Recipe: Turkey White Bean Chipotle Chili

Turkey White Bean Chipotle Chili

(adapted from Gourmet)

Ingredients:

2 canned whole chipotle chilies in adobo

1 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used organic fire roasted, yum!)

2 large yellow onions, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder

2.5 pounds ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast)

2 cups chicken broth (plus another cup if needed)

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried orégano, crumbled

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 cups fresh green peppers (bell pepper would work if you want to cut down on the spice level, otherwise poblanos would be good)

1 4oz can mild green chilies, chopped

1 tablespoon cornmeal

2 19-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Puree chipotle peppers in a blender with a tablespoon of water and set aside. (As a side note, I accidentally pureed the entire can of chipotle peppers, so I have no idea how many I actually ended up adding. I think it was more like 4)

In a large pot cook the onions and garlic cloves in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened. Add the cumin and chili powder, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up the lumps, until the turkey is no longer pink (be sure to do a good job of breaking up the meat or you’ll have big icky chunks). Add the reserved chipotle purée, the diced tomatoes, the broth, the bay leaf, the orégano, and the salt and simmer the mixture, uncovered, adding more broth if necessary to keep the turkey barely covered, for 1 hour. Stir in the green peppers, the canned green chilies, and the cornmeal and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir in the white beans and simmer the chili for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the beans are heated through, and discard the bay leaf.

Makes about 8 servings, I think.

This chili is great with corn bread, or even some tortilla chips sprinkled on top.

While I was in Seattle last weekend I stopped at the World Spice Merchants to buy some fresh spices. It was a really neat experience. My nose was totally overwhelmed after smelling all the spices they have in that store. It's amazing! One of the spices I purchased was a chipotle chili powder, so of course I had to use some in the recipe. But there's probably enough chipotle in there that you don't need it if you don't have it. I've seen it at my local grocery store, so it's not super hard to find.

Fresh Vegetables!

I had the good fortune of visiting my parents in Reno at a very opportune time. Not only did their neighbor come home with so many armloads of vegetables from their garden (from their other house in California, Reno has far too many rabbits) that they simply couldn't live without passing some out to their most favored neighbors, but this even coincided with a long vacation my parents were going to be taking in just a few short days. In other words, my parents were given a few bags of veggies with no way of eating them all before they left town, so they sent just about all of them home with me! What did I get? Let's see, there was a whole bag of gorgeous and succulently sweet yellow and red cherry tomatoes, a huge butternut squash, an acorn squash (again, very large), an eggplant, and a big bag of green peppers that were supposedly hot. The story is that she meant to plant bell peppers, but accidentally planted hot peppers. I have no idea what variety they were, but they really weren't hot at all. I ate one and while it definitely was not a bell pepper, it had only the faintest hint of something resembling a flavor trying to be hot. They were very small, so maybe they just hadn't matured all the way? Needless to say I was in heaven. And as luck would have it, most of these things fit into what I was going to make anyway! Here's what I'm stuffing my face with this week:

• Turkey and white bean chipotle chili, courtesy of me! I have my own recipe to share with you! I borrowed heavily from this Gourmet recipe, of course, but isn't that how it's done? The recipe will follow in another post, so check back! I had a turkey and white bean chili at work a few weeks ago and was stunned by how yummy it was (the work cafeteria is anything but yummy). I decided it couldn't be that hard, and I would try making my own the next chance I got. Being handed a bag of peppers decided it for me. It turned out really fantastic! It definitely has a kick, but not so much that I can't eat it, but enough that my husband doesn't make fun of me when I say it has a kick. He tastes the kick too! Generally he can handle spicy foods much better than me. And the best part is that it's totally healthy. Ground turkey breast and cannellini beans provide excellent lean protein, and the rest is basically vegetables (plus the tomatoes). And what goes great with chili?
• Cornbread salad, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I was sitting at my laptop in Reno thinking about how I wanted to make chili when, bam!, she posts this salad. Perfect! It's the perfect accompaniment to the chili. I get a few extra veggies in the meal, and I get my cornbread without being so meat and potatoes about it. I really love the lime-buttermilk dressing. It's creamy without being heavy, and the fresh herbs absorb the dressing and stick to the salad leaves, so even though it's rather thin, you still get good flavor throughout. It's rather ingenious, really. Also, remember that bag of tomatoes I got? Every single one of them went into this salad. Yum!
• Warm butternut squash and chickpea salad, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I've blogged about this salad before. It's my go-to butternut squash recipe apparently, because when faced with a giant butternut squash, this is the first thing that lept to mind. And oh my is it ever delicious! My not liking to chew at its best.
• Zucchini bread, courtesy of Serious Eats. When I asked my husband if I should make another dish for the week, since it seemed we were rather light, he requested something desserty and baked. I just happened to have saved off this recipe earlier in the week. This was my first attempt at zucchini bread, and I think it was a resounding success! Man oh man is this good. Husband had one bite and asked if it was expected to last longer than a day. It's rather filling, so it did, but it's going fast! I liked the recipe because it didn't use a huge amount of sugar, and half of the flour was whole wheat. It turned out sweet and the flavor is just fantastic from the spices. Have I mentioned how much I love cardamom? It's like happiness in a bottle. It makes any baked good taste ten times better. It's true. Man, now I'm thinking about these chai spiced snickerdoodles I made earlier this year. I might have to make those again. Soon. Oh, and I learned that apparently my loaf pan is rather smaller than a standard loaf pan. There was a lot of extra batter. I overfilled the pan, which all spilled out over the sides (I was expecting this, so I stuck it on a cookie sheet to collect the drippings), and I just had to eat my way through it all when it came out of the oven. Also, the dough itself is delicious. I couldn't let those extra few tablespoons that wouldn't fit in the pan go to waste, could I? Of course not.

So I have to give a big thank you to my mom for sending me home with so much yumminess! If it were me, I totally wouldn't have shared. Mwhaha! I'm looking forward to working that eggplant and acorn squash into something soon. Check back for the chili recipe.

In Need Of Comfort

I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps...understandably, I think. So I was in the mood for comfort foods this week. I wanted to bake chocolate cupcakes, but I didn't have time. I wish I had though because I've been having a serious baked goods craving today. Erm, so maybe it's a good thing I didn't. Heh. Anyway, here's what I'm eating this week.

• Mini meatloaves, courtesy of Food Network. These aren't really mini meatloaves, so much as meatballs, but they are fantastically delicious whatever you call them. First off, I love the baking method. When I pulled the muffin pan out of the oven I saw that the cups had caught all of the fat, so when I pulled the balls out, I didn't have that congealing fat problem later. Also, I love the mixture of beef, pork, and turkey. That way you get a little of each thing: fat, flavor, and lean protein. The texture was juicy and very flavorful. I've been just eating them plain without any extra sauce or carb-like addition underneath or anything. For me, that's big. Next time I make these (and I will definitely be making these again soon), I'll double the recipe. While one is enough for me for lunch (plus lots of veggies), Husband needs more like two, and since it only makes 8, that's not exactly enough food for the week. If I'm really in the mood for a treat, I think it would be fun to do a kind of meatball sandwich with these. Mmmm...messy and bready. And bonus, the link for the recipe also include the nutritional information. Love it!
• Green bean casserole, courtesy of Food Network. Because what's meatloaf without casserole? Um, still meatloaf, actually. This one didn't turn out so great. I'm really bummed because it looks and sounds so yummy. Green beans with mushrooms in a creamy sauce topped with caramelized onions and bread crumbs. What's not to like? I think this one just took too many healthy shortcuts to still come out good. It happens. The cream mixture ended up just tasting like paste (not like I would know from experience...), or rather, just watery flour. The recipe didn't specify whether to leave the green beans frozen, or thaw them first, so I left them frozen. So basically something frozen was topped with something cooked was topped with something toasted. Obviously, it didn't bake up that well. My main issue was actually with the bread crumbs. The recipe called for toasting them first. What happens when you bake something toasted? It gets more toasted! Yep, it totally burned. And so did some of the onions. This recipe was just a total mess. I do not recommend. I don't think it was good enough to tinker with it. I think it's just a lost cause. Sorry green bean casserole. I really wanted it to work out between us.
• Curried split pea soup, courtesy of Food Network (and Alton Brown). And yes, all of my recipes this week are from Food Network. You can blame this blog, and the fact that Good Eats is the only thing on tv worth watching right now. This soup I think turned out a lot like his lentil soup. The flavors are good and simple, but a little bland. A few dashes of hot sauce, though, and we have ourselves a winner. There's not much to say about the soup itself. It tastes like split peas, since that's mostly all that's in it. I like that it didn't call for cream or bacon or other boring cheater ingredients (I say cheater because fat is too easy a way to add flavor, plus it adds fat!), that most recipes use. It was creamy and didn't have that metallic taste I think sometimes comes through in the canned varieties. I would make this soup again, but I would want to punch it up with something. Not sure what though.
• Indian-spiced kale and chickpeas, courtesy of Food Network. Another dud, unfortunately. The kale was bitter, and just didn't come together with the chickpeas. It was hard to even eat them together, since the peas would just run off my fork. Grrr. Also, I don't think the spices really came through. It was pretty bland overall. I don't think this one can be improved upon, either. Into the trash it goes. Sad.

