A Change of Heart

Fennel. Ugh. How did this become such a trendy ingredient? Were there fennel lobbyists somewhere fighting to get more fennel inclusion in Top Chef recipes? Into the pages of magazines? All over the damn place? Well...I have a vague memory of trying fennel once. I couldn't even tell you what I ate. Not even venture a guess. All I know is that fennel is described as having an anise flavor. Anise as in licorice. And not Twizzlers. So I was not a fan.

But alas, it seems the imaginary fennel advocates have beaten me down, and recently I decided to give in and give fennel another shot. I had heard that when roasted it loses most of its "licorice-y" flavor. So I searched for a recipe that allowed for that preparation and kept my fingers crossed.

The outcome? I got another easy fish recipe to add to my repertoire (I can ALWAYS use more fool-proof fish recipes). And for the fennel? Well, lets just say I can't remember what all my fuss was about in the first place!!

Roasted Salmon with Red Onion, Fennel and Tomatoes (adapted from Real Simple, October 2005)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 6-8 oz fillets of salmon, skin on
1 red onion, cut into wedges (I did sixths)
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into 1 inch wedges
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 garlic cloves, peel removed and smashed
1 lemon, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Toss the onion, fennel, tomatoes, garlic and thyme in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, as well as half of the salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.


Once the veggies have roasted, remove the tray and clear some spots for the salmon fillets.


Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of olive oil over the salmon, sprinkle it with the remaining salt and pepper, and squeeze 1/4 to 1/2 of the lemon over each fillet. Toss the leftover lemon onto the sheet to go back into the oven - roasting the lemons brings out a great flavor.


Stick everything back into the 400 degree oven for around 12 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily and is an even color throughout. If your fillets are thicker than an inch to inch & quarter, add a few minutes. If you have thinner fillets, shave off a minute or two.

We served the roasted salmon and veggies with our simple side of Israeli cous cous.


This was truly a "set it and forget it" type of meal that required little prep or attention to detail. Everything from start to finish took about 35 minutes. Guess I'll have to re-visit my list of banned foods and see what else I can offer a second chance!

I Like Pizza, Steve

I dedicate that blog title to my Dad. Who I'm not entirely sure even reads this. Bummer. But I keeping the title regardless.

So I admit that some nights (especially after work + grocery shopping) I just don't have the energy to cook. Unfortunately that usually results in us either ordering food or heating up a frozen pizza. Neither of which are particularly healthy. And I end up feeling even worse about it because it is soooooo easy to make pizza at home. So easy that it deserves that many o's. I'm not even sure this qualifies as a recipe. It's more like and equation. But I'll share it none-the-less!

Sara's Chicken Margherita Pizza with a Twist
Serves 2-4 (depending on how big of an appetite you have)

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust
1 tablespoon
5 boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1/2 cup spicy red pepper marinara sauce
1/4 cup sliced sweet onions
1/3 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil ribbons
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation:

You could (probably pretty easily) make your own pizza dough, but I've yet to involve myself in any recipes that involve yeast. Consider me intimidated. So instead I buy my pizza dough fresh from the bakery at my supermarket. It's really fantastic.

Roll/stretch out the dough into as close to a circle as you can manage.


I use my pizza stone for this but if you don't have one, use a flat cookie sheet. Drizzle the dough with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and stick it into a 375 degree oven for around 5-6 minutes. You don't want the dough to cook all the way through, just cook enough to stand up to the sauce and toppings.


While the dough is in the oven, cover the chicken tenderloins in the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and cook them in a non-stick skillet with the remaining olive oil.

Once the dough comes out of the oven, spoon on the sauce. We don't go out of our way to buy specific pizza sauce. We almost always have some marinara sauce on hand, and particularly like spicy red pepper or spicy tomato basil flavors. What can I say, we're spicy people.


Throw on the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and chicken - cut into bite sized pieces - and then top with cheese.


Cook the pizza in the 375 degree oven for 10-15 minute or until the crust begins to get golden. Sprinkle on the fresh basil for the final minute of cooking.


By the time you could have had delivery pizza you can have this!


Chicken on a pizza happens to be one of our favorite toppings. You honestly could substitute almost anything you like but I highly encourage trying chicken.

A New Classic

If money and diet were of no concern, I'd be a meat and potatoes type of girl. For a long while, because money and convenience were a concern, I was a chicken and rice type of girl. Now, as I become more and more interested in what I cook, I am looking to evolve beyond the traditional carbs and starches like rice, potatoes and pasta. As such, we have welcomed a new standard side to our menus. It goes by the name Israeli couscous or pearled couscous and pairs beautifully with any number of dishes!

