Quick Beans and Rice

I went grocery shopping today, as I do most Sundays, and left the grocery store famished.  I needed something quick and easy so I went to my go-to quick fix, Rice and Beans.  It's so easy I debated whether or not to even mention it on here, but then again, it's so delicious I had to.  Three ingredients, two of which come from a can, some salt, some pepper, and some kick.  That's it!

Rice and Beans

1 can black beans
1 can Rotel stewed tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup of cooked rice
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans and drain tomatoes.  Add both to a sauce pan and heat through.  When these are heated through, add cooked rice and stir to combine.  Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

What is your go-to quick fix?

Glazed Salmon and Roasted Cauliflower

This week started out with zero degree weather and salmon and ended with yet another snow day and chicken chopped salad with homemade ranch dressing.  I love winter.  I really do.  But..... OK with the snow already!  This week I was dreaming of summer weather and summer food.

Monday night I cooked baked salmon with a brown sugar and Dijon mustard glaze and roasted cauliflower.  I don't usually cook salmon because I can't seem to get it just right.  This time was no different.  The recipe was divine, and I would definitely use it again, I just can't seem to cook salmon without it being dry.  Nonetheless, try this recipe.  It's simple, easy and very tasty.

I preheated the oven to 375 and set the oven rack to the middle position.  For the glaze I mixed together 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.  I made a little aluminum foil boat on a cookie sheet and placed the fish inside the "boat."  I poured the glaze over the salmon and baked for 30 or so minutes.  The glaze that was on the fish soaked in nicely, although because of the sugar in it, the glaze that was not on the fish burned.  It was delicious though. 

I served the salmon with roasted cauliflower which was very simply just cauliflower, olive oil, and salt roasted in a very hot oven for 20-25 minutes.  I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe and will definitely make it again and again.

I ended the week with a salad.  I love salads and I always forget about them.  They're simple, tasty, and throw some chicken in them like I did tonight, its a full meal.  I made my own homemade fat free ranch dressing (although I made it fat free, it doesn't have to be) and honestly I don't think I'll by bottled Ranch again.  YUM.  Here's the recipe:

Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat)
2/3 cup Buttermilk (again, fat free)
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Cracked black pepper

Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until smooth.  The dressing was fairly thick so could definitely be used as a dip for veggies or chips as well. 

I'm really enjoying the world of homemade dressings.  They're tasty and I can only assume much better for you. I made my salad with Romaine lettuce, frozen chicken strips, an avocado and this ranch dressing.  It was delicious and I have enough for lunch tomorrow!  Bonus!

Any favorite salad recipes out there?  What about salmon tips of the trade?

Arriba! Fajitas!

Hola!

I took a trip south of the border at the end of this week.  The sweet man I sometimes cook for in exchange for whatever drink he decides to concoct for us loves Mexican food.  Being from Texas, Tex/Mex was a staple.  My mother compulsively buys refried beans, for fear we will someday run out (we always have at least 10 cans in the pantry).  My father's measure of a good meal is how much that meal makes him sweat.  Chips and salsa were present always.  So how lucky am I that I found a Yankee that loves Mexican food as much as I do?  Very, very lucky, Amigos.

I usually don't make fajitas at home.  For one, restaurants have those nifty skillets that they serve your food in, making the whole room swoon with jealousy over what you're about to eat.  I don't have one of those.  Secondly, fajitas have a lot of components, which can be expensive and time consuming, or so I thought.  It was quite the opposite actually.  I made the chicken, peppers and onions, and rice ahead of time and reheated before serving.  The only thing I had to make right before, whilst sipping on a Margarita with lots of salt, was the guacamole!

First, I cooked the chicken.

I marinated strips of chicken breasts in olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper for 30 minutes.  I then cooked the chicken in a screaming hot skillet until they had that nice charred fajita look to them.  Oh.  And that screaming hot skillet, when combined with oil and chicken, will make SMOKE.  Turn on a vent or open a window (or both, if you live in a tiny apartment like I do).  My smoke alarm was angry with me.

Then, I sauteed green, yellow, and red bell peppers and 1 1/2 onion (the other half was used for the guacamole later), until the onion was almost caramelized and the peppers were tender.

I made Spanish style rice that was delicious and easy.  White rice was made according to the package instructions.  AND!  I didn't burn the bottom layer of rice!  Score!  Once the rice was cooked, I melted a couple of tablespoons of melted butter and to that, added about half a package of taco seasoning, stirring to combine.  When added to the rice, the seasonings were perfect and gave the rice that nice color that Spanish rice usually has. 

I served these along side warm flour tortillas, sour cream, shredded cheese, and guacamole.  We assembled the fajitas at the table, as you do, while drinking Margaritas and dreaming of warmer weather.  It was a lovely Friday night.

