pasta with roasted tomatoes and fried eggs

last weekend i had a handful of roasted tomatoes, baby spinach, and a small piece of brie leftover from sandwiches i made for new years eve. i cooked up the remnants of a box of fusilli, tossed the hot pasta with the brie, spinach, and tomatoes, and topped the whole mess with two runny fried eggs. it was the best lunch i've had in a long time.

peanutella [chocolate peanut butter]

i eat a lot of peanut butter atop ritz crackers and apples dipped in peanut butter. one of my all time favorite snacks is to melt equal parts peanut butter and chocolate - the darker the better - in the microwave until smooth. while it's nuking, core and slice a crisp, juicy apple. dip until your heart's content. that was one of my favorite snacks when i lived alone and something i still eat relatively frequently now. until i made this chocolate peanut butter. i think of it as a much better tasting version of my bachelorette snack.

mushroom marsala fontina flatbread

when it's this hot, it has to be something pretty good for me to turn on the oven. which brings me to one of the most underutlized tools in my kitchen: the toaster oven. 

i bought a pack of premade flatbreads at the market last weekend for a dollar. topped with vegetables and cheese, they make the perfect quick, meatless meal. [not feeling mushrooms? tomatoes are finally in season. top a flatbread with sliced tomato, slices of fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. perfection.]

garlicy BLT

i'm hubs-less this week. jason took the week off and headed down to oklahoma to spend the week with his mom. which leaves me with a week's worth of cooking for one, which unexpectedly has me thinking about my single girl days.

see, before we lived together, i lived in my own apartment for two years. it was one of the best things i ever did for myself. i had my own routine, my own place for everything, and didn't have to answer anyone. those of you who have lived by yourself - in your own space - know exactly what i mean. but once you live with someone, in a place that belongs to both of you - not his, not yours, but ours - it's different. not bad, just different. so as much as i love him and can't wait for him to come back on saturday, everyone could use a little time to themselves. i'm filling mine by hanging pictures, planting my garden, and cooking. lots of cooking.

risotto stuffed portobello mushrooms

lately i've been stumbling across a few recipes so perfect - so simple, so delicious - that my first reaction is "why didn't i think of that?!" first, there was smitten kitchen's chocolate-peanut spread (think nutella with peanuts instead of hazelnuts) and then there were these risotto stuffed mushrooms from kitchenist. and all i thought leftover risotto was good for is risotto cakes.

panna cotta with blackberry sauce

the week after christmas, at my aunt's surprise party, my cousin steve and i were talking about food. sure, it always starts innocent enough - have you been to any good restaurants lately? - and turns into an hours long conversation about what we've been cooking, how to photograph food, and what each other should be cooking. steve mentioned panna cotta and how easy it is. it immediately shot to the top of my 'must make now!' list.

quinoa pilaf

to be successful in my vegetarian quest, i knew the biggest challenge would be to find non-meat protein sources that would fill me up and keep me full all day. we've been eating our fair share of mushrooms and beans, but to be honest, we were both getting bored with them and needed something else. so last week, in the bulk section of my favorite supermarket, i scanned through the grains, looking for something different and settled on quinoa, not quite knowing what to expect. 

broiled tilapia with lemon buerre blanc

i have some explaining to do. you see, i thought there were two classes of meatless eaters: vegetarians, who abstain from meat, but eat eggs, dairy products, animal products, and fish, and vegans who eat no animal products whatsoever. when i mentioned that january is vegetarian around here, i honestly didn't realize there were so many kinds of vegetarian. good thing wikipedia set me straight:

ovo vegetarian: eats eggs but not dairy products
lacto vegetarian: eats dairy products but not eggs
vegan: eats no animal flesh and animal products
raw vegan: eats only fresh & uncooked fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables
fruitarian: eats fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter than can be gathered without harming the plant
pescetarian: eats fish & shellfish and no meat

as it turns out, mom and i didn't realize at the time, we're really pescetarians for the month, since we've limited our "meat" consumption to fish and shellfish only, eliminating all meat from animals that walk.

gingerbread spiced coffee

those cheesy dunkin donuts commercials get to me. the one on the radio about making a gingerbread house out of dunkin donuts gingerbread lattes, coffee, and muffins. not only because i love dunkin donuts, but even more so, i love gingerbread.