Sara's Simple Israeli Couscous
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup Israeli/pearled couscous
2 1/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup diced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Saute the onion and garlic in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Use a saute pan with a lid that is large enough for the amount of couscous you are preparing. This recipe is easily adapted for however many servings you need!


Allow the onions and garlic to saute for 2-3 minutes, just until they soften. Then add the final teaspoon of oil and the uncooked couscous. Stir this for 1 minute over medium heat to allow it to toast a little.


Now pour in the chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and allow it to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed all of the liquid.


Once all of the liquid is absorbed, stir in the almonds, parsley and pepper.


Tonight we ate this with grilled flank steak and sauteed asparagus.


Next up: quinoa.

We're All a Little Irish

I've worn green. I've tried green beer (ick). Heck, I am more Irish than I am anything else. But until now, I've never prepared or eaten a "traditional" Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day. Disclaimer: I may be wrong about this...and my mom will read it and want to correct me. Except she seems to have errors when trying to comment on my posts. So she can't. Ha! (Seriously though I don't remember ever having this...)

So now that I'm officially a grown up I decided to take the celebration beyond the tired old green shirt (and certainly no green beer).

Irish Ale Corned Beef with Cabbage, Potatoes and Onions
Serves 4

Ingredients:

3-4 lb corned beef brisket
6-8 petite redskin potatoes, halved
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
4-6 carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 small head green cabbage, quartered
1 12-oz Irish Ale (such as Killian's or Smithwick's)
2-3 cups water
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

This is about as easy as it gets. Put the brisket, fat side up, along with the potatoes, onion, garlic and carrots into a slow-cooker with the juices from the corned beef, 1 bottle of beer, and enough water to cover everything. Add the peppercorns, mustard and coriander seed, and salt to the top of the brisket. Cook everything on high for 5 hours. After 5 hours are up, quarter the cabbage, removing the core and add it to the slow-cooker for one more hour.


Once you've cooked everything for around 6 hours, remove the corned beef and slice it. Yummmmmy.


In case your husband feels like you may not have enough potatoes, boil a few more, drain, and toss with butter and fresh parsley.


Anecdote: we though we wanted to try Irish Soda Bread as well with dinner but didn't have this revelation until about 2 hours before dinner time. Due to our lack of planning, I ran to the supermarket to pick some up as we wouldn't be cooking any. Little did we know it had fruitcake type stuff in it. Strange. Not bad, just strange.


Our Irish feast! Serve the corned beef with stone ground mustard and horseradish.


Sláinte!!!

A little scoop of heaven

Once upon a time I used to pride myself in my healthy eating habits. That was a time before pregnancy...before I developed a sweet tooth, and re-introduced junk food to my poor husband (who I was apparently depriving all that time). Now I just long for the days of will-power and fitting into my really cute jeans. *cue the tiny violins*

The time will come. I will get back into the gym. I will get outside running for more than 3 consecutive days without giving up. I will go to bed without needing dessert. But in the mean time, I will share with you a divine recipe for one of my favorite foods - mac and cheese! It's based on the same stuff that Paula Deen serves at her restaurant. When it comes from a women who considers adding a sprig of mint "healthy", you just know it's good for you!

Baked Mac & Cheese (adapted from The Lady's Cheesy Mac recipe by Paula Deen)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups uncooked small pasta (like elbows or shells)
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Add the uncooked pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add in 2 cups of the cheddar and stir it around so it gets nice and melty.


In a large bowl, whisk the three eggs.

Then stir in the sour cream, milk, butter (cut into cubes), salt and pepper.

Then combine all of this with the cheese and pasta and stick it into an oven-safe bowl or casserole dish.

And add the last cup of cheese over the top.

Stick it in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese gets nice and golden.

I've gotta stop blogging about this stuff! It's good for your stomach and bad for your waistline, y'all!

A girl can never have too many pearls

In complete honestly, despite considering myself a fairly adventurous eater and cook, the only time in my life I can recall having barley is in beef & barley soup. I don't have a good excuse as to why but I finally decided it was time when I came across this recipe.

