A Working Girl's Dinner

The question of the day is this: what do you make for dinner when you have spent all day cooking for other people?

THIS!

"Total" chicken, roasted asparagus, green beans, and roasted new potatoes.

It isn't that I don't want to cook, it's just I have run out of creative juice by dinner time. And I'm kind of sick of doing dishes by then too (a huge thank you to whomever also became disgusted with doing dishes and invented the dishwasher - I suspect it was a cook of some sort, as there is an enormous amount of dishes to be done. All. The. Time!)

We made this incredible Greek Navy Bean soup at work with lots of fresh dill and garlic in a light vegetable broth, elevating a typical white bean soup to something uncharted and pleasantly different (and refreshingly palatable in 87 degree weather.) I was really pleased by these flavors, and obviously wanted more of them, so decided to season my potatoes with dried dill, fresh garlic, and coriander - a widely unknown and underutilized spice (I'm also a criminal offender when it comes to being limited in my spice use) but it added the most unusual and wholesome flavor to my ordinary and humble 'taters. 

Moral of the story: give coriander (and tumeric, Chinese 5 spice powder, powdered mustard, saffron, and all those other obscure spices) a try.

Answer to the question of the day: go back to your childhood roots!

Above is my version of chicken nuggets, healthier and more wholesome than those you get in the freezer section of course! And I ate my greens and got to dip it all in ketchup, just like when I was a kid (I would have liked some mustard too, but alas, there was none to be had.)

"Total" Chicken Nuggets

1 chicken breast, cut into bit sized chunks

1 cup buttermilk (regular milk will also do)

1 cup Total cereal (or corn flakes, whatever floats your boat)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Mix your cereal (which has been crushed to smitheriens) and red pepper in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, dunk into buttermilk, then toss to coat in the cereal crumbs. Place on a baking sheet, spray tops of chick pieces lightly with cooking spray, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy. Sprinkle with salt right after taking out of the oven.

Potato and Leek Soup

Sundays are wonderful things. They are a little gift at the end of each week, especially Sundays that you haven't scheduled to the brim. Today was one of those days. I slept in, lounged around, lingered over planning my weekly menu (as I am no longer on Spring Break and the luxury of going to the market for dinner ingredients every few days is no longer an option,) and went to see my sister's winter percussion performance. I drove with my windows down, hair blowing all over the place, and sang to the radio turned all the way up. It's official, Spring is here.

Soup is a wonderful thing to eat on Sundays. It is easy, filling, and homey. I heated up some leftover potato and leek soup and caught up on my Google Reader blog reading.

Potato Leek Soup

1/2 pound bacon (I used turkey bacon, but the pork counterpart is perfectly fine)

3 leeks, whites and light green onion, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 stalked celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

4 Idaho baking potatoes, evenly diced (no need to peel first)

3 cups milk (I used skim, but any kind will do)

3 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used fat free)

toppings: bacon, green onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese - at least that is what I like on my soup.

Chop your bacon and crisp in a dutch oven over medium heat; remove to paper towels and let drain. Remove all save for 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan (or add some olive oil if your turkey bacon didn't give off much fat) and saute your leeks, onions, and celery. Sweat for 8-10 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant.  Add diced potatoes, toss, and let soften for 8-10 minutes. Add milk and chicken stock, cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer - cook until potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and puree with an immersion blender, or stand blender. If you would like, which I do, don't puree the mixture completely and instead leave some yummy chunks of potatoes. Right before serving, stir in the plain yogurt.

Sauteed leeks, celery, onions, and garlic, cooked in the turkey bacon fat and some olive oil

Once the aromatics were tender, I added the potatoes to soften

Potato soup is my mom's favorite, and we like to eat potato soup "loaded," meaning topped with cheddar cheese, (turkey) bacon, green onions, and sour cream. And of course, two separate platings - both of which were served in whole wheat homemade bread bowls, topped with bourbon smoked sea salt. Mmmm.