so rather than forking over my hard earned money set aside for presents for pretty girls and boys, i decided to make my own. all you need is simple syrup spiked with the perfect mix of gingerbread spices. couldn't be easier. (or cheaper.)

while i'm sure the half and half or whatever your milk of choice is for coffee could be infused with the spices (similar to chai), i want to keep is as easy as possible. if you know how to boil water, you can make simple syrup. boil equal parts water and sugar until all the sugar dissolves and it's clear. mix in spices. add a spoonful or two to your coffee. done. perfect warm & spicy start to a dark, cold, blizzardy december morning.

gingerbread spiced syrup for coffee drinks
10 minutes, makes about 2/3 of a cup

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. bring the water and sugar to a boil. boil for a minute or so, until all sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear.
2. remove from heat. stir in the molasses and spices.
3. strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, if you wish.
4. store in the refrigerator and shake well before using. addto taste in coffee, about a tablespoon per cup.

portobello sandwich

we eat a lot of mushrooms around here. in goulash, paninis, as the perfect ravioli filling, my all time favorite soup, and as a perfect meatless version of stuffed shells. it's no surprise that this take on a philly cheesesteak gone vegetarian is now added to my regular mushroom line up.

no, it doesn't taste exactly the same as a beef sandwich, but what do you expect from a vegetable? let's just say it filled the two of us up perfectly on its own. and it's quick and foolproof. the perfect weeknight dinner.

portobello sandwich
adapted from eating well
20 minutes, makes 2 sandwiches

1 onion, sliced
2 large portobello mushrooms
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 slices provolone cheese
1/2 loaf of soft italian bread
olive oil, salt & pepper

1. coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium high heat. add the onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. while the onion is cooking, prep the mushrooms by removing the gills on the underside of the mushroom with a spoon and then slice them.
2. add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and oregano to the onions and season with salt and pepper. cook until the vegetables are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. reduce heat to low and sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. stir well to coat.
4. add the broth and soy sauce and mix well. continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens.
5. turn the heat down to low and lay the cheese over the vegetables. cover until the cheese melts.
6. using a spatula, scoop the vegetable mixture onto the italian bread.

weekend breakfast bowls

last weekend when jason was still trying to muster up the energy to get out of bed on sunday morning, i turned the week's left overs into a great man breakfast. in our house, a man breakfast is any kind of egg dish that also includes meat. it has to include meat.

don't ask me, that's definitely not a phrase a woman came up with.

anyway, i sauteed leftover roasted potatoes - the potatoes have to be cooked already or they will be crunchy if you try to make them from raw potatoes - and cooked up some eggs. that was the bulk of it. covered the eggs with leftover pico de gallo and queso fresco cheese. add some bacon. done. i ate mine in the bowl and jason rolled his up into the tortilla.

i bet this would be really great with a poached egg too...

weekend breakfast bowls

15 minutes, makes 2

about 1 1/2 cups leftover roasted potatoes

couple strips of bacon per person

3 eggs

couple tablespoons half & half or whole milk

couple tablespoons left over pico de gallo

queso freso, monterrey jack, or cheddar cheese

2 tortillas

1. cube the potatoes into bite size pieces if they aren't already. saute the potatoes over medium heat until heated throughout and they start to get a little crunchy on the outside (or however you like your breakfast potatoes).
2. while the potatoes are cooking, fry your bacon (or bake it, if you like).
3. in a small bowl, whisk the eggs with a splash of half & half or milk, salt, & pepper. make scrambled eggs. when the eggs are just about done, add a small (1/2 teaspoon or a small slice from a stick) amount of butter and mix it in until it melts. the eggs will be super creamy from the butter. you can use half & half instead of butter too.
4. serve the eggs with pico de gallo and cheese alongside the potatoes and bacon. or if you're crazy, throw it all into a giant tortilla and make your own breakfast burrito!

lazy wo(man) mac & cheese

here's a crazy simple one for you. so easy i almost didn't post it.

it's quicker than this stovetop mac & cheese and takes the same amount of time as the blue box.

and if you're a coffee drinker and enjoy cheese (like that's a real question), you probably have everything in your pantry to make it...

