as thanks to hulu.com I can watch it whenever I want to....and as many times as I want to....so with this modern advancement of technology I am no longer a slave to my TV.....actually I don't even own one anymore.....one of the best things I ever did.

Again, I am on a tangent.....OK so all the MasterChef watching has gotten me to thinking that it might be fun to create my own version of a "mystery box challenge"......although there really isn't the same challenge as I have as much time as I want.....and I can't get voted out of the kitchen!

So here's what I had:

  Sweet potatoes (yams as some people call them), carrots, fava beans (this is the first time I have ever used a fava.....more on this later...they are amazing!), broccoli, brown mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, roma tomato, and 1/2 red pepper.....I ended up using everything except for the carrots and the sweet potatoes.....they are awaiting their fate as sweet potato fries and maybe some curried carrots.....I thought that would be a great use of them along with some grilled burgers!  Hello summer.....the best part of having a back yard is being able to grill out.....never in my life since moving out of my parents house have I been afforded the opportunity to be able to grill.....it's the little things that make me happy.

OK, on to the dishes.....

  This main meals is where most of the mystery box ended up....I also had a leftover pork roast.....but who wants to have pictured a day old cold half cut up pork roast wrapped in aluminum foil....not this one!  So I left it out....but I do have to say that the above pictured is one of the best things I have done with a left over pork roast....hands down, this was top drawer!

  I started by sauteing a white onion (oh shit, I guess this was not in the mystery box either....I could never be on MasterChef) and the mushrooms.....I of course did this over some extra virgin olive oil and my favorite three seasonings: garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes.....in my dreams it would be bottled and sold in stores....Donna Reed's Secret Seasoning.....

  After the onion and mushrooms are nicely browned I added in the pork....I just sliced it thin.....it was nice bits size pieces....I was happy to have disposable rubber gloves for this as at one point I was literally tearing the flesh of some poor pig right off the bone.....I felt rather savage as I heard the tearing of the meat....ahhh to be a neanderthal.

  It then appeared to me that this dish needed some sort of sauce.....seeing as though it was already a four burner night I decided to investigate the fridge and see what kind of condiment we might have available.....we have a fridge that is at least 80% condiments....I wouldn't have it any other way!  I ended up deciding on the last 1/3 of a bottle of Trader Joe's sauce.....I ended up also adding some water....I always feel it is needed to rinse out the jar anyway before it goes into recycling, so instead of wasting it....I throw it in the pan.....then I diced up the last of the red pepper in small squares.....and added the broccoli on top, then I turned down the heat and put the lid on.....my idea was to steam the broccoli....I guess I needed that water after all.....steaming it for 3 minutes is perfect...I like my broccoli a little underdone....and 3 minutes is how long it takes to cook the pictured pasta!  Hello perfect timing...

  The pasta is from a local United Market...the best grocery store I have come across in these parts....I love that it is local, delicious, clean, and actually teaches me something....sometimes I go in and read about all the cheeses....I love that they have descriptions and makes me think about the fairy tale behind a creamy brie.....I could go on and on.....what can I say.....I freaking love cheese!

  The noodles are a spicy sesame linguine...and I have to tell you they are freaking fantastic!  I got a pot of salted water boiling and then after probably 2.5 minutes....again a little under done....I scooped them out and added them to the pan and mixed it around with the veggies....every time I cook pasta I always like to finish it off in the pan with the sauce.....I find it just infuses such a great flavor....to me the dish is more complete....which is odd as I grew up with pasta and sauce always being served separately....always.  At any rate, it was delicious!






Enjoy!

Another Day, Another Load of Dishes...

  One of the best things about being a teacher is having the summer off.....I know that many people joke about this and it is one of the arguments that teachers get paid too much!  But none the less being able to spend 10 weeks doing basically whatever I want whenever I want is nice!

  Although I do miss the classroom and look forward to the new year, I am enjoying my new kitchen...it has so many benefits...for example: the oven has a light in it.....so nice when baking something and you want to check and see if it is done.....and trust me there is nothing more pleasant then looking through that door.....it's the best spot to get the first smell of something sweet.....this morning I decided that scones were in order!