This salad combines a lot of different ingredients and flavors that I absolutely love. However, it is a perfect venue for me to express how easy it is to change and adapt recipes. I'm not normally a huge fan of feta cheese but found that it worked really well with all of the other flavors. The lesson to be learned is to not shy away from a recipe if you just don't like one or two ingredients (I'll caveat this to say that if it is clearly the main ingredient, there is an exception to my rule). But if you don't like feta, or olives, or whatever it might be - the recipe will be fine without it. And if you're wanting to make it gluten free, brown rice or quinoa could easily be subbed for the barley. Don't let a few miscellaneous ingredients scare you away from an otherwise amazing recipe! *now stepping down from my soapbox*

Greek Salad with Chicken and Pearled Barley (adapted from Cooking Light, January 2010)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins (or 2 breasts)
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup pearled barley
1 cucumber, peeled seeded and cubed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh basil ribbons
1 tablespoon fresh italian (flat leaf) parsley, roughly chopped
3 oz crumbled feta cheese
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

The barley takes a little bit to cook. Get it started first by bringing 2 1/2 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Add the cup of uncooked barley, cover the pot and reduct the heat. My barley needed to simmer for 45 minutes to absorb all of the liquid which was plenty of time to prepare everything else for the salad.


To cook the chicken, first sprinkle it with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and some pepper and brown it for 1-2 minutes on each side in a non-stick skillet that has been coated with olive oil. Once the chicken has browned, pour in the remaining cup of chicken broth, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the chicken to cook around 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Now is the time to start prepping all the veggies for the salad. You will want to halve or quarter the tomatoes and cut the bel pepper into bite-sized cubes. Before chopping the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, it's best to seed it. If you've never done it before, here's how. Just cut the peeled cucumber in half and run a spoon down the center to scoop out the seeds.

I just started throwing the ingredients of the salad into a large bowl as I chopped them. Hold off on the basil and parsley until the end so that the leaves don't get bruised. I've found that the best way to cut fresh basil is to stack the leaves, roll them up and cut it into ribbons.

To prepare the dressing, zest one lemon into a small mixing bowl and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of the lemon, the redwine vinegar, garlic, thyme and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Once the chicken has cooled, shred it. After the barley has finished cooking, fluff it and mix it with all of the veggies, the feta and the dressing. I actually preferred this salad a bit chilled, which allowed the flavors to really come together in the fridge.

I love love love this combination of flavors and will definitely be cooking more with these lovely little pearls in the future!

Tacos: A Documentary

Let me start by saying that I acknowledge the fact I am very blessed to have a husband who enjoys cooking (and is darn good at it). However, I had to laugh a little as I embarked on the adventure of trying to document this particular meal for my blog. You see, tonight's dinner involved the grill. A domain firmly planted in man territory. Observing my husband in his preparations for the grill I felt a bit like a documentary filmmaker out in the wild....

.....(you have to read this part in a half-whispered British accent).....

Observe, if you will, the adult male in one of his natural habitats. In preparation for his grilling ritual, the male makes habit of visiting the various cupboards throughout the kitchen space, nearly emptying each one of its contents. In a simultaneously haphazard yet thoughtful manner, the male concocts a blend of cupboard contents to apply to the raw meat. Instinctual, the male adds elements as his mood strikes, likely to never recreate quite the same blend again. When approached by the nagging female of his species the male recoils, hesitant to allow her to observe his strange ritual and photograph it for her silly blog. Fearing repercussions, the male is compliant with her requests and quickly retreats to his outdoor escape to complete his grilling ceremony.

And now for your viewing pleasure...

Sara & Jon's Grilled Chicken Soft Tacos
Serves 4 (or alternative - serves 2 plus lunch the next day!)

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs chicken leg quarters (you could use just thighs or even breasts but our supermarket keeps selling leg quarters at 59 cents/lb so we keep buying!!)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium red onion + 1 tablespoon minced onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon Tequila (optional)
3 limes
1 lemon
1 orange
3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 tablespoon Adobo seasoning (find in the international foods aisle- Mexican section)
1 packet Sazon Goya seasoning (find in the international foods aisle- Mexican section)
1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can black beans
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Corn tortillas (amount varies by number your serving and respective appetites)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro to taste
Sour cream and salsa, if desired

Preparation:

The first step is to do the crazy Jon ritual and prepare a marinade/spice blend for the chicken. If you can allow the chicken to marinate a few hours in the fridge it will have great flavor. You'll use a lot of citrus for this marinade.


Squeeze all your citrus into a large bowl or ziploc bag and combine with the oil, tequila if you'd like (we had some sitting around from margaritas we made a few weeks ago), the Adobo, Sazon, garlic and onion powder, crushed coriander seed, oregano, diced chipotles and salt and pepper.