So there you have it. I'll be on vacation next week. How's that for timing? So I won't be posting any new recipes. You're dying inside, I know.

A Lot Of Food Just For Me

I kind of overdid it this week. I'm used to cooking for two for a whole week. This week Husband was out of town, so it was just me...and I basically made enough food for two of me (though definitely not enough for me and Husband). I made it simple with wraps and sandwiches with some more interesting than usual veggies on the side. Here's what I ate this week:

• I made this whole wheat bread, courtesy of Not Martha, again. I made it a few weeks ago, if you'll recall. It really is my go-to recipe now, I think. So simple, so delicious.
• I used the bread to make sandwiches that were kind of a shrimp salad. I sauteed some shrimp and added some chives and Greek-style yogurt (in place of mayo). It turned out...just ok. It didn't wow me. The shrimp didn't taste that fresh, unfortunately. I probably wouldn't make this again.
• Baked falafel, courtesy of Chow Vegan. I bought some whole wheat tortillas and layered them with some mache (my new love), tomato, and avocado. I also spread on some homemade tzatziki (mixed some Greek-style yogurt with chopped cucumber and fresh lemon juice - simple!). This turned out really delicious. The falafels had some trouble staying together, but that didn't affect the flavor. Seriously flavorful and spicy!
• The other wraps I made this week involved tuna, courtesy of Food Network. I don't usually like tuna without mayo (or something creamy at least), but this was actually very good. A little boring, but I would make it again if I was in the mood for something easy and healthy that didn't involve any actual cooking.
• I went a little different with my veggies this week. First I tried this roasted and pureed cauliflower, courtesy of Food Network. I have to admit that I used 1% milk because I didn't have whole. I didn't miss it. The dish turned out surprisingly creamy and delicious. Who knew cauliflower could carry so much with just a pinch of fat added?
• My favorite dish of the week was this broccoli, white bean, and cheddar soup, courtesy of Food Network. Another recipe that surprised me. I'm loving me them white beans lately! They add so much and cost me so little (in terms of fatty fatty fat fat, I mean). This soup was so freaking delicious. And I used the 2% milk cheese, so it was even healthier. Woohoo! I couldn't believe it. Seriously. It's fantastic. And deceptively filling. And with some buttered toast made from the whole wheat bread I made to dip in it? Mmmmmm....
• And, of course, my muffins. So good.

I found some recipes I'll definitely be making again. Maybe I'll even share with Husband this time. I'm glad I ended up going a pretty healthy route this week. I didn't need feelings of fattiness guilt dampening my already damp week. Instead, I'm feeling good. I found out while messing around in my closet last night that not only am I able to fit into my senior prom dress again. I am also able to fit into a dress I wore to my Uncle's wedding, which I'm pretty sure was my junior year. Why do I still own these dresses? I have no idea. I didn't even know I did until I found them while rummaging through my closet. But it sure is a confidence booster!

I guess since my income is in jeopardy, we'll be having to start pinching our pennies. Unfortunately, one of the few places we're going to be able to do that is the food bill. I'll have to rethink my uberly-overpriced Greek-style yogurt. I'll have to give up my support of organic dairy farmers in favor of the man and his cheaper offerings. I already try to stick with seasonal foods, but I'll have to learn to be more flexible with my recipes to include fruits and vegetables that are on sale. And baking is probably out. I'll still try and steer clear of prepared foods. While Easy Mac is both economical and sinfully delicious, I won't be fitting into ten year old prom dresses with that on my diet. *sigh*

Self Pity Muffins

I got laid off from my job yesterday. It sucks. I'm bummed. When I get depressed, I like to eat. Thankfully I had these muffins ready made! I don't know if they're the best muffin I'll ever eat, they definitely are not the only muffin I will ever make, but they are pretty darn delish! I love the combo of peanut butter and banana (and chocolate to boot!). They are light and moist (sorry, I know that word is yucky, but I can't think of a good synonym), and not too sweet. They're also super filling. The recipe makes 12, but I think I'd rather make 16 or even 18 smaller muffins, just to help with portion size. Half of one is really all I need, but my piggy self, I scarf down the whole thing and then regret it. Hehe.

I found this handy dandy recipe calculator, where you can input all the ingredients in a recipe and it'll tell you the nutritional content per serving. I love it! It's been invaluable in figuring out exactly how good or bad for me something is. These muffins, for example, not that great calorie-wise, but there's some definite nutrition! Here's what each muffin comes out to:

Calories: 393.2

Fat: 16.9g

Saturated Fat: 4.8g

Cholesterol: 18.7mg

Sodium: 362.7mg

Carbohydrates: 56.0g

Fiber: 3.1g

Sugars: 20.0g

Protein: 8.8g

Add some more fruit on the side and there's a sweet treat for breakfast! Heh.

PS: I am looking for work anywhere doing anything that pays the equivalent of where I am now, cost of living of course taken into account. And by anything, I mean only reputable positions of course. ;p

More Zucchini

Wow, I'm playing catch up from almost 3 weeks ago! Yeesh! I was unexpectedly sent to St. Louis last week, so I didn't get a chance to either blog or cook really. But I'm back! And I want to tell all about the food I made the week before that because I made a lot of food. And it was all so good. I did a Mexican-but-not-really theme with lots of Mexican flavors like salsa, peppers, and cheese, but with more veggies and less starches because that's just how I roll. Here's what I ate a million weeks ago:

• Chicken Picadillo, courtesy of Cooking Light. I might have to start subscribing to this magazine if all their recipes are this magically delicious while still being healthy. Really, just looking at the ingredients, it sounded kind of boring. Chicken with some salsa and a spice or two, big deal. But it was so moist and flavorful and delicious. And I don't even really like chicken! I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and used some of that shredded up in this dish. So I just cooked the onion and garlic, added the chicken, spices, and salsa, and just let it come together for a few minutes, and then poof! All done! I left out the almonds because, well, I completely forgot about them. And I left out the raisins because ew! This is a keeper. Easy, fast, and delicious.
• Tex-Mex summer squash casserole, courtesy of Food Network. Yum. This was another one that sounded kind of hum-ho but ended up really fantastic. It's super healthy because it's mostly just zucchini, but the jalapenos and green chiles add so much flavor. And the cheesy top gives it a bit of creaminess that brings it together. I also added a can of black beans, which I thought it was a good addition. Yum yum yum. Husband and I were both loving this one. It made a huge casserole dish worth of food, but since it was mostly veggies, we went through it alarmingly fast.
• Summer squash griddle cakes, courtesy of Broke Ass Gourmet. Yep, more zucchini. I couldn't get enough! I've seen recipes for zucchini pancake-type things all over. Don't know why I landed on this recipe in particular. I think it was just in the right place at the right time. I love the idea of this dish, and it tasted great, but it just wasn't quite there. The batter wouldn't hold together at all, so I ended up with fried zucchini bits. Don't get me wrong, I was loving the bits. But I would have liked that pancake, and I would have prefered less fuss. I would definitely make these again, but I would try out a different recipe. What possessed me to go with something other than the Pioneer Woman's recipe, I don't know. I'll right it the next time I have a hankering for zucchini!
• Spinach rice casserole, courtesy of Cheap Healthy Good. So simple, so good. This one didn't blow me out of the water, but I definitely enjoyed cutting it up into small squares and having one or two as a side dish for dinner each night. I would make it again for sure. The rice gave it a good amount of substance, which it would have been lacking if it had been just spinach, cheese, and eggs. It felt very balanced.

Can you believe all that food barely even lasted the week? Husband and I were scrounging on the last day. I think we ended up actually making our emergency frozen pizza! Speaking of which, holy moly those CPK frozen pizzas are yummy!

You know what I realized the day I made all that food? That my Cuisinart does more than just chop. It shreds. Who knew? I shredded 4lbs of zucchini in minutes. Seriously! I was watching Food Network a few weeks ago and I saw someone use some kind of crazy contraption on their food processor that shredded something or other and I thought to myself "hey, does mine have one of those?" Really, when I got my Cuisinart I kept the big blade in the base and stowed all the rest of the attachments away, never again to see the light of day. I was so surprised to see there was one of the handy shredder attachments that had come with mine as well! Husband saw me using it and asked "Have we seriously had this the whole time??" Yes, dear. I'm an idiot. Thanks. But at least now we know. From now on I am julo, master of shredded vegetables!

