Getting Caught Up

Life has finally slowed down enough for me to get blogging again (on both my personal blog and this blog). I'm trying to get caught up because I have lots of fall seasonal recipes I'm dying to share, but I hate to go out of order and miss some other great recipes that I haven't posted. I've posted 5 recipes (and many more to come!) but back dated them to the beginning of November so I have room on here for all of the others I'll be getting up soon. I'm excited and no more blog procrastinating! :)

Salmon with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce + Red Pepper Coconut Rice

I love any semblance of a tzatiki sauce and this was a great one. It paired really nicely with a simple fish and the rice was a great accompaniment. Remember how I LOVE coconut rice? This one is no different. 

1/2 c 2% Greek Style Yogurt (we use Chobani)
1/4 c peeled, finely chopped cucumber
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
4  (6 oz) artic char or salmon fillets
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Combine first 5 ingredients; chill.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fillets with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Serve fillets with sauce and lime wedges, if desired.

Red Pepper Coconut Rice

1 c Jasmine rice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 can light coconut milk.
1/4 c diced red bell pepper

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in red bell pepper. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Both recipes from Cooking Light.

Spicy Chicken & Black Bean Fettucine

This a great recipe and literally one of my favorite. It's not what you would expect in a typical pasta dish. We took this to some friends who had just had a baby and they loved it too. It's a great recipe and not too difficult either.

1/2 c EVOO
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2-3 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 small roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lb fettucine, cooked al dente
1/2 c fresh cilantro

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Saute until cooked through, but not browned. Remove chicken and set aside and keep warm. Return skillet to heat. Add jalapenos and green onions; saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in black beans; heat about 3 minutes. Add feta and chicken, and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. Toss pasta gently with sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

Tostadas

Tostadas are a really easy weeknight go-to meal. My mom likes to buy the hard crunchy tostadas that come pre-made, but I've never been a fan of hard tacos so I decided to toast some tortillas

Ingredients: tortillas, shredded cheese, corn (I used frozen), black beans (canned), chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced green onions, and diced avocado.

I first sprinkled the tortilla with cheese and put it in my toaster oven. This creates the harder, crunchier base, especially at the edges. After the cheese is just beginning to melt, I load the corn and black beans on and let it heat up a little more. After, I sprinkle the remaining ingredients on and dig in!

There is really no set way to make this recipe; just add what you've got in the fridge and what you feel like. This version is vegetarian, but chicken or any other meat could be added if you're looking for extra protein.

My attempt at the Mediterranean Burger

We all know I love Busboys and Poets. It's a must-stop in DC for me. So when I loaded up on grass-fed ground beef (on sale for $2.99/lb) at Whole Foods in September, I knew the first thing I wanted to do with it: recreate the Mediterranean Burger from Busboys.

I chopped up some onion and some parsley and mixed it with a 1/2 pound of ground beef. I had Aaron throw it on the grill while I smeared some goat cheese on a some sandwich thins (Busboys uses pita pockets) and sliced up some lettuce and tomato. Voila! Of course, it's never as good as the real thing, but it's pretty dang close.

Side Note: these were accompanied by Alexia Sweet Potato Fries. My mom introduced me to their oven fries and I was so excited when I found the sweet potato version. They pair perfectly with the Mediterranean burger and are an easy side to any meal involving a burger or the like.

Mango Rice Salad with Grilled Shrimp

This is from Cooking Through the Seasons. My favorite cookbook of all time. This was really delicious and a great grilling recipe. It will definitely be one of the first that I whip out next spring/summer. This recipe really turned me on to coconut rice as I am NOT a coconut lover but coconut rice is great.

1 tbsp minced fresh garlic

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

4 tsp curry powder

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1.5 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups water

2/3 c light coconut milk

1 1/4 cup shredded carrot

2 c diced peeled mango (about 2 mangoes)

1.5 c diced red bell pepper

1/2 c sliced green onions

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp chopped fresh parlsey

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Cover and chill1 hour.

2. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Add carrot and next 7 ingredients; toss gently to combine.

3. Prepare grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

4. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 12 skewers. Place skewers on grill rack or grill pan coated until shrimp are done. Serve kebabes over salad and garnish cilantro springs if desired.