...and i made it up as i went along, so the measurements are approximate. if you want more cheese, add it. if your cheese sauce looks a little thin, add a touch more half & half, but go easy on it. a little goes a long way.

lazy woman mac & cheese
10 minutes, serves one

for each serving -
1/2 cup dried short cut pasta, i used ditalini
2 tablespoons half & half or whole milk (a good size splash)
3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese (a palmful)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (a little less than half the cheddar)
salt & pepper

1. cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. when the pasta is done, add the half & half to the pan. if you have an electric stove like me, put the pan back on the hot burner and leave the burner off. if you have a gas stove like i wish i do, put it over super low heat. warm the half & half for 30 seconds to a minute.
   
3. season with salt & pepper and mix in the cheese.
4. when the cheese is melted, stir in the pasta. ta da. easiest saturday lunch ever.

caprese panini

after all the super sweet blackberry treats last week, it's time for a simple and delicious dinner. especially one that involves fresh tomatoes.

we had a killer storm sunday night. the thunder and lightning startled me out of bed. i went back to sleep and for the most part forgot about it until i came home from work. my tomato plant that's taller than me had fallen completely over on it's side. it was tomato carnage. some were crushed into the dirt. some got stepped on in the midst of trying to get the cage to stand up straight. all in all, it wasn't a good sight. so i grabbed as many of the red ones that were still clinging on as i could. and i've got big plans for them.

including this sandwich.

i used my favorite multitaskter - my foreman grill. i grilled three fresh picked medium tomatoes for two sandwiches. whipped together a great big handful of basil growing next door to the tomatoes, fresh homegrown garlic from one of my coworkers, parmesan, and olive oil. slather the roll with the pesto mixture and add the grilled tomatoes and a nice thick slice of good mozzarella cheese. grill the whole thing in the foreman for another couple minutes until the cheese is oozing out the side of the roll. it's summer - toasted - between bread.

oh and make some of the extra pesto. yea, i know it's missing the pine nuts, but it still tastes great tossed with pasta. and keeps in the fridge for a while.

caprese panini
30 minutes, makes 4

1 cup loosely packed basil
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large/6 medium ripe tomatoes
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 sandwich rolls
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. in a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup olive oil until smooth. season with salt & pepper.
   
2. heat a grill pan (or foreman grill) over medium high heat. slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices and grill a couple minutes on each side, until softened. meanwhile slice the rolls in half and spread a thick layer of pesto on the top half of each roll. arrange slices of cheese on the bottom half of the roll.
3. when the tomatoes are soft, spread them out on top of the cheese. put the tops on the sandwiches, brush the tops and bottoms with olive oil (so they don't burn) and press until the cheese is melty, about 5 minutes.

lemon basil pesto

last year my lemon basil plant didn't do so well. this year it's grown into a huge bush! lemon basil is a type of basil that has a really strong lemony flavor. it grows just like basil but has smaller, skinnier leaves. it goes really well with pasta or chicken.

i make pesto two or three times a year when i finally have enough italian basil or lemon basil to make a batch. the thing is, unless you can find it really cheap at your local farmer's market, buying the amount of basil you need from the store will empty your pockets. it just isn't worth it. and right about now, if you've got your own basil garden, it should be going crazy. pesto is a great quick way to make a dent in it.

i used my lemon basil this time simply because it was out of control. i've made this exact same recipe before using italian basil instead, with some modifications. since you won't have the lemon flavor from the lemon basil, add the juice and zest of a whole lemon to the pesto. the flavor will be virtually the same. if you don't have enough lemon basil for the recipe, substitute the missing piece with italian basil. the combo of the two is good also.

lemon basil pesto
15 minutes, serves 2

1/2 pound spaghetti, linguini, angel hair, thin spaghetti - whatever long skinny noodle you like
1 cup tightly packed lemon basil leaves
juice of half a lemon (add the juice from the whole thing for extra lemon flavor)
zest of half a lemon (optional, add it if you want a lot of lemony flavor)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. cook the pasta according to package directions. drain.
2. while the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. blend the lemon basil leaves, lemon juice, zest (if using), garlic, cheese, and olive oil in a food processor or handy chopper. if you don't have a food processor, finely mince the lemon basil and garlic before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. the recipe definitely still works, it just takes a bit more time than giving it a whir in the processor.
3. when the pasta is cooked, toss with the pesto. serve. brush your teeth before leaving the house.

bread & butter refrigerator pickles

i was super excited last saturday when i saw these beauties at the public market for $1.