Random And Delicious

I had a hard time finding inspiration last weekend. I was perfectly willing to cook, I just didn't know what to cook. That always drives me crazy. I have a millions recipes I want to try, but nothing calls out to me, nothing quite fits together into a cohesive meal. The biggest problem, is that while a bunch of things sound delicious, they're just not healthy enough or well rounded enough. I need my vegetables! I ended up doing a mixture of recipes I've been wanting to try, and experimenting on my own. Imagine that! Overall, it all came out delicious. Here's what I ate this week:

• Pesto pizza, idea courtesy of my college roommate! I was lamenting on facebook that I needed to use up some pine nuts before they went rancid, and I was thinking pesto, but I just wasn't in the mood for pasta. She suggested pesto pizza. The girl is a genius! I made this pesto, courtesy of good ol' Martha. I've made pizza dough in the past, but I haven't found a recipe I've really liked yet (ok, I've only tried one so far). I really like the pizza dough they sell ready made at Trader Joe's. It's whole wheat. What's not to love? I sauteed some chicken marinated in lemon juice (and a little zest), rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Diced it up, and threw it on the pesto-ed pizza. Then I added some red onion I had caramelized. Aside: I didn't realize caramelizing onions is so easy! You just cook 'em low and slow until they get all sweet and delicious. Next, I put on some broccoli florets, but I didn't feel an entire onion and 3 cups of basil was enough vegetable. And then I topped it all off with a ton of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. It turned out to be the best pizza I've ever made. By far. The pesto was nutty, the onions were sweet, the chicken was lemony, and the cheese was, well, the best part of course! That's definitely one for my recipe bank!
• Chicken meatballs with chipotle-honey sauce, courtesy of Noble Pig. The lady who writes this blog is my idol. She just up and moved to Oregon to run a winery. How awesome is that? Also, her balls are amazing. They are moist and flavorful with just a little kick. And the sauce! It's sweet and tangy and spicy. I couldn't eat enough of these. Our hippy grocery where we buy our meat doesn't have already ground chicken, but they were happy to grind some fresh for us when we asked. How nice.
• Herbed summer squash and potato torte, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I had bought a big bag of tiny yellow, red, and purple potatoes at Costco. I was going to just mash them, but then I came across this recipe. This is one of those dishes that ended up tasting way better than I thought it would just from reading the recipe. Where did all this flavor come from? The ingredient sound simple enough. Almost boring! But the green onions, cheese, and thyme all married each other in the oven, and had a million flavor babies that permeated every bite. Seriously. It makes a ton, but it's good.
• I had extra potatoes to use up, and extra squash, so I decided to put them together again. This time roasted in the oven with some rosemary and lemon. Potatoes really are a magical food. They take on flavor so well. I try not to eat too many because they're so starchy, but sometimes I just can't resist. I ended up throwing some of this in a frittata with some bell pepper, arugula, and some parmesan cheese. It was delish, except I think I put too much salt in. I was paranoid that Husband would hate it (because he's very sensistive to salt, and he has high blood pressure, so he tries to stay away from it), but he didn't think it was too salty at all. I think that first, the cheese probably added a lot of the salty flavor, and second, we've been eating out so little, and I've been cooking so much (and always low sodium), that I'm losing my sodium-loving touch! I guess that's a good thing.
• Whole wheat no-knead bread, courtesy of Not Martha. This is it. The bread that I think will be my go-to bread. It's healthy (100% whole wheat flour, none of this half and half with all purpose stuff), and it tastes absolutely spectacular. I making sandwiches left and right. Left over king salmon (OMG, this was the best salmon ever we bought on a whim at the hippy store last weekend)? Throw it on some bread with some avacado and arugula. Toast with jam? Why use the store bought stuff? I think next time I need to make two loaves. Husband kept thinking he was entitled to some!

There may have been some muffins involved too, but I have to run and pick up my little one from daycare. Ahem, my dog that is. I'll tell you all about the muffins soon!

Must Remember Vegetarian Goodness!

I was so unbelievably crazy busy last week that I didn't get a chance to tell you all about the most wonderfully delicious food I made. A travesty! Well this week you'll get two posts. Unless I get busy again...But the food must be documented so I won't forget it! It's all so delicious, it must be made again!

So if you recall 2 weeks ago, I made a bunch of meat. Not surprisingly, since I'm not a big meat eater, I was in the mood to go vegetarian last week. I stuck with lots of veggies, whole grains, and legumes mostly. But don't worry. I did some easy chicken in teriyaki sauce for Husband. Nothing special to blog about there. Heh. Anyway, here is the deliciousness that was my food for last week:

• Spring green risotto, courtesy of Ina Garten. Oh my word, this is good. Even Husband, Mr. if it doesn't have meat or chocolate it's just ok, went on and on about how good it was. This was my first time making risotto, and I have to say it wasn't bad. Lots of stirring. It takes a little more thought to time management. But definitely do-able! First off, I was very pleased at how many veggies were in this dish. Usually grain dishes call for about 80% rice or pasta with only a sprinkling of veggies. Have you noticed that? It totally bugs me. This one was different. It was at least 50/50, if not more weighted to vegetables. After I added all the peas and asparagus, it almost all didn't fit in the pan! Make sure you use a big pan if you make this. And the flavor! I don't know where it came from! I added the ingredients. I thought it would taste pretty good. And then I took a bite and my head just about exploded from flavor. This Ina Garten is amazing! I think it was the combination of the wine with the fennel. Oh, this was also my first time using fennel. It's good! I skipped the mascarpone cheese because I've never had mascarpone cheese (I find it easier to leave out a flavor if I don't know what I'm missing, heh) and I didn't think the extra fat would be needed. And I think I was right. Also, I used green onions instead of chives because I already had some on hand. My only regret is that they don't make brown arborrio rice. I'm all about the whole grains!
• White beans with tuna, courtesy of The Kitchn. I'm all about cannellini beans lately (aka white kidney beans). They're fantastic! Creamy and light and slightly sweet. Yum. I did this light cold, well it was basically a salad, because I wanted some easy protein and I wanted something cold. I used champagne vinegar instead of red wine because I wanted to keep it light and not too strong. And my red wine vinegar may also be the cheapest stuff you can buy at the store, which after watching the vinegar episode of Good Eats, I now realize is not the way to go. Also, I left out the onion because, well, I forgot all about it. I don't think it was needed, though I'm sure it would have been tasty. It's very tuna-y, so if canned tuna doesn't do it for you, I would skip this one. Otherwise it hit the spot!
• Miso carrot and ginger dressing, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. Phew! It took me some google searching to remember where I had gotten this recipe. It was a last minute find, so it wasn't in my usual email list where I keep my recipes. I should have known it was Smitten Kitchen...since that's where I seem to get most things, right? I wanted more vegetables, and this recipe also allowed me to try more of the white miso I bought for the miso soup I made a few weeks ago. I shredded half a head of red cabbage and mixed it with a shredded broccoli and carrot mixture I bought from Trader Joe's. I made 1 1/2 times the recipe, and it turned out to be just enough for my giant tupperware's worth of veggies. This was another winner, for sure. The dressing is wonderful. It was sweet from the carrots, salty from the miso, and the ginger went really nicely. It went perfectly over the veggies to make a nice, cold slaw. Geez, I'm into those a lot lately. Could it have anything to do with the fact that it's boiling hot?
• Bulgur wheat with lentils, caramelized onions, and mushrooms, courtesy of Culinate. I have to say...this was right up there with the risotto for me. Husband wasn't as big a fan, but he also has something against food that looks like a can of dog food (and thus lentils, mostly). This was a really earthy dish. The lentils and mushrooms had such a nutty flavor together that I ended up sprinkling some sliced almonds on top. That really did it for me. The extra crunch was nice. I also served it over a bed of arugala for some added vegetable. The sweet onions went so well with the earthy flavors. This is one to repeat, for sure. Note: it looks like the Culinate website is down today, so you won't be able to check this recipe out until tomorrow. Contain yourself!
• For dessert/breakfast, I tried these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars, courtesy of Visions of Sugar Plum. They really appealed to me because first, I had some over-ripe bananas to use up. Second, I've been totally in the mood to bake with banana ever since I saw the banana episode of Good Eats a few weeks ago. Third, I like that it used whole grains to make it a little healthier. And fourth, who doesn't love peanut butter, banana, and oats together? I do! Overall they turned out...pretty good. Husband wasn't too impressed, mostly because he was looking for a totally different consistency he never would have gotten with the ingredients that were in there. He wanted fluffy. These were chewier. The puffed rice gave them a softer, kind of soggy texture. Husband suggested I try added baking powder next time to help with the fluffing. I think he's crazy and he doesn't know anything about baking. I don't know if I'll make these again. I enjoyed eating them, but I think similar ingredients in another recipe might work out better. Like maybe an oatmeal banana bread? I did find a better, more delicious, much less healthy way to use up my over-ripe bananas. But that's a recipe for this week's second post.
• Soft pretzels, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I made these for a picnic/outdoor concert we went to with some friends on Thursday night. Thursday was not a good cooking day. I also made pork bao, which I've mentioned before. Both recipes I've made successfully before, but not that day. I think that when I know I'm cooking for other people, I get tense and things just don't turn out as good. Also, I totally ran out of time. I didn't properly calculate how much time I would need to bake the pretzels and steam the buns. Or really, I just didn't take batches into account. I was frantically throwing buns in mesh strainers that were rigged over pots of water. But let's talk pretzels. First off, you'll need to roll these out really thin. Don't worry, you'll be amazed how much they puff up. If you leave them thick, then they're smoosh together as they rise and won't have that awesome pretzel shape. Also, don't use parchment paper! Or if you do, spray it with Pam first. I used it plain and my dough stuck like crazy to the point where my pretzels just looked like blobs. I didn't have time to bake the 2 sheets in batches, so I threw one pan at the bottom of the oven, where it by no means cooked evenly. I was so disappointed that I almost threw them straight in the trash after they came out of the oven. Husband convinced me not to. And go figure, everyone loved them. They each had at least 2 (so more than just a no thank you helping), some had 3. He had fun saying "I told you so". I didn't add anything on top, like pretzel salt. I don't have pretzel salt, and I think the dough is plenty salty by iteself. Also, the flavor of the pretzels is greatly enhanced by topping them with some Gulden's mustard. I'm telling you, it goes the best. By far.