Here's a quick and simple recipe for homemade Guacamole:

3 Avocados
1 Can of Rotel Stewed Tomatoes with Green Chiles, drained (or you can use fresh tomatoes)
1 Tbsp of lime juice
1 tsp of cumin
Pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/2 chopped onion

Slice peeled and pitted avocados into a bowl.  I don't mush them up yet, because while you add the rest of the ingredients, they become smooth without becoming baby-food.  Add the rest of the ingredients, combining.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and lime juice as needed.  Serve right away.  Avocados turn brown when left out too long, which doesn't alter their taste, but looks a bit iffy.  Enjoy!

What's your favorite Mexican dish to cook at home?

Not your Nonna's Baked Ziti

I don't have a Nonna, I have a Nanaw that is an excellent cook, but alas, not Italian.  Because of this, I like to think I have an adopted Nonna, a dear friend's grandmother who has very graciously taken me in as a new resident in Boston and really, one of the family.  She is a fascinating woman, and sitting down at the dinner table with her and a plate of pasta, sausage, and meatballs, while she talks about how she learned to cook from her mother in law and her family in Sicily is truly a treat.

However inspired by Old Italian Fare, this adaptation of baked ziti is far from traditional.  It is hearty, filling and comforting, and it IS baked, but that's where the similarities end.  First of all, it doesn't have tomato sauce, or really any sauce for that matter.  What?  Baked Pasta without sauce?  E pazzo!  You want to know what is even more pazzo?  I didn't miss the sauce!

This baked pasta is made with roasted onions and asparagus, ziti (or any short tubular pasta.. I used rigatoni because I had it on hand), ground Italian sausage, Balsamic vinegar and copious amounts of Parmesan cheese.

While boiling the Rigatoni, I tossed 2 cubed onions and 1 pound of asparagus in a roasting pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  I roasted the vegetables for 20 minutes at 400 degrees while boiling my pasta and browning the Italian sausage.  When the veggies were finished, I drained and added the pasta, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, another tablespoon of Olive Oil, 1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar, and 1/2 cup of the starchy water that cooked the pasta right in the roasting pan.  I then tossed all of these things together, topped with the browned sausage and another generous layer of Parmesan cheese, and baked, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 300 degrees, or until the cheese on top is a lovely golden color.  The starchy water, olive oil, and Balsamic Vinegar make a nice, light "sauce", and the sausage and cheese brings heartiness to the dish.  When I served, I topped with ground black pepper. 

This pasta dish was definitely out of the ordinary.  I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor combinations and how easy it was to throw together.  AND, you could omit the sausage and Presto! Vegetarian dish.  Warning though, this makes a TON.  I made it for myself and will be eating it all week.  Next time I make this it will be for a potluck or dinner party (because it's baked, it travels easily!)

What traditional recipes have you spiced up?

Glossary:

Nonna: Italian Grandmother

E Pazzo!: That's crazy!

Presto: The Italian version of "Voila!"

Meatloaf, My Favorite Comfort Food

I don't know about you, but this:

makes me want comfort.  If you live up here, or watch the news, you know that the Northeast got hit with a WICKED bad Nor'easter (that's Boston for really, REALLY bad storm).  This was the kind of storm where they cancelled school before a snowflake even fell, and because I work with little kiddies who get snow days, I get snow days too!  TWO snow days, in fact!  I was feeling comforted already.

The weather and the time off left me inspired to cook comfort food.  I rolled all my new recipes into one day, cooked up a storm, and basked in the comfort of leftovers all week long.

When I was a kid, my ultimate comfort food was my Grandmother's fried shrimp, broiled new potatoes, "Hatsie's Salad," and cheesecake.  I had it every single year for my birthday until I was 21.  Seriously.  Now that I've grown up (ha) I've branched out a bit, and have embraced the traditional loveliness that is meatloaf.  (and besides!  Frying shrimp is hard work!)  And so, my blizzard-perfect comfort menu had meatloaf as its star, with mashed potatoes and garlicky broccoli.

The Meatloaf 

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Leftover scallions from last week's recipe (this is optional, but it was pretty tasty and the pop of green in the meatloaf was nice to look at.
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used panko because it's what I had)
• 2 slices of bread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a casserole dish or cake pan with Pam.  I don't use a loaf pan because I find it gets too greasy.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.  Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, onion, scallions, milk, salt, pepper, and eggs.  I let this sit for a couple of minutes so the breadcrumbs get sort of soggy.  This makes for a juicier meatloaf.
4. Mix in the ground beef and about 1/3 of the glaze mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
5. Place slices of bread on the bottom of the pan.  Form meat mixture into a loaf shape (or mini loaf shapes if you're feeling mini) on top of the slices of bread and pour the remaining glaze over the loaf.  (The bread will soak up some of the grease, and you can remove it after slicing, and before serving).
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

I always find meatloaf is impossible to cut into nice slices right out of the oven, and because of this, I didn't take any pictures of my meatloaf because it wasn't pretty.  The link above is what I based this recipe off of.  Go look at the pictures!