  This brought must hesitation as scones are not something I have ever made before and for some reason have this idea in my head that they are scary.....similar to the cheesecake and look how that turned out!  So, I told myself the best thing to do is find the recipe... I started with the Williams- Sonoma Baking Book - it was a Christmas present from my favorite brother-in-law!  It also happens to be the first time I baked anything from it!  They turned out perfectly!  They have a fluid texture and I ended up adding in almonds and cranberries for fun!  Check out the recipe by clicking here!


   Well now all I have to do it wait for the BBQ pork roast that is in the oven....it does seem a little odd to be roasting a pork at 11am....but what the heck....I will be out and about in a few hours and not returning until dinner time....the thought of coming home to dinner cooked it just too good to turn up.....what I love about a roast is 1.) It's easy and 2.) hello opportunities to blog about leftovers! 

  Thanks for reading all of you in never-never land....get in your kitchen and make something delicious!

Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza....

 This was for sure an experiment....

  I started with Mike's focaccia recipe and too much basil....there happened to be some rip roma tomatoes, left over white onion....and of course some fresh mozarella.....what else is a gurl to do then to make a "pizza" and then cook it over the charcoal.....it turned out to be delicious and a wonderful experiment.....the taste of the fresh basil is unreal.....I ended up harvesting even more today....

  It's growing faster than I can keep up with it!  Which is not a bad thing at all!  It will also be delicious in salads.....I do have some pre-roasted and chopped pine nuts....so that means a little more pesto I shall make....this time I would like to get enough to be able to can it and store for the winter when the growing season is over!

Focaccia
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt, sugar, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil, black pepper
1 pkg of yeast
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  Add all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl....I also added some red pepper flakes.....then add in the warm water and oil.  Mix well......as soon as it is incorporated, transfer to an oiled bowl - the bigger the better.....then cover with a wet dish rag....of course a clean one!  Then keep in a warm place for about 30 minutes....when I was mixing the bread I heated up the oven to 400 degrees and then turned it off and let the dough rise in there....it worked well.....
  Since we have a mini-grill I ended up making a pizza and have enough dough left over for what might be considered a personal pizza (this I cooked in the oven and topped it with some left over bruschetta topping from dinner last night).  I wrapped the rack for the grill with aluminum foil and then sprayed it with pam so the pizza wouldn't stick.....it turned out to be delicious!  I think I would like to try getting rid of the aluminum foil and adding the pizza right on the rack..... I think it would give it even more flavor (I'll let you know!).....

  Enjoy!

Too Much Left Over Chicken....what to do?

The other day my husband decided that the deal on chicken thighs was just too good to pass up so 15 thighs later I need some ideas.....

  The pesto I made earlier in the week was screaming to me......all I could do is listen....

For this dish I started by sauteing up some brown mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes.....then I added in the chicken meat, I just ripped it in small pieces with my hands......then I added in some pesto and a little bit of water....the pesto was just a little bit too thick....the yellow tomatoes were an after thought but I thought they looked great!  Then I took some bowtie pasta, apparently it's called farfalle!  I under cooked it just a bit and then added it to the frying pan to finish cooking in the pesto.....it was delicious and a simple, quick way to get dinner on the table!

  Now, having only used 4 chicken thighs in the former recipe I had to do something else.....or maybe I just wanted to....at any rate....this one knocked my socks off....

   This one started off with 2 white onions, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic....I actually got the oil hot and got the garlic going first....it smelled so good.....then I added in some seasoned salt and red pepper flakes.....of course.
  I used 4 thighs again in this one and found some sausage in the freezer...it was actually chicken sausage with spices and cheese, so I sliced them up and added them to the frying pan......then comes the sauce....this was definitely not a 1950's housewife moment, more like a 1980's housewife moment....I had  a container of Buitoni tomato herb parmesan sauce....(also works well as a pizza sauce).....and I had a 1/3 of a container of Safeway brand 4 cheese pasta sauce that was just looking so sad.....so I added that as well.  I also added salt and pepper!