This food was all so good! I would make it all again, which is why I wanted to make sure to blog about it. It's a good way to find the recipes later. Hopefully I'll have time to blog again later this week to tell you all about what I'm eating this week. Let me just tell you now, so far, so frakking good!

STEAK!

Hey, guess what I'm eating this week? I didn't realize this until last weekend, but I rarely use my freezer anymore. Since this has directly coincided with my healthy eating habits and subsequent substantial weight loss (55lbs and counting! Woo!), I choose to think of this as a good thing. Go me! I only open my freezer for one of these few items: frozen peas and/or corn (so handy if I need a way to add some easy veggies to something like pasta), frozen blueberries (because blueberry buttermilk pancakes are the best thing ever), frozen pizza (for emergencies, and usually it's Husband who eats them, usually about once a month), frozen chicken (Husband used to only buy the bags of frozen chicken from Costco, insisting that it tasted the same as fresh. A few months of good quality chicken, and he now refuses to eat that nasty frozen stuff. Score! So why do we still have it regularly stocked in our freezer? For dog food, of course!). Ok, I admit it. Sometimes there's ice cream in there as well...but Husband is a total ice cream monster, so it's usually gone before I can blink!

Anyway, my point is that if I'm not opening the freezer for one of the items listed above, I don't pay any attention to whatever else is in there. Husband, desperate for a snack last week, poked his head in and discovered 6 steaks from Harris Ranch his parents had stopped to buy for us last time they drove down to visit (who on earth needs that much beef at once!?). Let's see...that was last March. Only four months ago? Oh that's not so bad. Husband declared he would grill them up, so I planned for an easy meat-filled week. Oh joy. Have I mentioned before that I'm not a big meat eater? I'm really not.

After the cooking marathon I did the 4th of July weekend, I was up for something easy this last weekend. Also I was feeling lazy. So what else is new? Here's what I'm eating this week:

• Cucumber mango bisque, courtesy of...my mom! My mom called me last week and told me about this fantastic chilled soup she had made for a 4th of July dinner she went to. When she mentioned there was buttermilk involved I insisted on having the recipe. I heart buttermilk and mangoes! She got it from a cook book, I forget which one. I'll post it with my modifications below. By the way, this soup took minutes to make. Just chop, blend, then enjoy! I could not wrap my mind around the fact that I had made soup without actually cooking anything. Trippy!
• No-knead bread, courtesy of the NY Times (note: requires you to register on the site, but it's free). Because every bisque needs some good crusty bread to dip in it, right? This is seriously the easiest bread to make ever. Four ingredients. Mix them in a bowl. Cover bowl and wait. Touch dough for a few seconds then wait some more. Then bake! The recipe calls for a dutch oven, which sadly my kitchen lacks (I want one sooooo badly!), but I just use a corningware dish covered with foil. Works fine for me.
• Grilled chicken over stir fried veggies and cold soba noodles, courtesy of me. Look at me! I made something on my own without a recipe! If you haven't already noticed, I tend to use a recipe for everything. When I'm left to my own devices, bad things happen. Or at least, the same thing happens. Asian flavors are definitely my crutch. Soy sauce is easy and it tastes good. But at least I spiced things up a little this time. First, I marinated some sliced chicken breasts overnight in soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, lime juice, grated ginger, minced garlic and a little sugar. Then, I stir fried a crap-ton of vegetables: snow peas, carrots, celery, mushrooms, savoy cabbage, and green onions. I grilled the chicken actually using the griddle side of my indoor grill pan, I just put some oil down and stirred it around until cooked (Korean BBQ style!). I had sliced the chicken pretty thin, so it cooked up super fast. I threw the veggies and the chicken over some soba noodles and topped with toasted sesame seeds and the same sauce I used to marinate the chicken (not the same actual sauce, that's unsanitary, I mean I used the same ingredients). It turned out really delicious, but after a day in the fridge I think the acid in the sauce broke down the chicken a little too much. So while tasty, it apparently doesn't keep too well unless you leave the sauce off. I am quickly becoming obsessed with soba noodles. They are so flavorful, good hot or cold, and I hear buckwheat is super good for you.
• Steak and roasted zucchini quesadilla, courtesy of me again. Twice in one week? I astonish even myself. Here is my newly discovered delicious masterpiece. I took a whole wheat tortilla and put a thin layer of Parmesan cheese down. Then, I took some sliced zucchini and yellow squash I had roasted earlier in the oven and layed out the slices until my tortilla was covered. I had lots of extra basil from my soup, so I threw some of that in too because everything tastes better with basil, right? Then I sliced some of the grilled steak into bite-sized pieces and sprinkled them over the veggies. Lastly, I put down another layer of Parmesan cheese and topped with another whole wheat tortilla. You'll want both layers of cheese because it acts as the glue that keeps your food from flying out of the middle when you flip it. I used Parmesan originally because I has some left over I was trying to use up, but in hindsight, this cheese was perfect for the dish. The salty, nutty flavor from the cheese went so well with the zucchini and steak. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Last night I used up the last of the Parmesan and used cheddar instead. So not as good, but still tasty. And this may sound unappetizing, but the Parmesan when melted had almost a bit of a rubbery texture to it, which gave the quesadilla a really nice bite to it. I'm all about texture apparently. I may actually have to write up a recipe for this. It will definitely repeat.
• Steak! Husband did his man thing and grilled up the steaks. There is so much freaking steak! I've mostly just been eating it in the quesadillas, but the week is mostly over and it's only half gone. Husband insists he can finish it, but I have a feeling Theo may be getting a treat for a few meals in a few more days. I think we have 3 whole steaks left. Ugh, I think I'm on a meat overload right now.

Cucumber Mango Bisque

4 large servings, or 6 small

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat because that's what I had)

2 hot-house cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 2 cups)

2 mangoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (I used 1 1/2, minus the seeds)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

salt to taste

Mix all ingredients except salt in a large bowl and puree with emersion blender, or puree in batches in a stand blender. Add salt to taste. Let chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Feasting On The 4th...And 5th...And 6th...

I had been wanting to barbecue. I had been wanting to have a small group of friends over. I had been wanting an excuse to make somewhat unhealthy, and less balanced food than usual. The 4th of July seemed like a great time to do all of this, so I did! Husband and I had a few friends over for what turned out to be a total feast! We are still enjoying the fruits of our all-day labor.