When Life Gives you Buttermilk...

The best thing I know to do with leftover buttermilk is make biscuits. It is a no brainer really. But, as you know by now, I try to take the guilt out of eating by finding healthy ways to make what we all love to eat, so behold, the healthy buttermilk biscuit! (whatever you put on top, be it sausage gravy, jam, or honey butter, is completely up to you.)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup plain yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt)

1 C low-fat buttermilk, plus more for brushing 

 Toss all your dry ingredients together with a fork. Cut the yogurt in with a pastry blender/fork/hands until the dough resembles coarse cornmeal (this is a little trickier to do than if you used shortening, but it's the same concept - just be gentle.) Use a fork to carefully incorporate buttermilk into the flour mixture, and just before it is all combined, dump out onto a clean work surface. Knead the dough into a smooth ball (try not to incorporate too much flour,) roll out to desired thickness, and cut out with biscuit cutters. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush with buttermilk. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Our university hosted our DanceBlue Marathon from 8am to 8pm Saturday (don't know what the heck I am talking about? You just have to check DanceBlue out over here - seriously,) so I was ready for a substantial breakfast yesterday morning, even though I hardly eat anything other than oatmeal and yogurt before noon. 

Scrambled eggs, potato hash, and one of my freshly baked buttermilk biscuits.

I also decided, since it was snowing outside, to treat myself to a little coffee drink. I always keep leftover coffee in a Mason jar in the fridge so I can have iced coffee when a craving hits. Plus you can add your flavoring (in my case, just some skim milk and a dash of vanilla, and lots of ice) and shake it up to get those wonderful foamy bubbles!

Hope it is snowy and beautiful where you guys are too!

Happy Valentine's Day Me!

I know what you all are thinking - Valentine's Day was two weeks ago, what in the world is wrong with you.  But I wanted to share this meal with you regardless of how tardy I was with actually posting the pictures. It was THAT delicious.

I was my own Valentine this year. That being said, my dad sent me some beautiful red roses, along with a box of chocolates (which are already gone or else I would add a picture of those at the bottom,) and a baby teddy bear, all of which were delivered while I was making dinner. Awww!

Funny fact about buttermilk - the stuff stays fresh forever! I bought some a few weeks ago to bake cupcakes with and was a little afraid of what I would find when I opened it up after I unearthed it from the back of our fridge. But behold! It was just as fresh as when I bought it. Yea!!! 

I used leftover Total cereal (yes, I am just like a grandma when it comes to my cereal selections - shredded wheat are my absolute favorite) seasoned with spicy chiotle powder as breadcrumbs for my chicken cutlet, which I dredged in (the forever fresh) buttermilk. I then seared this on both sides to make it crisp and crunchy, and finished it off in the oven while smiling uncontrollably at how happy I was I had come up with this idea on the spot. Just because no one took me to dinner of Valentine's Day doesn't mean I shouldn't eat a nice meal right?

I served this deliciously spicy and sweet cutlet with a peach and jalapeno pan sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, which I left the skin on because it doesn't bother me, and sauteed spinach with mushrooms, garlic, and white wine, topped with a shave of Parmesan cheese. Being single really isn't that bad; it certainly is tasty.

Rain Drops and Chili

It has been unexpectedly gloomy around here as of late, what with the bone chilling continuous rain, blustery winds, and monotonous grey skies. All of this is just evidence to the fact that I could never live in a place that averaged more rain days in a year than sunny days; I can now safely cross Seattle off my list of possible places to live. I guess I should have expected these conditions, since it is in fact the first week of December, but I had been spoiled by the abnormally warm temperatures of November and wished, albeit foolishly, that winter would never come. Well here it is, raring its ugly head, and I am left scrambling to find mittens and scarves to bundle up against the cold. (This sudden change in weather has also made me realize how strictly this weather limits my fashion choices. Bye bye shorts and sandals, see you next season.)