it's finally cucumber season. and with cucumber season comes pickles. only i couldn't decide which ones to make. traditional dill? bread & butter? super garlic dill? sweet? they all sounded good so the decision came down to one thing: jason. after 2 seconds of thought he decided bread & butter all the way. there's no way i was going to can my first round of pickles. i needed a good refrigerator recipe. lucky for me, smitten kitchen made some last month from her farmer's market cukes (hey, how'd she get cucumbers a month before me?!)

with recipe in hand, i set out to cut up the cukes & onion. stupidly, i used the slicing blade for my food processor to whiz through all six cukes and 2 small onions in 2 minutes. smart because it only took a couple minutes. stupid because they came out way way way too thin. next time i'll take the extra couple minutes to hand slice the cukes into thicker slices.

once the cucumbers and onions are sliced, pickles couldn't be easier. mix them up with some salt in a large bowl. cover with ice and let sit about 2 hours.

when the cukes & onions have about 15 minutes left to sit, start making the pickling liquid. it's a simple sweetened and spiced up (turmeric, mustard, coriander and celery seed) vinegar mixture. bring it to a boil and remove from heat.

drain the cucumbers and onion (don't rinse) and add to the liquid. stir thoroughly and place into a quart jar. refrigerate. we let them sit in the refrigerator over night before eating like crazy. if you make them in the morning, i'm sure you could have some for the night's dinner.

...and i never realized tumeric is the big flavor difference between these and sweet/dill pickles (and adds the characteristic yellow color). interesting. never would have guessed that.

easy bread & butter refrigerator pickles
get the recipe at smitten kitchen

kinda bruschetta dip

yes, it's too early for garden fresh tomatoes in new york. but it's not too early for garden fresh tomatoes in oklahoma.

see, my mother in law (hi barb!) flew in last weekend, just in time for the fourth festivities.

before she got out of the car, she had a present for me. she hand carried about half a dozen fresh picked tomatoes from tulsa, through detriot, and into rochester. otherwise they would have went to waste.

they sat on the counter for a solid day while i debated what to make. salsa? nah, not in the mood. pasta sauce? too much work. freeze them? can them? stuff them? nothing sounded all that exciting until it hit me.



i'm not a huge fan of straight up raw tomatoes. my mother eats them with salt sprinkled on them. for me, i need something more.

when i was a teenager, i remember my dad making a pseudo bruschetta dip for crusty italian bread. i remember the two of us dunking bread, tomato juices running down our arms to our elbows. i had only one glitch: dad's in ireland - dodging sheep with his car and swapping our humid 95+ degree days for a cool 60 degrees - so i'd have to wing this one on my own.



it's a very close cousin to bruschetta. where bruschetta tends to have big, chunky pieces of tomato and is relatively dry, this dip is wet and the tomatoes are pretty crushed. whatever you do, don't skip the salt. it really brings out the flavor of the tomatoes. the basil is definitely optional and it's surprising how much the taste changes when you add it.

kinda bruschetta dip
15 minutes, makes 2 cups

4 medium-large fresh from the garden tomatoes
~1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 gloves garlic, finely minced
8-10 basil leaves, finely minced
good glug - about a tablespoon - of olive oil

1. finely dice the tomatoes. place a good scoop in the palm of your hand and lightly squeeze out some of the liquid. don't get it all out, but get most of it. you don't want tomato soup. repeat with the rest of the tomato.
2. mix the salt into the tomato and let it sit while mincing the garlic and basil.
3. mix in the garlic, basil, and olive oil.
4. enjoy with crusty bread.
   

cilantro lime rice

this rice has been sitting in the back of my mind, waiting for the perfect use, ever since i saw it a couple weeks ago. i know, i know, it's a replica of the rice used at some chain burrito restaurants. but i don't really care about that. let's be honest; cilantro and lime juice in a spicy burrito sounds like the perfect contrast.

it wasn't until this week when i was finally able to try it out as filling for vegetarian burritos (more on that later). it was a breeze to put together - make some rice, mix in some cilantrol & lime juice, eat. the recipe is really just a guideline for how much cilantro and lime juice should be added so feel free to play around with it and add more or less to your liking.

cilantro lime rice
get the recipe at annie's eats

pico de gallo

easiest side dish ever.

great in tacos. or on a chip.

even better on top of a soft boiled egg.

that's all i have to say about it.

pico de gallo
adapted from martha stewart
10 minutes prep, makes ~2 1/2 cups

4 roma tomatoes, deseeded, and chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
~1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
~1 teaspoon kosher salt
for more spice, add 1 seeded, diced jalapeno

mix well. let sit about an hour before serving to let the flavors meld.