• I started off making my own buns, courtesy of King Arthur Flour. Surprisingly, the dough didn't give me any trouble at all. It rose great, it wasn't too sticky (well it was sticky, but it didn't stick all over me or the board at least), it kneaded well. I even managed to get some windowpane action going! I like a lot of bun with my meat, so instead of forming the dough into 18 buns, I ended up doing 12. They didn't see like they would be too big, even after their second rise. But once I popped them in the oven, they popped up and out! They were pretty huge. I still think into 18 would be too small, so I think I'll try for 16 next time. The burger buns formed well, but I had some issues with the hot dog buns. The burger buns I covered with a damp kitchen towel, which is what I would recommend to anyone making this recipe. I got lazy with the hot dog buns and only covered them with a damp paper towel. The paper stuck to the dough. Not a little, a lot. Husband actually had to cut away pieces of dough because the paper would just rip when I tried to separate it. Whoops! They also ended up a little water logged. I don't think it affected the flavor, but it did make them spread a bit, and not puff up as much, so they ended up being pretty flat. Doh! It's hard to say exactly how good these were, since Husband ended up basically burning them on the grill. They ended up being very crunchy, but still tasty. I would definitely try this again for my next barbecue (and toast them in the toaster!).
• For an appetizer, I made white bean and roasted red pepper dip, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. This one is a definite keeper. It turned out so fantastically delicious. It tasted kind of like a hummus, but without the sesame flavoring, leaving it a little sweeter, I think. I roasted my own peppers because I'm a snob. I'll pretend like it made all the difference. Husband and I may have partook of some dip before the guests even arrived...but you can't prove it! This one was definitely a hit with my guests. They kept asking what was in it between mouthfuls. Did I mention this recipe is a keeper?
• The second dip I served was a jalapeno black bean dip, courtesy of Noble Pig. I love black beans, so I liked this recipe, but it paled in comparison to the other dip, unfortunately. I seeded the jalapeno because I don't like things super spicy, but I think maybe a second seeded jalapeno could have punched up the flavor a bit. I used cream cheese instead of mayo because I had extra from the other dip, and I'm not a huge mayo fan (at least I try not to be). Flavor-wise, the dip was yummy, but texture-wise, it was a little stiff. Maybe because of my substitution? I don't really mind that it was bit thick, but the guests definitely didn't enjoy it as much. Though it was still mostly eaten by the end of the evening, so obviously it wasn't terrible. I would make this again for myself, but I don't know if I would serve it again without figuring a way to punch it up a bit.
• For the "main course" we had hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbecue chicken. No recipes for these. We just seasoned the burger meat with basic salt and pepper, and being that it was Husband cooking, he also threw in some fresh minced garlic. For fixings we had everything but the kitchen sink. I caramelized a red onion, which was delicious and gone in about 5 minutes. I also put out some sliced avocado, tomato, red leave romaine lettuce, and raw red onion. And of course, cheese! I marinated the chicken in some barbecue sauce first thing that morning to ensure lots of flavor-y goodness. The chicken actually turned out really yummy, but no one actually had the stomach room to try it during dinner. Sad. Husband and I have been eating barbecue chicken sandwiches all week instead, which is a-ok by me!
• For a side I made a quick panzanella salad, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. Husband, again he let me down a bit with his grilling skills on Saturday, ended up burning most of the bread I gave him to grill, so it was sadly light on that aspect (I have no problems with burnt bread, so I snacked on this on the side). But otherwise, this was very good. I forgot to buy couldn't find any good basil at the store, so I left it out, but I think it would have definitely been better with it. The dressing, while I'm not usually a fan of dressing, was very light and delicious. The champagne vinegar was a little hard to find (yay Whole Foods!), but I think it's nice enough to warrant the storage space for yet another kind of vinegar (along with balsalmic, white wine, red wine, raspberry, rice wine, apple cider, etc.)
• For another side I served mustard-roasted potatoes, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. These turned out seriously good. I was looking for a way to serve potatoes without frying them or mixing them with mayonnaise or sour cream, but still do something delicious, and these potatoes were it. They actually tasted a bit like french fries, but better because of the mustardy, saucy goodness that was all over them! I will be saving this recipe for another time.
• For dessert I decided apple pie would be appropriate, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen (ok, I swear I checked other food blogs for recipes for this feast, but everything that sounded the best ended up coming from her. Go Deb!). I'm not very experienced with pie making. I admit that handling uber-thin pie dough is the stuff of my nightmares. I am far too clumsy and uncoordinated to think I could ever attempt this successfully. But you know what? I did a halfway descent job! Of course, Husband was on hand to spot me, since he knows me all too well. Not only was it not at all scary, it was actually quite easy. Know why? Plastic wrap! Rolling out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap meant that I not only didn't have dough sticking to my rolling pin, or sticking to the board. It also provided an all too easy way to transfer the dough to the pie pan, which was always the trickiest part when my mom did it. I just took off the top piece of plastic wrap, lifted it from the bottom (with the plastic wrap on the bottom still in tact, preventing tearage), carefully flipped it over into the pie pan, and then peeled off the remaining plastic wrap. Easy! The recipe for the dough was a little weird when it came to "cutting in" the water. My dough ended up a bit of a soggy mess. I considered re-doing it, but I hate wasting and so does Husband, so he convinced me that it was probably alright. After chilling it for a few hours, it was a little sticky, but overall fine. I didn't do the lattice top, since I prefer as much dough as I can get. I completely forgot to do the egg white wash and sprinkle sugar on top before I put it in the oven. I didn't miss the sugar. The wash probably would have made the texture a bit better, but really I don't think I missed it. The spotlight of this pie was definitely the filling. I followed Deb's recommendation and doubled the spices and reduced the amount of lemon juice with the apples, which I would highly recommend. The flavors were fantastic. I also only used granny smith apples, since I couldn't find any McIntoshs. Does anyone know if they are not available on the west coast or something? Or are they just not in season? At three different grocery stores, all I saw were grannies, fujis, galas, golden delicious, and red delicious (hardly). Poop. Anyway, I don't think I'm a pie prodigy by any means, but I think this was a very successful first attempt! My crust was nothing to write home about, but it was still buttery and delicious. Yum!
• I also used the barbecue as an excuse to finally try these strawberry shortcakes, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I've been eyeing this recipe since she posted it. Unfortunately, I wasn't super impressed (especially next to the pie!). The shortcakes really didn't puff up in the oven, like I had hoped. They actually puffed out a bit. I may have rolled the dough too thin, but I had to in order to get 6 shortcakes. There was totally not quite enough dough. Also, I thought they were a little dry. I would try shortcakes again, but with another recipe. And next time I do my own whipped cream - which I totally will because it's ridiculously easy and wonderful - I'll add some vanilla and a pinch of sugar to give it some flavor. The cream plain was a bit, well, plain.
• And to drink (even though my guests ended up bringing so many drinks they wouldn't all fit in the fridge), I made some watermelon lemonade, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. I had just bought a juicer the previous weekend, so I was excited to try my own lemonade, and this just looked delicious. And I have to say, I don't know when it happeend, but sometime within the last few years, I've really become not a very big fan of lemonade. I didn't realize it until I made this recipe. There was nothing wrong with the recipe itself. It was a bit sweet for me. Even after I cut it in half with seltzer water, it was still too sweet. I didn't add that much sugar, I think that's just how lemonade is. Oh well. I discovered my love of watermelon juice through this exercise! It has a really light and refreshing, yet understated flavor. It actually reminds me a lot of cucmber water. I could see mixing it with some water for just a little added flavor.

So there you have my 4th of July feast! It was my first hosted 4th of July barbecue, and I think it went well. I may just have to do it again next year! I made so much food, that Husband and I are still enjoying it. Yum!

By the way, this might not sound like a lot of food on paper (or monitor, I guess), but I was disgustingly full just having a little bit of everything. I haven't eaten that much in as long as I can remember! I literally gained 3 pounds from this one meal. 3 pounds from 1 meal!!! I regret nothing. It's the first real splurge I've had since my radical lifestyle change (read: diet, only it's not a "diet", it's just how I eat now), and it was wonderful. Ok, it didn't feel so wonderful after the two desserts, and I really shouldn't have eaten a hot dog and a hamburger. Lessons for next time. Anyway, I've been exercising a bit extra to work off my fatty fatty fat fat. No big.

This Bread Will Change Your Life

After last weekend, in which I basically did nothing but shop for food and cook, I wanted an easy food week. Of course, I am terrible at time management, so while it was easier, I wouldn't say 4 hours in the kitchen is too easy. Why do my recipes always take longer to make than I think they will? Ah well. Husband was very understanding the last few weeks. I really wasn't in the mood for meat (Me not in the mood for meat? Imagine that!), so I went pretty meat-lite. Husband likes his meat, but he was kind of enough not to complain (of course, his mouth could have just been too full of pork bao), so this week I made a crap-ton of chicken. Here's what I made this week:

• Nutella and roasted hazelnut challah, courtesy of Steamy Kitchen. That's right, nevermind the 5.5 lbs of chicken I made, let's start with dessert. Because really, this bread is fan-frakking-tastic! I haven't had Nutella since I was in high school, and one look at that picture had me running to the store to buy some. This recipe is in two parts: the dough recipe, and the challah recipe. The dough recipe makes a whole lotta bread, probably about 2 large loaves worth. The challah recipe tells you to tear off a piece about the size of a grapefruit, which ended up a loaf of ~8-10 small slices. I liked this idea because now I have dough sitting in my fridge ready for a mid-week treat. This recipe was very easy, though extremely messy. Flour is your friend. And remember when you're letting the final loaf rest before baking, it's best to move it onto the baking sheet first. I let it rest on my cutting board, and the Nutella tried to escape on me! I think I'll make another loaf tonight (because Husband and I polished the first one off almost immediately), though this one we'll take in to work because while it tastes like a gift from the gods, it ain't calorie free. One note on the dough: after I mixed in the 7 cups of flour, the dough was still quite sticky, too sticky to knead with, had the recipe called for it. I figured I'd have to mix in more flour after its overnight rise, but to my surprise the next day it was completely workable. Just make sure to flour your hands.
• Chicken Mirabella, courtesy of Serious Eats. This is my one of my boss's favorite dishes. She goes on and on about the chicken mirabella she got a few times from one of those places that sells food already prepped, you just take it home and cook it. So when I found this recipe, I immediately sent it to her. She still hasn't tried it, but it was one of the first recipes that came to mind when I decided it was going to be a chicken week. I didn't use whole chickens. I ended up using 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I think I only ended up baking them for about 45 or 50 minutes, and that worked great. I also forgot to marinate them overnight, but they still got a good 8-9 hours of marinade time, so I think it was enough. Now I'm not a big fan of chicken, so you won't be hearing the words delicious or fantastic, but I'll say it turned out good. It's moist and flavorful. Should I make this again, which I think I will, I would add more olives, just because I love them. This recipe seems like it would be good for entertaining, a crowd pleaser.
• Whole wheat pasta with roasted red pepper sauce, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. I had this on the side of the Chicken Mirabella. I'm not really satisfied with how these flavors went together, but I think the sauce still turned out good. I used half and half instead of cream and threw in some peas and asparagus for added veggies, and a ton of fresh basil because I had bought a whole big bunch at the store. Overall, I think it turned out a tad bland. It's still a good recipe, but it needs....something. Maybe some acid? I think I miss the acid that would come from a tomato sauce. Ah well, it's something to play around with.
• Chicken Scallopine, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. If there's one way I like chicken, it's breaded and fried. Of course, I'll take covered in flour and cooked in a bit of butter if that's the best I can do. Again, I used half and half instead of cream. I think the sauce could have used the cream though. It was also a little bland. What I really should have done was let it cook off more. The recipe said to only let it cook off for a minute, but after a minute it was still very watery. I think 5-10 minutes would have yielded a nicer, more concentrated flavor. Ah well, next time. Also, I would about triple the mushrooms. I prefer a much higher mushroom to chicken ratio when I can help it. I also served this over some whole wheat pasta. Yum! Oh, also, I only used 4 chicken breasts instead of 6, but they were huge, so it probably ended up being the same amount. Hammering them out was a lot of noisy, noisy fun. My puppy did not approve.
• I was inspired to do a light salad on the side of the chicken scallopine based on this recipe. I cut up some cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, and a cucumber. I added some very thinly sliced red onion and a ton of chopped fresh basil. I should have left it at that, but I decided to add some olive oil and raspberry vinegar. Even though I went light on it, I didn't like how the flavor turned out. I'm really not big into salad dressing, I just didn't realize how much until now. I offset the dressing flavor by adding some goat cheese. Goat cheese really does make everything better.