If you've never used them, here are the Adobo


And Sazon Goya spices we used. We've also used these with garlic and olive oil on a pork roast (look up Pernil and thank me later)...they're DIVINE!


Let the chicken hang out in this fantastic Jon concoction for a while if you can afford the time. Here's what ours looked like after a few hours in its refrigerator bath.


Before you get the chicken out to throw on the grill, prep the vegetables. This is super simple, I quartered everything, drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. Throw the chicken on the grill and cook it until the internal temp reads 165 degrees. The onions will take slightly longer than the peppers to grill - they're best with a little char but not shriveled or crispy.


While the goodies are on the grill it's a great time to start up some black beans. My standard with black beans is to dump the can in the pot and throw in some onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, cilantro and ground black pepper. No need for salt - these are already salty. Someday I aspire to cook with dried beans but that day has not yet arrived.



Here are the grilled yummies in all of their glory! Slice the peppers and onions and after allowing it to cool a bit, pull the chicken from the bones with a fork.


The few minutes waiting for the chicken to cool is a great time to heat up the tortillas. Corn tortillas are a great option (fewer calories than flour) but to me are only appealing texturally when heated for a minute or two on each side in a nonstick skillet. We like to use our fancy All Clad crepe pan for this because we've never yet gotten the courage up to make crepes. (However, for the record, it produces fantastic pancakes and omelettes)


The fruits of Jon's labor. Mmmmmmm


Final step is assembling your tacos. I like to start with some black beans, of course the grilled chicken and veggies, then some salsa, a little sour cream, and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.


I don't know if anything else has this much flavor for this little of a cost. Plus I got to harrass my hubby with my strange note-taking and camera!

Oh, and a bonus meal!!!

We still had a good amount of leftovers after our meal so here's what we did for lunch the next day.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer tortilla chips on a baking sheet and top with black beans, chicken and grilled veggies. We happened to have some queso blanco in the fridge so we shredded this over the nachos along with some cheddar cheese.


Pop the tray into the oven long enough for the leftovers to heat up and the cheese to melt. Goodness to follow.


Roll the credits (and note: no husbands were harmed in the shooting of this blog).

Fry me to the moon

Back when Jon and I were dating there was an Irish Pub close to where we lived (in Oklahoma) that we'd go for fish & chips. We don't really get out very much nowadays and therefore have no idea where to find good fish & chips in our current neck-of-the-woods. It's not that I'm wanting to eat this very often, as anything covered in beer batter and deep-fried is inherently terrible for you....but every once in a while the craving strikes. So since we're so close to St. Patrick's Day and we both seemed to be afflicted with the unhealthy craving at the same time, we gave in and made it at home.

Beer Battered Fish & Red Chips (adapted from Gourmet, January 2004)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

8 petite redskin potatoes, cut into wedges
1 quart peanut oil
12 oz (1 bottle) pale ale or wheat beer
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 filets cod, cut into 2 inch strips
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
malt vinegar

Preparation:

The chips take up the majority of the prep time on this recipe. Once you've cleaned them (leaving the skin on) and cut them into wedges, soak them in some ice water for 20-30 minutes.



While the potatoes are chilling out, start heating your oil in a large (we used our 8-quart pot) until it reaches 325 degrees. Remove the potatoes from the water and dry them thoroughly.



The chips are going to double-fry. The first time around, place them in batches in the 325 degree oil until the edges reach a golden brown (only 3-4 minutes). Once you remove them from the oil, place the potatoes on paper towels and allow them to cool.


For their second trip to the oil, crank the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees and drop the batches of potatoes in for around 5 minutes each, or until they get crispy and a deeper shade of golden brown. When you take the potatoes out, again place them over paper towels to remove excess oil and then place in the oven at 250 degrees to keep them warm while the fish is prepared.


Place 1/2 cup of flour with salt and pepper into a shallow dish. Mix the remaining cup of flour with 1 bottle of beer in a large bowl. First dredge the pieces of fish in flour.


Then cover in the beer batter and place into 375 degree oil for around 5 minutes or until the batter is golden and crispy. Like the potatoes you'll want to fry the fish in batches.

**For the record, this is Jon's arm, not mine. My wrists aren't that hairy.



We used a few shakes of malt vinegar on our fish and served the fish & chips with homemade coleslaw.



A plate of fried goodness. I'm gaining weight just looking at it. Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!