However, one thing I do like about the cold is the change in cuisine (but then again I have yet to meet a cuisine I didn't like so maybe I'm biased.) Hearty stews, steaming bowls of soup, casseroles and bakes, all made a tad healthier by yours truly. I've always loved the fact that each season has it's own culinary treasures, and this change in the seasons now allows me to dust off the "soups and stews" section of my recipes and experiment with new ingredients and flavor profiles. Plus soups only takes one pot, so less dishes, and what's not to love about that?!

This past week I played the "it's-Dead-Week (the week before Finals Week for all of you whose lives do not hang on a final exam grade anymore) and-I-don't-want-to-take-the-time-to-go-to-the-store" card and made a really delicious Black Eyed Pea Chicken Chili. Now you may of guessed already that this was supposed to be reminiscent of White Bean Chicken Chili, but as we already discussed I didn't want to go to the store to pick up jalapenos, white beans, and the list goes on, so I used a can of Black Eyed Peas instead. For those of you who have not worked with Black Eyed Peas before, I highly recommend them. The canned version, which is the version I used, are a bit firmer than regularly canned beans and they have a stronger, almost meaty flavor. They stand up to whatever seasoning you throw at them and are great for items like bean cakes or bean salads, in addition to thickening soups or stews.

Black Eyed Pea Chicken Chili served with a sweet potato and white balsamic salad.

Black Eyed Pea Chicken Chili garnished with fresh parsley.

I apologize for the distinct lack in quality in these photographs - I'm on my own again.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Here is our Thanksgiving Day's feast, filled with recipes passed down from my grandma to me, and will eventually be passed down to my children. They are wholesome, unpretentious, country, and tried-and-true. We make the same great dishes every year, and always make too much, but what I love most is spending two days in my grandma's kitchen dicing vegetables, rolling pie crust, and catching up on all that we missed since we saw each other last. I really do feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be so close to my grandparents and being welcomed into their home, not the typical dusty stale place that the media has characterized grandma houses as countrywide. Mommaw's and Boppaw's is cozy, warm, and relaxing, and I not-so-jokingly refer to it as my vacation home in the country. They live right on the river, so there is even a nice water feature and sport in the summertime. When I do find the time and get to indulge is such luxuries as visiting them, I am always taken aback by how splendidly wonderful it is out there.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving! We started our prep work for the actual dinner on Wednesday, in addition to finishing all of the desserts (four of them this year (!!!) more on those later) and two appetizers. Mommaw and I have very similar opinions of kitchen work, in that if you can get the desserts and apps done ahead of time, in addition to any tedious prep work like chopping or raising, then the day of will be smooth sailing. That is the attitude we have taken with every single Thanksgiving I can remember and it hasn't steered us wrong yet. Come to think of it, Mommaw and I have been preparing Thanksgiving dinner together since before I can remember. Ever as a little girl I would go out to her house early Wednesday and at least stand on a chair and dutifully mix everything she put in front of me. Now that I can be trusted with a big girl knife, I feel like I am a little more help to her now. Regardless, we always pull it together beautifully and I cherish every moment with her.

And here are all the pictures! My sister indulged me by taking these photographs - I always feel so spoiled when she takes pictures of my food, and I tend to hog her skills slightly ("Take a picture of this! And now of this, I just added an ingredient! Wait, let me stir it... ok, now shoot.") Enjoy these, they really turned out fabulously!

Look at our beautiful table!

.... from another point of view.

Shrimp cocktail (for the men among us who need their strength whilst frying our turkey.)

Beer bread to accompany our spinach artichoke dip.

Sparkling cider

Apple, pumpkin, and "happy" pie (pecan spiced with Woodford Reserve bourbon.)

Cranberry chutney (with walnuts, apple, oranges, allspice, and golden raisins.)

Balsamic and apricot glazed Brussels sprouts with bacon and red onion.