On the side I made mashed potatoes (GASP, from a box.  I know I know.  But I had them from a while ago, and as I mentioned before, BAD storm.  Too bad to go out for potatoes) and Garlicky Broccoli.  The broccoli was frozen, although I would recommend using fresh broccoli.  If you do, make sure you blanch it (stick it in some boiling water for about 3-4 minutes then dunk it in some ice water to stop the cooking.  Makes all the difference) In a saute pan I heated some olive oil for about 4 minutes.  I added the broccoli and about 2 large cloves of garlic, minced.  I tossed to coat and added some red pepper flakes.  I let this heat through, then served.  Super easy, and really delicious.

I loved these recipes and I ate leftovers all week.  Meatloaf sandwiches are awesome!  It was filling, comforting, and perfect for the big bad blizzard.

What do you like to cook when it's cold outside?

New Year, New Food.

I do this every year.  You probably do too, actually.  I think of some lofty New Years Resolution, get really excited about it, make lots of lists, then never actually do it.  Resolutions are cliche for a reason, don't you know.  However, while past resolutions have gone by the wayside, this year is going to be different.  (It is!  Really!)  That's where you come in. 

The Resolution: Try two (or more) new recipes a week.
The Reason: It's expensive to eat out.  And I like cooking.  And it's better for me!
The Means: Cookbooks, the Internet, Stop And Shop, and my tiny 3ft x 3ft kitchen.
The How-This-Won't-Fail: YOU!  I'll blog about my weekly recipes, things I loved, things I'd leave, and the intense guilt I'll feel for not posting will keep me honest.

So, I like to cook, which will probably make this challenge easier.  While studying in Italy in 2007 I was fortunate enough to be friends with culinary students who bartered gourmet food for Chianti Classico.  Done and done.  But while standing around a hot kitchen, a glass of wine in hand, watching people from all over the world cook beautiful, amazing food, I thought, this looks enjoyable.  When I got home to the states, I started watching the Food Network and reading cook books, and, well, cooking.  It was messy, sometimes inedible, but I felt creative, and found out that I really enjoy making people happy with food. 

A 24 year old Southern girl living in a the Northeast, I now run an after school program for elementary school aged children focusing on Math proficiency.  I live and cook in a tiny, tiny, tiny, studio apartment with my cat Tyson, who is obese, codependent and lovely (looking over my should now, he says Hello).  I'm working on my Masters degree in Education and hope to be teaching in a classroom of my own (yikes) in a year (double yikes).  I have a small, insignificant life that I absolutely love so if you want to stop reading here, I won't be offended.  But if you want to read about some pretty awesome recipes, executed by a aspiring cook who is hopelessly messy, keep on keepin' on.

Here's my kitchen!  Gives a whole new meaning to "Too many cooks in the kitchen..."

That's enough about me.  Let's talk food!

For my Week One, Recipe One I made a Tuna, White Bean, Artichoke Pasta dish that was divine.  It's incredibly simple.  Really the only cooking I did was boiling water and cooking a pound of linguine as per the packages directions.  Tuscan Cannelloni beans are marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt for 30 minutes.  When the pasta is cooking, I added two small cans of tuna, one Italian Style (yum yum... olive oil-y, salty, yummy), one regular.  I then added artichokes with marinade, minced scallions, and 1/2 tablespoon of anchovy paste.  If you don't cook with anchovy paste, start.  It sounds gross.  It looks gross.  It tastes amazing.  It's salty and nutty and not fishy at all.  Just... do it.  Once the pasta was done, I drained, then tossed with the tuna/bean/artichoke mixture, topped with Parmesan, and devoured.  I then devoured it again for lunch the next day, then again for lunch the day after (separated tuna/bean/artichoke mixture from noodles, put on a wrap spread with garlic hummus, topped with salt, pepper, and feta cheese.  Best.  Lunch.  Ever.)



My second recipe was actually a salad.  I made classic Caesar Salad and an Italian inspired Baked Potato (a baked potato with olive oil instead of Butter.  I'm trying to cut back on Butter, too, this year, but that's not really blog-worthy).  The salad dressing is really the star here.  It's creamy without being too decadent, and has a wonderful rich color that isn't typical of a bottled Caesar dressing.   Here's the recipe:

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tablespoon of anchovy paste.  Do the anchovy paste.)
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Combine lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt (anchovy paste!) and Parmesan in a bowl, whisking until thoroughly combined.  Continue mixing while drizzling in olive oil. This is called emulsifying!  When all the olive oil is incorporated, stir in the mayonnaise until completely blended.  Toss with Romaine Lettuce, shredded Parm, and Croutons and enjoy!

So, that's what I did.  What did ya'll cook this week?