  I let this simmer down and then added the not even close to being cooked pasta....I knew that I was going to bake it so I wanted to prevent the pasta from being way over done.....after a minute of mixing the pasta in the sauce I added it to a baking dish and then topped it with shredded parmesan cheese.....it went in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees to get the cheese melted.....

  The flavor in this was unreal....best of all my husband now has a few lunches all ready to go!

Enjoy!

Best Banana Muffins Ever.....for real!

Now I know that I have posted before about good banana muffins that I have made, but these are great!

I am always interested in what others post on Facebook when it comes to their culinary choices and one friend from my hockey days posted about some awesome muffins.....so of course I had to try them for myself.....when I was preparing the batter I was thinking about altering it somehow someway, but then I thought to myself that by doing that I would not be able to try her recipe and I can tell you any alterations I would have made probably would have made the muffin not as good....

  I take it back, I did make one slight alteration.....I added cranberries!

  I think it worked well in these muffins, also adding nuts are a nice with banana muffins.....any way you slice it - this is the recipe you need to use!

Anne Marie's Banana Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup bananas

    Now I have never really been one to measure bananas for any recipe that require they be brown.....so I ended up using 2.5 bananas in this recipe....I like to mash them on a plate with a fork and sprinkle cinnamon on them when mashing....OK, ok, I guess this is another alteration - but it was just a force of habit....when I smash bananas I add cinnamon!

  First I started by mixing the flour, soda, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.  The butter happened to be room temperature so that was a good thing as it was perfect for mixing with a fork.  I mixed together the butter and sugar first, then added 2 eggs.  Mix well.  Add in the sour cream and the bananas and blend together....I think the secret to this perfectly textured muffin was the sour cream!  Then I added in the dried cranberries....I did not measure these, just kept adding until I thought it looked like there was enough for each muffin to get some cranberry goodness!

  I was also pleased with this recipe because it gave me the opportunity to use my new muffin tin!  Thanks favorite mother-in-law!  As you can see I always prefer to use the muffin cups....it just makes clean up easier!

   I would bake these bad boys for about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven, at 400 degrees.....another tip I got from Anne Marie was to brush the muffins with a little butter before they are ready to come out....I did this with about 10 minutes left....it was perfect....I have been adding sugar to the top of my muffins when I bake them....but I like what the butter did to these.....it was perfect!

  Success!  I will from now on only use this recipe for banana muffins....they were excellent, the texture was perfect as they were light and fluffy but still had the density of a superb muffin.....they were so good I ended up sharing some with the neighbors....I have also been eating them everyday for breakfast and I tell you they are worth it.....so go get some bananas!

Enjoy!

Basil Harvest!

   Things have been going well in the kitchen.....I have finally started to get settled and feel as though I actually live in this new place.  It always amazes me how easy it is to let nutrition go when everything else is demanding your time and attention.....and what the heck anyway - I am on summer vacation! 

   One of the joys of the new place is having a yard!  I have never resided in a place where I had a yard to call my very own!  It is nice to call all the shots and landscape etc. but every once in a while I wish I was a youngster again and could enjoy the freedom of picking a carrot right out of the garden and washing it off with the hose.....why is it that carrots always seem to taste better when washed off with a hose? 

    I have been absolutely amazed by the progress of the basil in my garden.  I have what many would consider to be a black thumb as I usually end up killing plants.  It is not all my fault, I just love them too much with water and in some instances more trimming than is necessary.  But not this basil....it just thrives.  I enjoy the peacefulness and the slowness of having to go inside and fill up the watering can - no hose outside.  It is amazing - the simple pleasures in life. 

   Last year was the first time I made pesto from scratch......it was so darn good!  I even impressed myself.....but it was all about the ingredients.  Fresh basil from the farmers market, cheese from a local dairy, olive oil from Italy, roasted pine nuts, and a lot of love.  I even ended up canning the pesto and was pleased to have it last until around January.  This year I would like to make a little more - as I was shamed to see some store bough pesto placed in the fridge....for shame!