White Dog Cafe

While in Philly we ate at this amazing little restaurant. I hadn't planned on being this behind on blogging so the menu on their website has changed for the season (the best kind of restaurant in my opinion) so I'll name what I remember and let you imagine the rest.

Beet Salad

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Seitan Stir Fry

Tasty Chicken

The best green bean casserole of my life. 

 Incredible Lobster Mac N Cheese.

Fresh Grilled Vegetables

White Dog Cafe is a MUST if you are ever in Philadelphia...fresh, incredible food! 

Summer Squash Soup with Pasta and Parmesan

Summer squash season is over. But it wasn't when I made this. I'm obviously still behind on blog posting, but slowly getting caught back up. This was a nice chunky soup that uses the abundance of summer squash. The fresh herbs and parmesan tied all of the flavors nicely together and it didn't feel like I was violating any "no soup" laws pre-cold weather because the soup was light and fresh.

6  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

3  cups  water 

2 1/4  cups  uncooked farfalle (about 6 ounces bow tie pasta) 

2  cups  finely chopped yellow squash 

2  cups  finely chopped zucchini 

1  tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley 

1  tablespoon  chopped fresh basil 

1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice 

1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme 

1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano 

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper 

1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

1/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh basil

 

Bring broth and water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta, and cook 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add squash and the next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until pasta is done and squash is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Streusel Topped Key Lime Squares

I bought a cookbook; something I don't normally do. The book, Cooking Light's Cooking Through the Seasons, really caught my eye at good ole Costco this summer. Not only it does it break the book up into seasons (I'm slowly learning when specific fruits and vegetables are in season), but it also has helpful tips like the best way to cut a mango and the best way to roast garlic. So far, I love it. The recipes are far too involved for me to do during the week, but on Sundays, we eat gooooood. This was the first recipe I made from the cookbook....mmmm I can't wait to keep working my way through this book!

I didn't have lemon extract...I added a little lemon juice and little vanilla extract instead and honestly, these had so much flavor I don't think it was missed.

1/4 butter, softened
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp lemon extract
4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
2/3 c granulated sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c fresh key lime juice
3 large eggs
1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place first 5 ingredient in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes). Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add 1 c flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently press two-thirds of mixture (about 1 1/3 cups) into bottom of an 8 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; set remaining 2/3 c flour mixture aside. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
3. Combine 2/3 c sugar, 3 tbsp flour, baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add lime juice and eggs, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over crust. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle remaining 2/3 c flour mixture evenly over egg mixture. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Yield: 16 servings.

Clam Sauce with Linguini

This is a crabtree family favorite. I have such fond memories of this dish and it's a classic go-to for my family. Its so good and even though it's canned clams (i really have no idea what an actual clam tastes like), I love it anyway. I am a cheese fiend so topping this with freshly grated parmesan (not pictured) is a must.

1 lb linguine
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
14 oz can chicken broth (organic)
1/4 c white wine
2 cans minced baby clams
grated parmesan cheese

In medium pan, cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender. Stir in parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, wine, chicken broth and reserved clam liquid. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add clams, cook until thoroughly heated. Serve sauce over cooked linguine in bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Garlicky Roasted Potato Salad

Mayonnaise? Not on my potato salad. This is not your typical potato salad; you can actually tell that you're eating potatoes (roasted red potatoes no less!)...not yellow mush. I made this for a relief society activity and I roasted the potatoes the night before and then threw it all together the next day just in time. Perfect.

3 lbs medium red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp stone ground mustard
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
6 clove garlic, halved
1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/3 c green onion, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Combine 1st 5 ingredient in a large bowl, tossing mixture to coat. Place the potato mixture in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minute or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally to get even browning. Cool to room temperature.
Combine parsley, yogurt, green onions, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled potato mixture and toss gently. Serve salad at room temperature, garnish with green onions.

Cafe Gutenberg

For our 2 year anniversary we went to Cafe Gutenberg in Shockoe Bottom. It was during the Sampling Shockoe event where all restaurants in Shockoe Bottom offered a 3 or 4 course menu for a set price per person. We took advantage of it and loved it. The food was incredible, so fresh and so flavorful. I went back with a few other fellow interns to study for our medicine competency a month or so later and got a sandwich...just as good.