My favorite part of making the challah was Husband's reaction to both the Nutella and the finished bread. When I told him about the recipe he sounded pretty indifferent. He said it sounded pretty good, but he really didn't like Nutella by itself. I was flabbergasted, to say the least. How could my chocolate and nut-loving husband not like Nutella? What's not to like!? Well after I was done smearing gobs of Nutella into the challah, I started to lick off the spoon. I love Nutella, so there may have been some moaning involved. Husband came running to my noises of pleasure and demanded to be let in on the delicious action. I reminded him that he didn't like Nutella plain, and he said he was willing to give it another try. After I was able to wrestle the jar back from him (for after one lick of my spoon, he delved it back into the jar for more), I called BS on his lie! Of course he liked the Nutella, just as I knew he should have! He claims it doesn't taste like he remembers. I think his brain must have holes in it.

Next weekend I'm having a few friends over for a 4th of July BBQ. On the menu are hamburgers, hot dogs, bbq chicken, panzanella, roasted mustard potatoes, strawberry shortcake, and apple pie. Yum! Oh, I'm also going to try my hand at making my own hamburger/hotdog buns. Don't worry, I'm going to buy some at the store for backup. I'm hoping I'll have enough food left over to pick at during the week because after all that food, I really don't think I'll want to make any more the next day. Heh.

Dumpling Delight!

One thing I always order when at a Japanese restaurant is miso soup. I love miso, I love soup, so it's a match made in heaven. I had seen some discussions on miso soup on some blogs, but was confused by all the unfamiliar ingredients. What is dashi?! It's apparently the most important part of the soup: the broth. How do I get it? That unanswered question had kept me from trying to make my own miso soup for...well ok, only 6 months. But last week I found the answer! Dashi is made by heating up water with sea kelp (konbu) and these nasty fish flakes I don't want to know too much about (aka: bonito). Well those seemed like ingredients I might be able to actually find in a store. To be safe, I planned a trip to my local Asian food market. I'll admit I don't particularly like going to the Asian food market. It's 20 miles away, the parking lot is always full and the spaces are tiny. It's always crazy crowded inside, and the aisles are so narrow that two carts can barely pass by each other. And it smells like fish, which I find to be a very unappetizing smell (I avoid the fish counter at the grocery store too). So I figured if I was going to make the trip, I might as well find some other Asian dishes to make.

Somewhere along the way in my food blog perusing last week I came upon a recipe for pork bao. For those of you not hip to the lingo, pork bao, or Cha Siu Bao, are those steamed bbq pork dumplings you have at dim sum. Never had dim sum? Then you haven't lived! Go and eat some right now! I also found a recipe for some shrimp dumplings that are also something similar to what I've had at dim sum. And this week's Asian food theme was born.

• Miso soup, courtesy of Serious Eats. This isn't really a recipe, more like an explanation of ingredients and general guidelines. At the very least, it's very informative! I ended up reading this through several times, and then writing my own recipe from it. I'll post that over the weekend, hopefully. The soup used a lot of scary ingredients, but it ended up being pretty simple, and very easy (minus the ringing of hot fishy broth through a cheese cloth, that was rather gross). I'll have to play around with the proportions. I think the miso soups I've had in most restaurants are still better than what I made, but I still thought it was yummy. I ended up buying two kinds of miso at the store, barley (because that's what the guy in the article used), and white because I needed white for another recipe. I tried both kinds in the soup and they tasted so similar I don't think it really mattered. The white miso looked closest to what I get in restaurants, so I assume that's what they use.
• Pork Bao, courtesy of Cdkitchen. This recipe required quite a few items from the Asian market of the condiment/sauce persuasion. Namely, sweet soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce. Other than the sweet soy sauce, which I had never heard of before (it's thicker and sweeter (obviously) than normal soy sauce), you can buy hoisin and oyster sauce at a regular grocery store. I figured, first, if I'm going all the way to the Asian market, I might as well get everything I can, and second, I've bought hoisin sauce at the grocery store before and it was disgusting. I don't know what the difference was between what I bought the first time, and what I bought this time, but what I bought this time tastes much better. Anyway, OMFG, these turned out fantastically delicious! The sauce was sweet, the buns were light and fluffy, and the pork was tender . My mouth is watering just remembering them. They are, sadly, already gone. One thing to understand about my husband, he eats pork bao like potato chips. He just pops them in his mouth whole and reaches for the next one while he's chewing. Seriously. It's hilarious. When we're at dim sum, he usually cleans out the lady's entire cart. He doesn't like having to wait for a second round. So needless to say, I had to do some major convincing (read: guilt tripping) to get these 24 buns to last 2 whole days. I was very proud of him. I actually got to eat one or two of them. Some tips on the buns: I used a steamer basket in a pot of water to steam the buns (4 buns at a time fit in mine, but I have a large one). This worked great, except the first round of buns stuck to the basket. The next round I sprayed some Pam first with the same result. Then I remembered pork bao at dim sum always have a bit of paper stuck to the bottom, so I tried cutting up squares of parchment paper to stick to the bottom of the bun while it steams. That worked like a charm, and they were perfect after that. Also, the recipe didn't specify, so I used pork rib meat. I was looking for something without a lot of fat.
• Chinese Chive Dumplings, courtesy of Use Real Butter. Tapioca starch and wheat starch were my Asian market items on this recipe. If you've ever made mochi or used Mochiko flour it has a similar texture to these starches. It's kind of like cornstarch. Kind of unpleasant to handle and it gets everywhere. Have I mentioned I need an apron? So I'm kind of a dummy and misread the recipe. I thought it said 1/4 cup wheat starch, not 1 1/4 cups, so I was surprised when my "dough" I was supposed to "knead" was still a liquid. I ended up just mixing in more starch (trading off between tapioca and wheat since it didn't specify) in 1/4 cup increments, until it stopped sticking to my fingers. It turned out fine, I think. I also couldn't find garlic chives, so I just used green onion. They turned out delicious! The dough had that wonderful gummy consistency I love so much. I usually make food to last the week, but these really didn't keep well. The next day the dough was tough and the flavor was gone (though popping them in the microwave helped a lot), so I would recommend a single meal with these. Also, I ran out of the shrimp filling after about 12 dumplings (the recipe is supposed to make 18), so I would recommend buying more shrimp, or doing what I did and find an alternate filling. I had ended up with extra red onion (more on that later) and savoy cabbage, so I minced the onion and sliced the cabbage very thing and sauteed them in vegetable oil until soft. I actually liked this filling better than the shrimp, though I think that's only because my shrimp were a little fishy tasting (I'm very picky about my fish being fresh which is why I mostly just eat sushi).
• Stuffed savoy cabbage, courtesy of Serious Eats. First off, I've never bought dried mushrooms before. I've always seen them in the store, but have only ever used fresh. Well this recipe called for dried porcini mushrooms. I figured, no biggie. I see that called for all the time in recipes, should be no problem. Wrong. None of the grocery stores I went to had any dried mushrooms at all. Why don't I just go live in a barn while I'm at it? One guy tried to give me fresh button mushrooms when I asked him where the dried mushrooms were located. The nerve! Thankfully Trader Joe's came to my rescue yet again with a mixed dried mushroom medley. It had porcini, oyster, and shitake mushrooms (and maybe some others I'm forgetting). I just picked out the oyster and figured it'd be good enough (and it was). I modified this recipe a bit to make it a little healthier. I used ground turkey instead of beef. I used brown rice instead of white. And I used whole wheat breadcrumbs instead of white (I just pulsed some slices of bread in my cuisinart). I couldn't tell the difference, or if anything, it gave the dish more flavor. My mom said she didn't think stuffed cabbage was very Asian, and I guess it's not, but the flavors will went pretty well, I think, with the other food. I'm not really a fan of ground turkey, and thankfully that flavor was completely masked by all the other great flavors going on. The tomatoes, the mushrooms, and the cabbage itself provided for some very flavorful mush. My favorite! One thing to note about this recipe, it doesn't use all of its onion! It calls for 1 heaping cup of minced onion, but the recipe itself only ever calls for 1/2 cup. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with the other half. I just left it out, and don't think it was even missed.
• Sweet summer corn and edamame salad with walnut-miso dressing, courtesy of Serious Eats. Oh man, this was good. This is one of those great recipes that takes minutes. If you used frozen corn, it would literally take as long as defrosting the veggies. I'd seen recipes that used mirin in the past, so I looked for it several times at several grocery stores and never found it. No problem, the Asian market had 10 different kinds. Of course, the next day, I found some at my local grocery store. Go figure. I must say, edamame is darn filling! The dressing was light and sweet and have I mentioned how much I love miso?

