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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 20 May |
They always say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and, well, it finally worked, making me the proud new owner of a shiny sparkly glittery diamond ring! That said, I have cooked for many a man without the reward of a platinum set symbol of lifetime commitment, but perhaps I had just not yet reached my full potential as a culinary temptress. On a recent occasion I was lucky enough to be in possession of young hungry fiancé’s favorite childhood recipe courtesy of future mother-in-law. Thank you! Even with my new heightened powers of palate persuasion it helps to have the aid of a good recipe… Such is the history of the following Garlic Shrimp & Rice, which served as a yummy surprise for my plus one after a long day at work and school. I do have to start practicing my homemaking skills now don’t I!
| 26 April |
I read an article in my newest Bon Appétit about Puglia, Italy, coined “the new Tuscany” because their lack of resources have resulted in a very simple culinary style. Simple, however, does not equal plain or boring. Upon turning the page to find a multitude of Donatella Arpaia’s recipes, my mouth watered as it would for any lavish Italian feast. The idea of using fava beans in pasta and perfectly pairing oils with their proper counterpart does not sound at all disappointing to me! All too often fancy amalgamations are only as impressive as the words themselves – they are still but a combination that is only as good as the sum of its parts.
Here’s a quick and easy tomato sauce, again from Smitten Kitchen. I jazzed it up a bit with my tried and true ricotta topping that can be adapted to almost any Mediterranean meal simply by substituting the Parmesan for, say, feta and the basil with parsley or other herb of your choice! So with summer knocking at our doors, simplify your menu and spend a few extra minutes by the pool.
| 21 April |
I told you guys I heart Asian food in the springtime! Might as well stick with the theme now… This dish is just as quick, easy, and healthy as the others and is brought to life by Trader Joe’s Curry Simmer Sauce, not to be confused with the ever popular coconut based Thai curry. TJ’s sells an Indian version that’s spicier than your average curry, but not so much that you can’t taste the cumin and clove-r flavors at play behind the scenes. I decided to go vegetarian this time around, but you could compliment or, dare I say, substitute the eggplant for a multitude of things including paneer cheese, tofu, or the chicken that’s recommended on the bottle. For garnish, I used some cashews that I found in our pantry and that were probably too…umm…old for my own good. That said, I think that cashews go well with peas and carrots and I’m still here to write the tale. The second time around I went the extra mile (to the grocery store) and got an avocado to brighten up the plate. Avocado and cashews are the garnish of choice for my all-time favorite Massaman curry. You could also chop some cilantro per TJ’s recommendation.
| 16 April |
Finding motivation in Katy’s soba noodle recipe and the half eaten bag of rice noodles sitting bored in my fridge, I decided to come up with a noodle bowl all my own! To begin I consulted my BFF Google. Google had lots of ideas including, but not limited to fried noodles, Singapore noodles, pho, and even drunken noodles?! Seeing as how I was staying in and trying to do chores, I decided to forego the latter. Wanting to also put use to the squash and carrots leftover from last week’s trip to the market made my Iron Chef challenge even more taxing. Dear Google forgot about the ever faithful and delicious Vietnamese noodle bowls! Alas, I did not. After entering my new and improved search criteria I was happy to find that I had all the makings of a…I won’t say traditional, but noodle bowl nonetheless! I’m a Google Girl in a Google World, but perhaps I’ll have to make friends with Bing next time I hit the kitchen.
| 5 April |
I think Atlanta forgot about Spring and went straight to summer, but, hey, this girl is NOT complaining. I’m perfectly content to skip cardigans and capris and jump right in to sundresses and shorts! This dish is a nice alternative to your classic roast chicken (and roasting in the sun if you’re not there yet) . Thyme is substituted for rosemary, fingerling potatoes for the usual Idaho, and grapes just for fun! Personally, I loved the addition of the grapes and thought they kept everything nice and moist through what can be a long baking process. I also found that the leftovers, mixed with a touch of vinaigrette, made for a delicious chicken salad sandwich. You could even throw in some chopped walnuts for extra crunch! So if it’s not quite 80 and sunny where you live, but you’re tiring of winter roasts just the same, try this one dish wonder on for size while you anxiously await pool season.
| 19 March |
Strata. The savory sibling of sweet bread pudding. A breakfast casserole or stuffing of sorts. I do love a good strata.
There are so many fabulous things about stratas I barely know where to begin. How about with the fact that you can make them a day ahead and sleep in the morning of consumption? Or what about the flexibility of knowing that you can use almost anything you have around as long as you have a few key ingredients that are standard pantry staples(see strata take 2)? My new favorite thing about the strata is that I can bake it in the standard casserole dish, individual ramekins, OR I can bake it in one large pan and then use ramekins or cookie cutters to divide it into pretty little individual portions and then top with a poached egg. As with bread pudding that can now be found in every variation from sweet potato to s’more, the sky’s the limit!
| 13 March |
Here’s my take on Katy’s Love Muffins. They’re just as delicious, but have a sweet flair. I don’t know when exactly the whole sweet & salty trend came to be, but I do know that I love it and that a breakfast that is salty alone will never satisfy me! My inspiration came first from J Christopher’s where I spent my time between college and the real world waitressing. They served an egg Mc Muffin of sorts except theirs had turkey, bacon, and was on a raisin English muffin. Upon further investigation I don’t actually see this delicious combo on their menu, but it may just be that I made it up myself! Next up, was Einstein’s with their Einstein Grill – a turkey sandwich with French toast like bread and raspberry sauce. Yikes! This too does not contain raisin bread… Well I know that my egg sandwich does, in fact, rest between 2 slices of raisin filled bread so despite whether you can get it in your nearest Atlanta restaurant or not, you can get it here:
| 10 March |
Who wants to get up early to slave over the stove, rising hours before your guests arrive to make brunch? Not I. This Italian variation on the Mexican Huevos Rancheros (soon to follow) can be made from leftover spaghetti sauce or store bought if slaving in general just isn’t your thing! The remainder of the ingredients can be kept on hand so a big breakfast or brunch are never out of your reach. Serve with prosecco juiced up with some peach nectar or Orangina.
| 19 February |
This soup has A LOT OF VEGETABLES! Please don’t feel obligated to buy the entire market like I did…and if you’re not up to dumping your entire produce drawer into a pot I understand. If you did neglect your “5 a day” this weekend, however, this will more than make up for it. It works that way right? I’m pretty sure my veggies consisted of fried green tomatoes and Bloody Mary’s, so I’m taking every…umm…real vegetable I can get!
I originally found this recipe on the Cooking Light website and modified to the point of minimal recognition. Feel free to substitute parsnips for the more common Mirepoix or sweet potato for Mr. Idaho. Those two ingredients were the largest flavor enhancers, but who am I to make you experiment. I’m pretty sure the original recipe also neglects the cruciferous joys of Brussels Sprouts and cauliflower, but I suppose they do tend to be the outcasts of the veggie kingdom.
| 24 January |
It seems like every time I turn around there’s a new taqueria opening. And, upon further thought, I can’t think of a single one that’s ever closed! America, or Atlanta anyway, is taco crazy! I don’t blame them, you, or me. Tacos are fresh fun fare that can be jazzed up as many ways as there are restaurants trying… Lately I’ve seen everything from tongue & goat tacos to tacos made of mashed potatoes and always the usual pulled pork and brisket in between. There are varying salsas, veggies, slaws, aioli, cheese, and other toppings yes, but all a taco make. Here’s my take on the taco that I believe started the craze, the fish taco. I jazzed it up with a chipotle mango twist on your usual salsa and slaw. Sorry taquerias, this one’s on the house!
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