Cafe Gutenberg really emphasizes local and fresh ingredients. I love eating there because their food tastes great and because they care about supporting local agriculture and a sustainable food system. 

And now...our anniversary dinner...

chilled local musk melon and basil gazpacho

baby beets and goat cheese with VA wildflower honey

heirloom tomato salad with lemon, basil and white balsamic dressing 

wild salmon with herb lentil salad, grilled romaine and wholegrain mustard cream

saffron and sweet pea risotto with oyster mushroom, braised leeks and sun-gold tomato

vanilla bean crème brulee 

vegan chocolate pecan tart

Veggie Fried Rice

I went to the Farmer's Market, picked up what looked really fresh and threw it into a veggie fried rice. I've been a huge blog slacker so I've had these pictures on my camera, but no other record of how I actually cooked it. I looked up a couple of fried rice recipes and just kind of threw them all together. So this is what it is. There's an egg, green beans, bell peppers, onions, rice, and a few asian seasonings/sauces that I have hanging around. I love that I'm feeling comfortable enough in the kitchen to just wing it sometimes.

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

I love this salad. And fresh cucumber from the Farmer's Market is perfect for this recipe. The sugar draws out the water from the cucumbers so they are especially crisp. It's the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

1.5 lbs cucumber peeled and halved lengthwise and sliced thick
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1 tablespoon dry roasted peanuts.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook until reduced to about 1/3 c. (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reductions from heat; cool. Stir in onion.. Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Turkey and Oat Burgers

I found this recipe in my mom's collection...thought I'd try it out. It was good. We liked it.

 

1 c. regular oats

1 c. vidalia onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 can tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 1/2 lbs turkey

6 Onion Sandwich buns (you can see I didn't use those...we had other buns leftover)

cheese if you like

sliced tomatoes

lettuce leaves

Combine first 7 ingredients. Divide mixtures into 6 portions, shaping each into a 1/2 inch thick patty. 

Heat a grill or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add patties; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Place the burgers in the patties with the toppings you would like!

Irma's

My last Houston restaurant review for awhile...promise.

For my dad's birthday, my mom and I accompanied him to an Astros game. In my mind, baseball games = hotdogs. For some reason, after I went to college, my parents and my brother always went to this restaurant before the games.  Maybe because my mom actually started going to games and she didn't want hotdogs. Either way, somehow I had missed out on this place completely until July 23rd. Perfect tex-mex. There is no written menu; the waitress just lets you know what's up for the day. Also, their peach lemonade is 200% worth the calories.

Incredible lentil soup. I practically licked the bowl clean.

Sorry for the very blurry picture.

Steak and Chicken Fajitas...mmmmmmm

Anyways, I now have a new Astros game food tradition...Irma's. All other baseball games, I'll still stick to hotdogs.

Adventures with Dragon Fruit

My mom and I happened upon a dragon fruit while we were in Hawaii. We were intrigued so we purchased one and took it back to our condo. It sat on our counter for a few days while we thought about eating it. We weren't really sure how to cut or eat it so we found a few videos on youtube explaining the process. This is the story.

Our review of dragon fruit: a very mild fruit but tasty. it's even more fun to look at though!

Taste of Texas

When Aaron and I went to the Mousetrap, my parents gave us a giftcard they hadn't used for the Taste of Texas. My only memory of the Taste of Texas was in the 4th grade. In Texas, we have Texas history classes in the 4th grade and 7th grade. As part of the curriculum we went on a field trip to the Taste of Texas. They talk about some Texas history and some of the artifacts on the walls representative of it. As a foodie at the age of 9, the tour guide promised us buffalo tongue. Now that sounds kind of gross, but afterwards they gave us chicken fingers and coke, which i think may be even more gross. So I had bad memories, but I went anyway.

Then, when taking our order, our waiter told us we could pick out our cut of meat. So for about 10 minutes I had visions of a legit meat locker with cows hanging from the ceiling. I was wrong; it was like a deli counter. Oh well; it was still a good experience. We both got a tenderloin and it was tasty!

I will say one thing though...vegetables are not their specialty. Grilled vegetables=boiled with grill marks.