  
  Pesto really has to be one of the easiest things to make - if of course you have an electric chopper.....thank you favorite brother-in-law!  I started by roasting the pine nuts in the oven - on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 7-10 minutes.  This can be scary as whenever roasting nuts in the oven they go from perfect to burned in about 30 seconds.  So I always suggest keeping an eye on them - thank goodness for the oven light!  Pine nuts are ridiculously expensive......even more incentive to keep an eye on them!  The flavor is out of this world.....so rich and buttery......what I also love is that whenever you roast a nut the flavor is amplified and the oils infuse and really result in a fabulous texture.  After the nuts cool I zip them up in the chopper and set aside.  For me pesto is all about tasting so there are no real measurements I can give you....make it the way you like it!

     As you can see I like to add everything at once!  Basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil (I use cold pressed, apparently that's better....I have so much to learn), parmesan cheese (I happen to have sliced pieces, shredded works well too), garlic.  Here's were it can go either way....I have used fresh garlic in the past - be careful it can be hot......garlic powder is an option as well......but this time I was lucky to have some roasted garlic sitting on the counter saying...."use me!  use me!".....so I did.  It was from the evening I roasted the chicken.....I have to admit that one thing I love to have on hand is roasted garlic!  Last but not least salt and pepper to taste......then just mix away and keep tasting!  I had a slice of bread that I had ready for tasting....I probably only used about 1/4 of it.....but trust me you will want to keep tasting and adjust.....the only thing I would have changed for this is having more basil!  I still have pine nuts left over.....

  What I love about pesto is the versatility of having this on hand.  It goes well with pasta......sometimes I have added it to a creamy white sauce for an extra bit of flavor profile....or just on its own is nice.....usually I go for some kind of pasta like bow-tie or something with lots of crevices to hang on to the pesto!  I have also used it as a spread on sandwiches.....hello leftover chicken! 

PESTO:
basil
pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil
parmesan cheese
garlic
salt & pepper


Enjoy!

Gorgonzola, Pear, and Pecan Pizza

This idea came from a few different places.....an episode of Teen Mom (don't judge) and from Ginolina a local San Rafael restaurant that is just to die for!  I have never been disappointed by there food and have sampled a few different selections (I have a habit for finding a great meal at a restaurant and then always ordering the same thing).....I gambled a few days ago and decided to order from their pizza menu.....after all they do have a wood burning pizza oven - I can not think of a more rustic way to cook....over fire.....that's how our ancestors used to cook.....it was the original way to start preparing our food....think of all the innovations since the time of the first flame and I assume freshly butchered meat.....I am guessing that the first cooked meal was not a vegetable, or a grain....although I am interested to find out....sad thing is there is probably not any "record" of it....or maybe there is and it is yet to be discovered...

  OK.....pizza crust recipe I "borrowed" from Mike.....truth is I altered it a bit from the instructions on the recipe card that lives in the binder with red cherries on it....just want to give credit where credit is due!  This explains while the title has Mike in quotations......

"Mike's" Pizza Dough
1.5 pkg active dry yeast
1.25 cup hot water
.5 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2.75 cups flour

  Get hot water from the tap and mix in the sugar.  Then sprinkle the yeast on top, I use a "superhuge" mug that is literally the size of a bowl......it works well.  And it used to be my brother's so I am glad that I have a use for the mug of his that I kind of stole....I let the yeast sit for about 5 minutes....then add in the flour and salt.....Mix until dough forms.....I just do this with one hand, this way one hand stays clean!   Then I grease a large stainless steel bowl with extra virgin olive oil and get the dough covered....I like to use a wet dish towel - warm water - place over the bowl and keep in a dark warm place....sometimes this is just the cupboard....but with this pizza I had just finished roasting the pecans so the oven was still warm, but not on.....the dough spent 55 minutes rising and was huge!  It is always fun to see this and then sucker-punch the air out of it!  I then proceeded to roll it out....this recipe has been used on a variety of pizza cooking pans - cookie sheet - air bake pizza pan - pizza stone....of course I think the stone is the best....I just don't own one so this time I used the cookie sheet....it's one of my new tools I had to break-in....