All successes this week, I think. Everything turned out so delicious, that it barely lasted! Good thing this is a short week at work because Husband polished off the last of the food for lunch today. I would make everything again. In fact, I found a recipe this week for sui mai. I'm thinking having some friends over sometime for some dim sum-type food would be a good way to go the next time. Of course, I'll have to triple of the pork bao recipe at least.

Baking Up A Storm

I admit, I might have gone a little overboard this week. And by "a little overboard", I mean I have totally been eating myself fat this week. I don't know what it is (hormones maybe?), but I just found so many recipes that sounded fantastic, I decided I had to make them all. So be prepared for quite a list this week. And I'm featuring some pictures finally. I am by no means a food photographer, but I do my best with what laziness I have to work with.

I wasn't really in the mood for meat this week. Between the pork two weeks ago and all the chicken last week, I needed a meat-cation. Surprisingly, so did Husband. He's a big meat and potatoes kind of guy, so I was surprised, but proud, when he said he wouldn't mind being sparing with the meat this week as well. So everything on my lis

t this week is vegetarian (well, there are eggs if you count that...I never know the rules), but just about everything has tofu or legumes or dairy incorporated in some way for added protein.

• I started off with some quick buttermilk biscuits, courtesy of Pinch My Salt. I had been craving buttermilk baked goods like nobodies business all last week, so I punted these out early. Thankfully, they are seriously simple and fast. It only made about 8 biscuits, so if you're planning a dinner party, you might want to double (or triple! yum!) the recipe. It ended up being the perfect amount for snacks for the weekend. A note on cake flour. I had never used cake flour before trying this recipe (I made these once before several months ago), and every time I went to a grocery store I would check out all the flours, looking for cake flour, and never finding any. Finally, I emailed Nicole, blogger extraordinaire, and asked where in the world she gets her cake flour. She was nice enough to email back and let me know it's in a red box (with a white swan) with the cake mixes and such. The next time I was at the grocery store I looked, and sure enough, there it was! I had been just a few feet off in my searches all those weeks! Just in case anyone else is as clueless as me out there, I thought I'd save you some trouble.
• I topped my mouth-watering biscuits with some plum and earl grey preserves, courtesy of The Kitchn (I've posted the recipe before, but dagnabit, I'll do it again!). I've been itching to make this again ever since plums started popping up at the grocery store. I love, love, love this recipe. It's easy and it tastes good on just about any carb-filled breakfast food you can think of. This batch turned out a bit tart because my lemon ended up yielding the juice of about three large lemons! Seriously, it was all over the place. So I also topped the biscuits with some orange blossom honey to off-set the tartness from the preserves. Alton Brown mentioned preferring orange blossom honey on an episode of Good Eats last week, so when I saw it at Whole Foods, I thought I'd splurge. And boy am I glad I did! It's the best honey ever! I can't stop eating it! It's good stuff.
• Next, I decided I would undertake my own bagels, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. My mom is of the philosophy "why make bagels when you can go to a bagel shop and buy them?" This is true, but I like to know what's in what I'm eating. I like the satisfaction of knowing I've made what I'm eating from scratch. I like to try and dirty every dish in my kitchen each weekend and make my husband wash them all. Ok, just kidding on that last note. Mostly, I just wanted to try it. I have to say, bagels are no challah. This recipe was hard. First off, it's a two day process. Keep in mind if you try this that most of the work is done the first day. The second day is just boiling and baking the bagels. Day 2 was easy, day 1 had me questioning my place in the world. It started with the sponge. I mixed the ingredients, covered the bowl like the recipe said, and waited for it to rise. No risening action followed. I was peeved. About an hour in I decided to move the plastic wrap from the top of the bowl to directly onto the sponge. That worked. Apparently the air between the top of the bowl and the actual ingredients was my problem. Psh! It never rose to twice its size, but it rose enough that I figured it was ok to move on to the next step. The next step was the kneading. Thanks to my trusty kitchenaid mixer, I had the ingredients incorporated and kneaded on the dough hook in no time. Then I tried the windowpane test and failed miserably. It pretty much went downhill from there. I kneaded in the machine, I kneaded by hand. I added flour, I kneaded some more. 30 minutes later, it was still failing the test and starting to get tough (the dough had continually felt tacky, which was why I was still adding flour). So I called it good enough and formed my bagels. I was bummed, and convinced they would turn out disgusting, so I was happily surprised when they easily passed the float test. Yay! They ended up coming out fine. Not fabulous. Not delish. Fine. They're good, but not ten times better than a bagel shop. I wonder if they would have turned out better if I hadn't gone wrong with my first rise in the beginning. I've have to try again sometime.
• Phew! That was a lot to say just about the bagel-making portion. I haven't even talked about the bagel-eating portion! I did veggie sandwiches with them this week. I spread some roasted red pepper and garlic hummus (see next bullet) on each side of the bagel. Then I added a little parsley (hey, I had it, so I figured I'd take the kitchen sink approach), some sliced tomato, very thinly sliced red onion (a little goes a long way for me), avocado, arugula, alfalfa sprouts (in moderation, I love this addition), and finally, some cheese. Oh my goodness it is veggie heaven! Sorry, I didn't manage to get a picture of the sandwich or even of a finished bagel. Whoops!
• Hummus, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. I saw this recipe last week, but since hummus doesn't really go with Mexican food, I had to wait a week. I decided to do roasted red pepper and roasted garlic in mine. I ended up adding about 3 medium red peppers and 2 whole heads of roasted garlic (though they were really small). It actually turned out...quite bland. I think I might have added too much water trying to get the consistency right. Also, I didn't really taste the tahini, so maybe some more was in order. I definitely want to try again. I don't think there's anything wrong with the recipe. It's very similar to a few others I've seen. I think I just need to tinker with it. I ended up buying some really nice dark and heavy whole wheat pita bread at Whole Foods. This hummus actually goes very well with it because the flavor from the bread makes up for lack of flavor in the hummus.
• When I tend towards a carb-heavy week, I'm always in the mood for soup to go with it. This time I tried lentil soup, courtesy of Alton Brown. A very simple and easy recipe, which was nice to go along with all the baking. I've never even heard of grains of paradise, so I left that spice out. I also wanted more veggies, so I ended up using 2 medium onions, about 2/3 of an entire bunch of celery, and about 2/3 of a bag of baby carrots. It also ended up a little bland, but Husband discovered that a little Cholula hot sauce cleared that problem right up. I added just a few drops (to my bowl, not the whole pot), and it ended up morphing the flavor into something completely delicious, though not at all hot. Go Husband!
• That's right I'm not even close to done. I still didn't think I had enough veggies in the mix (I eat a lot of vegetables), so I tried this recipe for grilled spinach and goat cheese stuffed portobello mushrooms, courtesy of Serious Eats. This one is a keeper.Another easy recipe. Just mix some frozen spinach (after thawing of course) and goat cheese, hollow out some portobellos, stuff 'em, and grill! I used my indoor grill pan, and it worked great. I ended up doubling the amount of spinach because 1) I wanted a higher vegetable to cheese ratio to make it healthier, and 2) because the portobellos I bought were definitely more medium/large than small and I didn't want to run out of filling. It was a good call because I had just enough filling. Also, as the recipe says, I used a goat cheese that's rolled in herbs. It gave it a really nice understated flavor. On my way home from work yesterday I was thinking about having one for dinner and I got the bright idea to add a fried egg on top. Oh man, these things are good on their own, but with a runny egg yolk on top... I think I need a moment alone.
• So this episode of Good Eats I mentioned was actually an episode on bars. Specifically, granola bars, protein bars, and rice crispy bars. Husband and I drooled through the entire episode and decided we had to try all three! Thus, the trip to Whole Food last weekend, which is actually about 25 miles away from where we live. All three recipes were super quick and easy. I think I was done with all three in about an hour. If you can catch the episode online or on the food network, I would definitely recommend it. He actually gives you the nutrional information for each of the bars, so you can see for yourself how fantastic they are for you. Or at least in the case of the more dessert-y bar, how not so bad for you.
• First was the granola bars. I went with shelled sunflower seeds because the thought of eating the shells weirds me out. Taste-wise the granola bars are delicious. I couldn't stop eating it. Unfortunately, they didn't stay in bar form so well. They pretty much crumbled into just regular granola straight out of the pan (and yes, I let it cool first). That's ok, because it's still just as good when you eat it with a spoon, but I was a little disappointed it didn't stay together. It's probably a problem with the proportions. Alton's recipe is by weight. I'm far too lazy to weigh out all the ingredients on a food scale. Do you see all that I had going on this weekend? So I followed his approximate measurements. If you measure, you'll probably get better results.
• Next, I made the protein bars. These are ingenius! They have soy protein powder and silken soft tofu for the protein, and peanut butter and dried fruit for the flavor. The tofu also provides a really nice creamy texture to the bar. The flour and eggs make it light and bread-like almost. When I say they have tofu, it seems to put people off, but really, tofu is a tasteless food. All I taste when I eat these is the peanut butter, fruit, and sugar. They are delicious and filling, though admittedly, not so great to look at.
• And lastly (I know, I thought it would never end too), the brown rice crispy bars. I've since discovered that my body rejects marshmallow in my system like a disease, but they're so tasty I've been eating them anyway. Flavor-wise, these are quite different from traditional rice crispy treats. The puffed brown rice is, of course, more pronounced than those tasteless rice krispies (not to mention the traditional treats are overloaded with sugar), but the dried fruit, almonds, and honey definitely keep it tasting sweet and dessert-y. At first, I didn't think they tasted all that great, but after I let them set longer (I tend to dig in sooner than I should...I'm a wee bit impatient), the flavors really came together into deliciousness. Now I can't stop eating them (and my body is hating me for it).
• Pictured from top left to bottom center: brown rice crispy bar, protein bar, granola bar:
  