banana bars

whenever i have an extra banana lying around, i put it in the freezer for baking. sounds like a good plan, right, since it always seems like whenever i actually want a brown, mushy banana, i don't have any on hand.

except that right now, i have six - yes, six - bananas in my freezer. which is better than the nine i had last week.

when i overheard someone ask "where's those banana bars?" when we were camping last week, i tucked away the thought of aunt judy's banana bars and made a mental post it note to go through my recipes and make it when i got home.

only i couldn't find it.

anywhere.

not in my binder with all the others passed via email or hand written note.

not stuck in a cookbook as a bookmark.

not stuck in a pile with recipes i pulled out of magazines.

no where. i don't have it.

after sulking for a good five minutes, i went through every cookbook i have. not a single one had a recipe for banana bars. i hadn't realized what an exotic food they are. strike two.

strike three. i did a quick search on some of my favorite food blogs. nope. nada. nothing. doesn't anyone else eat these things?!?

i turned to my last resort: google. almost strike four. i wanted something that replicated aunt judy's recipe. no nuts. no sour cream. no butter. especially no shortening.

i had just about given up, until one last final thought crossed my mind: good old betty crocker. and she pulled through.



and let me tell you, they're as close to aunt judy's as i remember them to be.

banana bars with cream cheese frosting
adapted from betty crocker
10 min prep, 30 min cook time, makes 24 bars

1 cup mashed bananas (it was three for me)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1. heat oven to 350 and grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2. in a large bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the sugar, oil, and eggs.
3. stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4. pour into the pan and bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. while the bars are cooking/cooling, make the frosting.

3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
splash of vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

1. if the cream cheese and butter aren't soft (straight out of the refrigerator), microwave a few seconds at a time until soft.
2. mix in the vanilla. mix in the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, until the desired consistency.
3. spread on the bars when cool.

2012.04.09 this was bluebonnets & brownies' pick for the secret recipe club!

2015.02.01 this was my hobbie lobbie's pick for the secret recipe club!

pork with pineapple salsa (and garden update)

before i get to today's dinner, i have tomatoes!

after last year's tomato fiasco (something, i suspect deer, ate my tomato plants down to nothing) it looks like i'm going to have some this year!

and leeks. this year's carrots look way better than last year's.



as long as i can keep the rabbits away, i'll have romaine in a couple weeks too.

i've also got peas, green beans, mesclun mix, potatoes, red onions, green onions, zucchini, and pumpkin working along nicely.

anyway, back to the pork.

i haven't been able to get a good red onion at the store for weeks. they're all mushy, dented, or have rotten spots in them. i don't know what the deal is, but it isn't good none the less. while this definitely would have been better with a red onion (and looked better in the photo), my vidalia worked fine.

here's a trick for those of you who don't want to fire up the grill, don't have a grill pan, or don't want to substitute a saute pan. use a george foreman grill. everyone i knew in college had one, so i'm sure many of you have one lying around too. i have an older model of this one, that's perfectly sized (big enough to cook 4 burgers at a time on it). my onion ended up in six slices, which i cooked first for four minutes. took it off and added the pineapple for four. took those off and cooked the pork for three, and cut up the onion and pineapple while the pork was cooking. it worked perfectly and was faster than heating up a saute pan.

and i bet this would be perfect with grilled apples and onions instead of pineapple. peel and slice the apple into rings, grill, and cut into bite size pieces, just like the pineapple.

pork chops with pineapple salsa
adapted from cooking light, march 2010
30 minutes start to finish (includes breaking down the pineapple), serves 2

4 thin cut pork chops
1/4 pineapple, cut into 1/2" thick rings
1 small red onion (or white onion if you can't find red), sliced into 1/2" thick rings
the juice of one lime
salt & pepper
non stick spray

1. in a bowl, add ~1 tablespoon of lime juice and the pork. let marinate while you cut up the pineapple and onions. don't worry about coring the pineapple slices when you cut them. it's much easier to remove them once they're cooked.
2. heat a grill pan over medium high heat (or see my foreman grill method above). grill the onion and pineapple about 4 minutes per side. remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces. and place in a bowl. add the remaining lime juice and toss with the onion and pineapple.
3. cook the pork about 3 minutes per side.
4. serve pork with pineapple onion salsa.