Pecans:
These I candied - one of my great grandmothers recipes that I altered for timing sake....I am sure during the holidays that the original candied pecan recipe will come out....they are so unbelievably decadent and delicious! 
Take 1 egg white and beat with a whisk until bubbly....then add granulated sugar (.25 cup) and cinnamon (just sprinkle on top) and mix well....coat the pecans and place on a cookie sheet that is covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with pam.....bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.  This version of candied pecans is not as good as the original....

Pears:
  I was not sure what in the heck to do with these.....I ended up purchasing D'Anjou variety.....apparently they originated in the mid 19th century in either Belgium or France....they are noted as having a light buttery flavor and crisp texture....I am always interested in where food originates...I remember one of my favorite classes in undergrad was Plants & People......my professor basically traveled around the world and researched food....he spent many moments discussing tales of the origin of food and what it's original use was for....I found it very interesting and always made me hungry....I can still remember the saffron lecture to this day!

   I ended up slicing the pears in rings, similar to that of a pineapple and thought it might be interesting to saute them first in some honey....it worked out well and imparted a wonderful flavor and color....but the pear slices were too thick in my opinion....I would either slice them thinner and not sautee or cut them in smaller pieces after sauteing.....I have so much to learn! 

Sauce:

  This was even more of an experiment than the freakin' pears........I had no idea what to add....so I went with my instincts....I took some sour cream (Daisy brand - fat free) and added some liquid honey (California orange blossom) and mixed it in with some cinnamon.....I also crumbled some gorgonzola cheese in this as well.....

Gorgonzola:
   I have never purchased gorgonzola before so I was pleased to walk to the market and see how many varietals there were to choose from....there were 3....2 of them were domestic and 1 was actually produced in Italy.....I guess the choice was made for me!  I later found out that gorgonzola is actually the name of a town in northern Italy....think of the history there....it makes me want to go to the oldest dairy in Gorgonzola that still makes gorgonzola and learn about the process...I wonder if the workers enjoy smelling like cheese all day long...I also wonder if they are allowed to sample the cheese....I wonder more what they use it for....all I know is that this "blue cheese" is delicious...it has such a wonderful creamy texture....but still with substance .........so, not like brie.....although, it does melt in your mouth....then again what great cheese doesn't?

Construction:

  After spreading out the dough on a grease cookie sheet, I then spread on the sauce - I ended up adding just a little too much....then I added on the pears and the rest of the gorgonzola and topped it off with the pecans....I hammered the pecans down in size to get more surface area for flavor!  Baked it in the over for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then 15 minutes at 375 degrees....all in all it turned out not too bad.....there are a few alterations for next time....for one thing would be adding more cheese and perhaps a pinch of salt....

Enjoy!

Anniversary 2B Dinner

Earlier this week I decided that is was time to start using some of the basil that is exploding in my garden.....I also has a chicken that was thawed and ready to be roasted....originally I had planned on the roast chicken for a Sunday night dinner as this was something I have done many many times....I have always enjoyed a traditional home cooked meal on Sundays......just seems like a nice way to relax and get ready for the week......but the darn chicken just didn't want to thaw.

  Now about the 2B anniversary part.......my husband and I celebrate 2 anniversaries....the first one, also denoted "A" is a celebration of the day we were married....January 4th.....the second anniversary denoted "B" is a celebration of the day of our wedding....we had the wedding 1.5 years after we were married in a courthouse over lunch....there were seven people there in total.....it was perfect.

So to celebrate our wedding I decided to roast a chicken.....what I also love about roasting a chicken is all of the possibilities for leftovers: BBQ chicken pizza, chicken cacciatore, chicken fajitas or burritos, chicken caesar salad, or even some kind of chicken curry stir-fry would be nice.....I think the chicken BBQ pizza is one of my favorites! 

Oh right the darn chicken, well I of course dealt with all the "whatnot" that is packaged inside a whole chicken (thank goodness for disposable rubber gloves)....they have saved my life as I hate walking around the rest of the day having my hands smell like raw poultry....no matter how long you wash your hands and no matter how smelly the soap....the smell still lingers for me.....and besides the point of the smell, I would rather not have my bear hand up a chickens ass.