  

This Week's Theme: Mexican

Three things happened when I decided what food to make this week. First, I was feeling lazy and wanted to do something with the super cheap rotisserie chickens they sell at Costco. Second, I wanted to do enchiladas or something like that. And third, I discovered the Pioneer Woman. Somehow these things combined into a Mexican food theme for the week and some seriously healthy and delicious food. Allow me to elaborate...

• Mexican lasagna, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. This sounded way better than enchiladas. Can you blame me? I did some small things to make it a bit healthier. I used brown rice instead of white. I added black beans to the rice for a bit more protein. I used corn tortillas instead of flour. I used the rotisserie chicken from Costco instead of ground beef. And I used 2% shredded cheese because in this setting I really can't taste the difference. Also, I halved the recipe. This makes a lot of food. Be warned. Even after halving the recipe, I still used my biggest casserole dish and packed it down so tight that the thing weighs a ton. But very, very delish. Hanging on to the recipe for sure.
• "Spanish" green beans, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. I thought this veggie dish would go well with the lasagna. I used fresh green beans because I have a total aversion to canned vegetables (I have yet to see my mother buy canned vegetables, so it's how I was raised), and I just happened to have a huge bag of them from Costco. I also used turkey bacon because my husband and I actually prefer turkey bacon to regular (Can you imagine how inconvenient it would be if we didn't agree on this? Phew!). I know, we're crazy. But we're crazy together. The dish turned out...just ok, I'd say. I think it's mostly because of the canned tomatoes. They were a bit sour. Next time I'll try another brand of tomatoes, or maybe fresh ones if I'm feeling ambitious.
• Whiskey-glazed carrots, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. These are so completely wonderful and very easy. They're like candy! I wasn't planning on using a whole stick of butter, but I have a real aversion to going off recipe the first time I try it out. But I didn't end up reserving the sauce, so there's nowhere near an entire stick in the finished dish. Next time, I'll probably try half a stick and see how it goes. I'm not lessening the whiskey though. No, sir. Also, when making this, I think it would be a good idea to have some kind of bread on hand to sop up the extra sauce if you're not going to pour it over the carrots (I think that would make it too heavy, personally). I found out too late that I was actually completely out of bread!!! (Thanks for the heads up before we went to the grocery store, Husband!)
• And for dinner each night I've been cooking up some delicious and healthy quesadillas. Here's how I make them: I throw a whole wheat tortilla in a pan and sprinkle with 2% shredded cheese (I went with the Mexican blend this week). Ok, I more like dump it on, but it acts as the glue, a very important job! Then I add some of the shredded rotisserie chicken I had left over from the lasagna. On top of that, some sauteed bell pepper and red onion. That is the base of the quesadilla. Beyond that, you can spice it up however you want. The last few nights I experimented with adding enchilada sauce, jalapenos, and some of the leftover Mexican rice. Basically, besides the veggies, chicken, and cheese, anything goes. Once the tortilla is browned and the filling is warmed up, I fold it over, let it settle for a minute, then transfer it to my plate. Then I top it with fresh guacamole and pico de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro with lime juice and salt). Voila! Quick, easy, healthy, and tasty.

It's been a real challenge keeping my portion sizes small this week. The quesadillas are so big that I was uncomfortably full after I ate one for dinner on Monday night. Last night I wizened up and ended up cutting about a third of a piece off before I sat down to eat. That way I wasn't too full, and now I have an afternoon snack for today.

I didn't end up baking anything, which I am now regretting. I have been seriously craving baked goods all week. I planned at the last minute (as in, after I had done my grocery shopping) to make cornbread, but I was out of milk (or even buttermilk! gasp!), so that was a no go. Not surprisingly, I am planning a big carb fest next week.

Converted

When I asked Husband years ago what his favorite kind of pie was (he's a cake guy), he said strawberry rhubarb.  I told him it was a good thing we were compatible in all things dark chocolate and raspberry related, because in pie tastes we couldn't be more different.  I told him I disliked rhubarb with every fiber of my being.  It's bitter in taste and chewy in texture.  Not things that belong anywhere near a dessert.

When I commented that the rhubarb in the grocery store actually looked quite good, he gave me his I-told-you-so face and suggested I try it.  I scoffed.  

Hi, my name is julo, and I was wrong.  Rhubarb is delicious.

But it was also nothing like I remembered eating in those disgusting strawberry rhubarb pies from my childhood.  I think the difference must be in preparation.  In other words, I ate me some nasty pie.

Of course, it's the fault of Deb at Smitten Kitchen, as usual.  She's been posting and posting about rhubarb and I finally caved and decided that, hey, if she likes it that much, I should give it one last try before I decide to banish to the will-not-eat list forever.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I'm still in my slaw mode.  I actually would have gone without a slaw this week (especially since the weather turned cold and rainy this weekend), but I wanted to make the pork wraps that I had made once before and were absolutely delish, and this slaw just went perfectly with it the last time.  I couldn't very well omit it this time!

Here's what I'm eating this week:

• Slow-cooked hoisin and ginger pork wraps, courtesy of The Kitchn.  I've made this recipe once before, and knew this one would be a repeat offender, big time.  It's ridiculously easy and super delicious.  I usually fear working with cuts of meat I have to ask specifically for at the meat counter (as in, there's no pork butt in the display case, they have to go and cut it for me especially), but that's the only uncomfortable part.  Well that, and having to actually ask for butt with a straight face.  Once I'm home with booty in hand, it's smooth sailing.  The one jar of hoisin sauce I've ever bought at a store I thought tasted pretty nasty, very salty and a hint of licorice.  Bleck.  I used this recipe, which is also linked on the pork recipe, to make my own hoisin sauce.  And man, oh man, was it tasty!  I'm not sure how close to real hoisin sauce it is...I didn't think it usually had peanut butter, but it was good, and that's what counts.
• Crunchy peanut slaw, also courtesy of The Kitchn, and also linked on the pork recipe.  That pork and this slaw go so well together.  Seriously.  Delish.  I bought some whole wheat wraps and Trader Joe's, steamed up some brown rice, and voila!  Pork wraps with slaw and brown rice.  Satisfying, tasty, and healthy.  That's what I'm all about.
• Big crumb coffee cake, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.  This is where the rhubarb came in.  This cake is wonderful.  It's light and sweet, but not too sweet, thanks to a touch of sour from the rhubarb.  Yum!  I highly recommend this one.
• I tried this whole wheat no-knead bread again (reminder that you have to register to view the recipe) because I'm stubborn and it was such a colossal failure last week.  I don't know if I had a bad batch of yeast or what.  This time I soaked the yeast in the water before I added both to the rest of the dry ingredients.  This time my dough rose.  It didn't rise a huge amount, but it at least hit the top of the loaf pan this time.  It's still pretty dense, but still good.

I also wanted to mention, I just discovered the ready to eat beets they sell at Trader Joe's (yes, I know I mention that place a lot, but they've got some great stuff!) in the produce section.  They are fantastic!  They are already peeled and soft and ready to chop up over a goat cheese and arugala salad.   Bit thumbs up over here.