Keeping Up Cooking - A New Week

What a day: Monday. They are good and bad. Good in that you get to start a brand new week, and bad in that you just came off the weekend of fun! Well, this monday was not to bad, not bad indeed. I woke up with my Hubby, made him breakfast (quick egg white omelette w/ bacon and toast), rolled his sleeves for work, and then away he was. I was feeling rather productive so I:

1. Vacuumed the living room, kitchen, front entry way, hallway, and our bedroom
2. Started 2 loads of laundry
3. Organized both my side and hubby's side of the closet
4. Raided the fridge for old food
5. Edited Photos

Most of these things I had done before 9:30 am! Woah, sometimes I just amaze myself!

When the Hubs got home I whipped him up a quick lunch. Having veggies that needed to be used up (already grilled) I decided on a quesadilla. I just took two whole wheat tortillas and toasted them in a pan, then, on top of one tortilla in the pan, I put the grilled veggies, swiss cheese, a few herbs, and topped it off with the other tortilla. Flip it after about 2 or so min. and toast the other side and melt the cheese. Presto! Easy Veggie Quesadilla. Some celery and cucumbers w/ ranch dip rounded out this meal. Yummy!

Dinner was another easy one. Again, I used leftover veggies from the kabobs. These ones were not yet cooked, just cut. I made a quick stir-fry with seasoned chicken. Basically I cooked the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I took the veggies out and placed the chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes, into the pan. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Once the chicken was cooked through, I threw the veggies back into the pan, stirred, and viola, Veggie Stir Fry!

These two meals are cooked with a "recipe" to look at. I just kind of wing it as I go! Both are very yummy and a great way to use up leftovers or an abundance of vegetables!

ENJOY!

Kabob Cookout Weekend!

I have finished my first week of cooking new meals! Albeit, with a slight adjustment: I swapped Friday for Saturday (hubby was gone & we had a guest over Saturday night). Wanting to impress, and also wanting something good, filling, and healthy....we decided on veggie and meat Kabobs. Steak kabobs at that!

Let me tell you, they were a lot of work, but very very worth it. We also decided on an appetizer and a dessert. For the app I made "Cali"-schetta, which is basically bruschetta but with avocado, cheese, and other stuff added in. For dessert I decided to make some lemon bunt cake. My hubby loves things with lemon. I think its the tart/sweet combo.

Everything turned out wonderful. We grilled the kabobs, veggies, pineapple, and meat outside. I made the appetizer, baked the cake, and made a batch of cornbread ( I was craving some...with honey...yum). Hubby helped with the prep work, cutting the veggies, mixing the cake, and stuff like that. When the guests arrived, drinks were passed out and the appetizers were eaten! Then, not to long after, dinner was served!

~"Cali"-schetta~

1/2-1/3 baguette, cut into 1/2 in. slices on the diagonal

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. garlic clove, peeled, plus 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped

2 med. ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro*

2 tbsp. lime juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil. Toast on a baking sheet for about 4 min. per side. Remove from oven and rub one side with the whole garlic clove. Let cool. In a med. bowl mix together chopped garlic, tomato, avocado, onion, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Top each bread slice with a spoonful of tomato/avocado mixture and serve.

*I left the cilantro as an optional garnish, I am not a fan of it, at all...

~Steak & Veggie Kabobs~

Steak, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes

Marinade (10-30 min. stuff)*

Red, yellow and green peppers

Red onion

Cherry tomatoes

Zucchini

Squash

Button mushrooms

Pineapple

Kabob Skewers

Preheat grill. Marinade the steak in refrigerator. Soak skewers in water. Cut all the veggies into uniform pieces, about 1 1/2 in. each. (with the exception of the tomatoes). Peel and core the pineapple and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes. Thread the veggies onto skewers, alternate veggies for looks. Thread the pineapple onto skewers. Thread the meat onto skewers. Grill the veggies and meat directly over the flame on med. heat. Place the pineapple above to warm with veggies and meat are cooking. Cook until meat is at your preferred doneness (We went for med. so it was about 10 or so min. each side) and veggies are charred and soft. Remove from grill. Place pineapple directly on grill and char, about 2 min. each side. Remove. Serve family style.

* I used a Teriyaki-style marinade

Ingredients before cooking

Nice char grilled meat, veggies, and pineapple!