Our first of two turkeys - oven roasted (I got to carve this one!)

Turkey, broccoli cheese casserole (one of my favorites!) and dressing (since we don't stuff our turkey.)

Traditional dressing and broccoli cheese casserole.

Our second turkey - bonedust rubbed and deep fried.

Buttermilk rosemary smashed potatoes

Pillowy soft rolls

My end of the table.

A homemade centerpiece, courtesy of Mommaw's ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Made of baby gourds, pumpkins (hollowed out and doubling as candlestick holders), acorns and hedgeapples from the woods.

Roasted Turkey

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Our completed Thanksgiving Day dinner table.

Re-purposing Leftovers

This weekend was ridiculously busy, one of the busiest ones I've had since classes started in the fall. Warm weather meant squeezing in all my favorite outdoor activities, like walks downtown and football games, before it gets too cold. So needless to say, some very basic weekly duties such as grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning, fell by the wayside a bit. Call me a college kid, but I am sure rolling with it, cleaning little bits here and there, and using whatever is in the fridge so make a meal. 

So tonight was my first experiment with "creating meals on the fly" was to use up some french style steamed green beans, steamed edamame, and potatoes. By leaning on a few pantry staples I ended up coming up with a really satisfying and healthy dinner that gave me leftovers (making them leftovers of leftovers?) for tomorrow!

Plus it's almost Thanksgiving break (thank goodness!!!!) so this is a great way for me to use up what I have on reserve. Yeah, that sounds much better than "I was too lazy and tired to go to the store."

Pictured is a green been, edamame, tomato, and roasted onion stew, paired with chipotle chili scented potatoes and cornbread. And the last piece of pumpkin pie for dessert (I beat my roomies to it!) Happy leftover-ing!

The Move in is Complete!!

A huge huge HUGE thank you to my mom, dad, and sister for helping me FINALLY get all moved into my apartment today. It is decorated, and thanks to Shelby, feng shui-ed to be best of her ability so I will have the optimal rest and relaxation space. (I type this with a chuckle since I am listening to "I Gotta Feelin'" by the Black Eyed Peas... not so feng shui.) The beautiful canvases that Shelby and I painted are hung, along with a homemade white bookshelf, some more canvases in our living room, and a bulletine board or two and hot dog we are in business. I gotta feelin' this is going to be a great year! (Pun intended.)

So as a thank you I thought I would reminisce for this week's post about a wonderful dinner we had together a few months back. I had actually forgotten about this meal so thank goodness there was photographic evidence! A culinary catastrophe was most nearly avoided just there.

A while back I was inspired by some really beautiful renditions of meat and potatoes, so thought I would make some of my own. Here is a picture of the meal I made:

More closely now - we have grilled asparagus (by far the best way to prepare asparagus in my opinion,) and roasted garlic mashed potatoes (place a whole head of garlic with the tip of it head cut off, drizzled with olive oil, in an aluminum foil package and bake at 350 for an hour or until golden, soft, and fragrant. Squeeze the desired amount into your potatoes and save the rest for garlic bread, marinades, compound butter, hummus...) The meat of this meat-and-potatoes meal is also a variation on the typical beef candidate. I roasted a pork tenderloin with lots of fresh rosemary (by far my favorite fresh herb to use) and then topped it with a sauce made from some of the yummy pan drippings and macerated cherries.

And let us not forget dessert! What is a celebratory dinner without dessert, I mean really. This is a simple shortcake variation made with smoked bourbon salt and lavender, topped with homemade lemon curd and fresh sliced strawberries. Oh how I miss summertime cooking already!

See the difference between Shelby's plate and mine? (Hint: she LOVES to play with the whipped cream...)

And because she is a big jokester, here is Shelby!

A quick note to all of you who thought Shelby should get her own photography blog to feature her wonderful pictures and talents... SHE HAS ONE NOW! Follow this link and check it out!

http://focusandflash.blogspot.com/