  Once washed and patted dry with some paper towels I set the chicken on a rack on top of a roll sheet.....I kind of forgot about the nice deep dish pan I used to use for roasting meat....it had seen better days and in the move I said that any pans that were looking like they had seen better days were good to go.....luckily nothing spilled over the edges....I of course lined the sheet with aluminum foil.....so handy for clean up.....and I sprayed the rack with pam before placing the bird on the rack! 

  Now it does sound and feel a little odd to lift the skin off of the chicken and place basil leaves underneath......but it infuses such a wonderful flavor in the meat.....then I brushed on some canola oil.....usually I use extra virgin olive oil - but I was out!  Then I added what I always add to a chicken to be roasted: seasoned salt, garlic powder, (oh by the way, while roasting the chicken I took a bunch of raw garlic and roasted it for later use - I have an obsession with roasted garlic), and red pepper flakes......then in the oven for a few hours....
 
  This may sound weird but I love the sound of a chicken sizzling in the oven....it just sounds and smells like a home to me....


Sides:

brown rice - with sauteed onions....I tried something different and actually sauteed up the onions and then cooked the rice in the same frying pan....it took a little longer - but I think it worked well....and hello to 1 less pot to clean!  I also experimented with some flavor.....I added turmeric, which I have recently discovered and love!  I still need to check out the origin of this spice and see what I "should" be using it for.....I also love the color it adds to any dish....when frying up the purple onions I added the turmeric and it was such a rich yellow color that almost heightened the purple of the onion.....I tried to capture these glossy contrasting colors.....but sometimes you need to see it with your own eyes to appreciate that kind of beauty.

cauliflower - red peppers......this was simple and really just trying to get rid of what I had left in the produce department of my refrigerator.....when I pulled all the veggies out I was thinking this was my own version of a mystery box challenge (yes, I watch masterchef....and I think enjoy it too much)........I started by boiling the cauliflower and then sauteed the red peppers - small pieces....then added them all together and added some Trader Joe's red curry sauce....simple but tasty......

There are no pictures of the chicken....but I did get some beautiful roses!

Enjoy!

Do What You Love So That You Can Love What You Do....

....I think it was my Papa who first mentioned this crazy idea....how simple, yet how true that that is what we should all do....of course in some instances we are forced to do things we do not love.....that's life.....here I plan to combine a few of my loves.....talking and cooking.....without actually having to have any human contact with another person....the recluse in me loves this medium to be able to communicate.....another side makes we want to take this on the road.....

Below is a dinner that has gotten me out of the rut....(read about the sides on my blog: Donna Reed's Dollar Menu)

  Before this, I have to admit that I was not really being mindful of what was happening in my kitchen......the pleasures of the past seemed like a distant memory and for some odd reason I was propelled to get back in an apron and do what I love to do....



  The rack of lamb was simply sublime.....I know that many people have moral issues around eating lamb.....I am not one of these people.....I freakin' love it....it is so decadent and delicious.....I have to admit that I have had few encounters with the meat.....I appreciate it none the less.....when I was a child I remember visiting my Nanny and Papa in Florida and her making what was to be the first rack of lamb I would ever eat....she topped it with a homemade mint sauce.....it was love at first taste!
  Last year I was given a gift certificate to Risibisi in Petaluma and had one of the best meals of my life....you guessed it: rack of lamb!  (on a side note I also had their creme brulee for dessert and it was outstanding!!!)  Thank you twenty-ten AcDec'ers!

  So there I was about to make my first rack of lamb....I was thinking about making a mint sauce as I had some freshly picked from the garden....instead I ended up using all the mint in the mojitos so I had to improvise with the lamb....I made a rosemary butter....the rosemary was from the garden as well and crushed in the mortar and pestle....it was fun!  I pan fried the rack - when cutting it up it was a little more rare then I was looking for.....so I continued carving and then quickly pan seared the individual medallions......it literally melted in my mouth.....looking forward to the next special occasion to celebrate to I can make another rack!

DESSERT:
  Of course if you are going to go to the trouble of making a rack of lamb and zucchini canoes, you better make darn sure you have got some sort of dessert to follow.....after all if you are going to do something you might as well do it right!

  Read about this lemon tart on my other blog: Apron Worthy!


Enjoy!