~Lemon Cake~

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

2 1/2 c. sugar

4 XL or lg. eggs, room temp

1/3 c. grated lemon zest (6-8 lg. lemons)

3 c. AP flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. + 3 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 c. buttermilk, room temp*

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a bunt pan. Cream butter and 2 c. sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 5 min. or until light and fluffy. Mixing at med. speed, add eggs, one at a time, and lemon zest. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl combine 1/4 c. lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 min. to 1 hr. until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove and let cool

Combine 1/2 c. sugar with 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.** Pour over slightly cooled cake. Let cool completely. For glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining 3 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake, letting glaze drizzle down sides. Cut and serve.

*I accidently bought half & half instead on buttermilk. I used it, and it worked just fine.
**I missed this step. I added all the sugar and the full 3/4 c. lemon juice in the batter. Again, it worked just fine.

This meal was wonderful! It was also very fun, I love to entertain! (and a little bit of showing off my cooking ability...  :-) all in good fun) Everything tasted oh so yummy! All the "Cali"-schetta went, but we did cut up a few two many veggies, but, as you will see soon, they will not go to waste!

Oh, how I love desserts. This lemon cake satisfied a craving that I have been having for some time now. I get that typical craving for a baked good every now and again, but I cannot justify baking a whole batch of cookies for just 2 people. Enter entertaining: I can make a dessert! Aha! Wonderful.

Well, I hope that this inspires you to try these recipes. And soon too! Grilling season is almost over! (depending on where you live of course) Use those summer veggies, fruit and meat! Try something new, even if you don't stick to the recipe, it can be done and taste good!

Great way to spend the evening!

ENJOY!

Tilapia on Thursday

I love fish, I really do! I would have to say that my favorite would be shrimp, in its many forms, followed by a close second of raw or slightly seared Tuna steaks. Yummy in my tummy!

Well, I tried to make some tilapia fillets last night. I think they turned out okay, again they can be better, but than again, everything can always be better! I believe the recipe that I used was from either the Food Network magazine, or a Rachel Ray magazine. This meal was served with steamed asparagus with mushrooms and onions.

~Pan Seared Tilapia~

2 tbsp. AP flour

2 tsp. chopped, fresh oregano*

2 tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley

Salt

Pepper

4 6oz. tilapia fillets

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Combine the flour, oregano and parsley in a shallow dish or pie pan. Season with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over med-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Melt 3 tbsp. butter in the skillet, then add 2 fillets and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 min. Flip and cook through, 1-2 more min. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 fillets. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over top of fish. 

This dish turned out really good and it was really easy and quick! My only critique is that the fish could have used a bit more flavor in the flour coating. Maybe some garlic or salt or something. But it was yummy, light and fresh!

ENJOY!

Salmon on Wednesday

I had bought some smoked salmon at the grocery store over the weekend with the idea of making some "salmon toasts" or something equivalent. Well, I decided to make them tonight as an appitizer of sorts. Along with the Salmon Crackers, as I am now calling them, I served curried potatoes, and a large spinach salad. There was no real recipe used for any of the dished served for this dinner, just kind of tasted and seasoned as I saw fit.

Here are the "recipes" 

~Curried Potatoes~

8-10 small fingerling potatoes

1/3 c. olive oil

1-2 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a baking sheet with not stick spray. Combine the olive oil and spices into a med bowl and mix to incorporate. Wash the potatoes and cut them into med uniform pieces. Mix with the olive oil and spice mixture until well coated. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30-40 min. or until fork tender and cooked through. 

~Salmon Toasts~

1 pkg. cream cheese, room temp

1-2 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. salt 

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 pkg. smoked salmon

Ritz Crackers

In a med. bowl combine the cream cheese, onions, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread a tsp. amount of cream cheese mixture onto a Ritz crackers. Top with small slice of salmon. Serve!

The salad that I made was pretty basic. Just spinach, feta cheese, red onion, celery, sunflower seeds, sweet peppers, leftover turkey burger, and dressing. 

I liked the potatoes! The flavor was good, but they were a bit oily, maybe less olive oil next time, but I do like the curry spice. The Salmon Crackers were okay. I thought the salmon would taste a little different. I found myself liking the cream cheese mixture better. Oh well, maybe salmon is better paired with something else. Its an experimentation! 

ENJOY!!!

Turkey on Tuesday

I am keeping it up! I am so very proud!

I decided to make some turkey burgers for dinner. I love, love, LOVE ground turkey! In burgers, meatballs, meat loaf, tacos, sloppy joes, and just about any other combination that you can imagine. Normally I add some sort of Italian seasonings and parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, but this time I wanted something different. The recipe I used was clipped out of a magazine, not sure which one, but one of the larger known cooking magazines.