Empire Cafe

My FAVORITE place for dessert in Houston. hands down. My mom and I went here after a long day of shopping for my new and improved internship wardrobe. The food is always fabulous and the dessert is even better.

a tasty pizza...

grilled vegetables...nothing better...

and the fabulous hummingbird cake...

Blueberry Streusel Cake

I was obsessed with blueberries this summer. My mom would buy the big clamshells at Sam's Club while I was in Texas and I was in heaven. We had a plethora of blueberries so I made this blueberry streusel cake. It is such a delicious recipe and the lemon yogurt on top really rounds it all out.

3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. margarine, softened
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
1 large egg
1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 c. fresh blueberries
1 tbsp powdered sugar
2 1/2 c. low far lemon yogurt

1. Combine 1/2 sugar, margarine, lemon rind, and egg; beat at medium speed with electric mixer 5 minute or until blended.

2. Combine plain yogurt and vanilla, stirring well. Set aside.

3. Combine 1 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda; add to egg mixture alternately with yogurt mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.

4. Spread batter evenly over bottom and up sides of a 9 inch round tart pan coated with cooking spray.

5. Combine remaining 1/4 c. sugar, 1 tbsp flour, cinnamon, and allspice; add blueberries, tossing gently to coat. Spoon evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2 inch border.

6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned; cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve with lemon yogurt.

Sam's White Chicken Chili

Easiest chili recipe. ever.

12.5 oz can chicken breast - drained and shredded. (I don't like to use canned chicken; I bake two chicken breasts in the oven and then shred - yes it takes more time, but I prefer it)
15 oz can great northern beans
8 oz salsa
20 oz chicken broth
1 tbsp cumin
crushed tortilla chips and colby jack cheese for sprinkling

Combine ingredients in a pan until warmed through.

That's it! Delicious!

Crowd Pleasing Casserole

We moved in June. In preparation, I made a few dishes that made a lot of food that would stay good for awhile during the move-out/move-in process. This is a good dish that feeds a ton (hence the crowd) and it tastes pretty good. It was great to have on hand to just heat up when we were feeling ravenous after moving boxes or unpacking.

It's prettier than it looks...i swear.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 jar (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound macaroni, uncooked
1 cup light cottage cheese
8 oz neufchatel cheese, softened
1/3 c green onion, sliced
1/4 c green pepper, chopped
1/4 c parmesan, grated

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground turkey until turkey is no longer pink.

2. Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

3. Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain.

4. In a large bowl, combine cottage and Neufchatel cheeses, green onions and green pepper; gradually stir in pasta.

5. Spread 1/2 of pasta mixture in an 11x17 baking dish or a 5 quart casserole. Top with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Layer remaining pasta and meat.

6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Balsamic Glazed Cracked Pepper Salmon

We needed something to go with our Summer Corn Rice Pilaf, so I found a quick and easy salmon recipe on a healthy recipe app on my phone. This was a little spicy but it went well with the rice. I'd like to tweak and try it again!

1 TB honey
1 TB olive oil
1/3 c. Balsamic vinegar
Red pepper flakes. to taste
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
4 salmon filets

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of salmon with salt and cracked pepper. Add salmon to skillet and cook 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and honey. Add vinegar mixture to skillet and simmer until fish is fork-tender and liquid reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.

Summer Corn Rice Pilaf

On our way back from Virginia Beach in June, we stopped at a Baybreeze Farms stand on our way home for various fruits and vegetables, but most importantly, fresh sweet corn. I had a special recipe in mind for this corn...my favorite rice recipe in the world...Summer Corn Rice Pilaf. This was my special request dish anytime I would come home from college. It is practically perfect in every way. I could eat this rice all the time and never, ever tire of it.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup Basmati rice, uncooked (Basmati rice is key!)
4 ears of corn, shaved from cob
4 shallots, sliced
pinches of sugar, salt, and pepper
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

1. Melt 1 TB butter in a small saucepan and add the rice and stir until it is well coated. Add water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender when bitten, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, fluff with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt remaining butter and add corn kernels, shallots, and the pinches of salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally to prevent burning, until corn and shallots are soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Combine rice and corn mixture in a medium bowl. Add mint and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.