~Grilled Turkey Burgers~

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp. salt

2 garlic cloves*

1 lb. ground turkey

1 10oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*

1 lg. egg white

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder*

1 tsp. italian seasoning*

1 tsp. chopped thyme*

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing gently. Divide turkey mixture into equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4 in. thick patty. Heat a grill pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 8 min. on each side or until done.

*NOTE: I did not use garlic cloves, I used minced garlic in water, about 2 tsp. I also left out the spinach because I did not have any on hand. I also added the last 3 ingredients to "spice" things up a bit.

Both Hubby and I liked the burgers! The stand-out flavor is the lemon rind, it beings a nice fresh taste to things. I am going to be adding it to my turkey burgers from now on!

ENJOY!

Shrimp on Monday

Yesterday I made some shrimp! I am starting this new integration into my cooking repertoire by cooking at least 2 or 3 new recipes each week. We'll see how it goes, but so far so good!

The recipe I used was from Redbook Magazine. I had clipped it out and put it into my recipe scrap book (I now have 3 going on 4 of these "recipe books") a while ago and I asked my Hubby to look through it and find a recipe he wanted me to make. This was the one that he chose.

~Scampi Gratin~

24 extra large peeled, deveined shrimp, thawed

4 slices white bread, crusts torn into pieces

1/4 c. marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained, minced

1/4 c. chopped basil

6 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. capers, drained, chopped

1 tsp. garlic paste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 c. olive oil 

Lemon wedges

Arrange oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400 F. To butterfly the shrimp, lay shrimp on a work surface. Make a deep slice with the tip of a knife into shrimp, following the curve where the vein was removed and cutting about 3/4 of the way through the meat. Spread incision open and flatten slightly with fingertips. Move to baking pan brushed with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil. 

Pulse bread in a food processor until corse crumbs form; transfer to a bowl. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, basil, 4 tbsp. parmesan, capers, garlic paste, and pepper until combined. Stuff each shrimp with breadcrumb mixture, slightly pressing stuffing down to adhere. Drizzle remaining olive oil over shrimp, then sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake 5 min. Shut off oven and turn broiler to hight. Broil shrimp  until stuffing is browned, about 2 min. Serve with lemon wedges.

NOTE: I made a lot of changes to this recipe. Nothing to grand, just some swaps here and there.

1. I used plain bread crumbs (no food processor, yet)

2. I used minced garlic

3. I used dried basil

4. I added some olive oil to the bread crumb mixture before putting it on top of the shrimp

5. I did not use capers

Hubby and I both thought that this recipe was good, or at least it had the potential to be even better! It's an experimentation process right? Next time I am going to used a little less stuffing mixture on each shrimp, add more salt (capers?), more cheese...basically make the amount on top of the shrimp less, but amp up the flavor.

I served this meal with a simple spinach salad. On top of the spinach I added sweet salad pepper, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and a simple olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper dressing. Twas tasty!

ENJOY!

On another note, here are some bands that ya'll should totally check out!

1. Alpha Rev

2. She & Him

3. Neon Trees

4. Beach House

5. Delta Spirit 

Do I need to be stimulated like this?

So, over the weekend I went and saw the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". It is a movie based off of the book by Elizabeth Gilbert in which a newly divorced woman, Liz, takes a year to travel around the world. For 4 months she goes to Italy to "eat", then another 4 months she spends in India to "pray" at a hindu workshop of sorts, and finally she spends 4 months in Bali to find balance and love once again.

The move was okay, and, as most always is the case, the book is by far much better. While watching the movie and taking in all of her surroundings I was intrigued by two things. The first was the food styling used when Liz goes to Italy, and second was the utter uncomfortable feeling when she travels to India and takes a taxi through the city. I remember thinking to myself, "I need to be stimulated like this!" I need to go and do something out of the ordinary for me. I need to be forced into uncomfortable places and I need to learn to survive, to become comfortable first with myself, then secondly, with said place.

I read an article about the food styling used in the move here. The food here reminded me a little of Julie & Julia but more from the eating and restaurant dining side than the cooking. It was wonderful. I want to go to Italy and eat! Yes please!

Things I want to Eat in Italy
1. Gelato
2. Classic Pizza
3. Spaghetti Bolognese
4. Prosciutto
5. Coffee
6. Fresh, Local Fruit
7. Seafood
8. Classic Bread

I am excited to get out there and TRAVEL! I cannot wait to move to Okinawa, it's just the start of what I am predicting to be a wonderful adventure of traveling, eating, experiencing, photographing, and growing!

ENJOY!