(Week 11) Sometimes You Have to K.I.S.S. in the Kitchen March 25, 2010

You’ve heard the acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

Well, that pretty much summed up Saturday night’s dinner experience.  All week I searched online for some great recipe to make in preparation for Mr. &  I’s first half marathon on Sunday.  I knew we were supposed to carbo load but I thought we could get a little creative.  Turns out not.  Everything I came across was white pasta and white bread.  Too much protein will leave you feeling heavy, I read.  Too many starchy vegetables will leave you bloated.  And worst of all, dairy or fiber is going to make you have to GO–and they didn’t mean run fast!

We ended up slapping together pasta (white, not wheat), Kroger brand Parmesan Romano Marinera Sauce, bakery bought garlic bread, a few Tyson precooked chicken slices, and water to drink (no wine, sigh).  I know it’s lame, please don’t judge us.

A few minutes later we were sitting at the dinner table and Mr. turned to me and said, “You know what the best thing about this meal is?  It came together in ten minutes!”

“Yup,”  I agreed, “They were really on to something when they started canning spaghetti sauce!”

I was a bit sad that we took the easy way out this weekend and stuck with the basic carbo load.  But, after standing in line for the stinky women’s bathroom for 15 minutes on race morning, I wish that I could have sent a memo to remind everyone-No Dairy/No Fiber pre-race, please.  YUCK!

Recipes and Reviews:

Head to your local grocery store and pick up ingredients, no recipes tonight!  As long as you can boil water and use a microwave (both of which Mr. and I are pretty skilled in!), you’ve got this meal on the table.  Bon Appetite!

(Week 10) How to Embarrass Yourself on “Date” Night March 23, 2010

A friend had been raving about a bacon wrapped date recipe, and I finally had her email it my way.  On Saturday night, armed with my shopping list, Mr. sent me to the store solo.  He and I both knew that this would result in a two hour shopping trip, but he had work he needed to finish, so I volunteered to go at it alone.

Part of my mission was to find dates for the new recipe.  This proved to be harder then I thought.  First I had to determine whether I thought a date was a fruit, vegetable, or legume.  I didn’t even know what they looked like, but I was determined enough to find them.  After scanning the produce section, I came up empty handed.  I looked around in distress trying to find someone who could answer my questions.

Ah Ha!  I spotted a shelf stocker.  I practically ran over to him and, without thinking, I blurted out, “Hello, Do you know where to find dates?!”

I think I startled the poor guy.  He looked about 15 and once I saw the look on his face, I started to think about what I had just said.  We both stood there red faced.  Finally,  I saw the wheels turning in his head as he put together that I was not really a creepy couger, but a distraught customer on a mission.

“Ummm, I don’t think we have any ma’am, I haven’t seen any.”

“Are they out of season or something?”  I pressed, wondering if he really knew anything more about dates then I did.

He walked me over to a book that I had never noticed sitting at the edge of the produce section.  He looked up ‘Dates’ and found me a picture.  He read out loud, “A date is a fruit that is in season at the end of summer, early fall.”

Hmm, I was feeling defeated.  As I cruised the aisles, at a snails pace, (this is how I enjoy to shop-taking in every label while my eyes glaze over) I came across a container of dates near the canned fruits.  I wasn’t sure if they would work for the recipe, but I had to try something.  Mr. was not too excited to try anything new with dates in it, but my friends are pretty serious foodies, and if a recipe comes highly recommended I feel like I must be in the know of this goodness.

Back in the kitchen, Mr. and I spread our dates and stuffed them with cheese  (Get your mind out of the gutter!).  Actually,  it seemed a little wrong to us too.  That paired with the tale of me asking a 15 year old for a date kept us laughing all the way through dinner.  And what a wonderful dinner it turned out to be.

Recipes and Ratings:

Pecan Crusted Chicken: B+, the orange zest really brings the flavors together.  It’s a little bit of a messy project on the stove.  This took down the rating a little.

Bacon Wrapped Dates:  A-, Give it a try, your body will get to try something new.  I mean honestly, when is the last time you ate a date?  Easy recipe too.  P.S. After talking to my friend I found out that the can dates are what you are supposed to use.   Just perfect!  Ingredients:  1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half, 1 pound pitted dates, 4 ounces blue cheese (or any other cheese).  Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad:  A+. This is a recipe modified from a restaurant back home.  A roommate and I used to make it in college.  Just take spinach, pecan halves, sliced strawberries, and poopyseed dressing, and shake!

(Week 9) Mrs.’s Kitchen FAIL blog March 23, 2010

It was our friend’s birthday and we volunteered to throw the dinner get together at our casa.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was hoping to receive some more Omaha steaks and by divine intervention another case of 32 hamburgers showed up on our doorstep from Mr’s Grandpa.  Well, when life gives you beef, I say make tacos!  And that’s just what we did, along with taco-shell bowls, empanadas, elote, and guacamole!  Mr. volunteered to take on the art of crafting handmade taco bowls.    On the opposite side of the kitchen, I was trying my hand at my first empanada recipe.  The scent of the inner workings of these empanadas cooking on the stove, was a Mexican heaven!  I finally figured out the purpose of Cumin (pronounced coo-min? Or qu-min?  You be the judge).  I was so proud of my little half-moon chicken pies, that as they sat ready to be baked, I was contemplating how to enter America’s Top Chef.

Feeling unstoppable and ready to tackle the next project, I moved on to grilling beef, lots and lots of beef, for our ten guests.  I turned on the burner and pushed the meat around with a wooden spoon, expecting it to brown.  After five minutes I was getting suspicious.  I surveyed the scene with the seriousness of a detective’s eye and uncovered the embarrassing fact that all along I had the beef on the wrong burner!  It wouldn’t have mattered how long I stared at that pile of beef, it never would have cooked itself.  I sheepishly admitted my blunder to Mr., who laughed-though he didn’t seem surprised.  He’s been married to me for almost two years and he has witnessed me doing much more bizarre things in the kitchen.  For instance, there were the multiple times he found the frozen waffles in the FRIDGE after I put them away following breakfast (I never have a clue how they got there, promise!).

With the beef finally complete, next on the menu was guacamole!  It had been awhile since I had made anything with an avocado.  When Mr. asked me how to get the skin off I casually replied, “Oh you just peel it with your hands.”

Within seconds he had squishy green goo covering his fingers.  “Is it always this messy?”  He asked.

Matter of factly I replied, “That’s just the way it is.”

At that point our first guest arrived.  He saw the situation at hand and gently reminded us that if we cut the avocado in half first we could just scrape the inside goo out-without the big mess.  Oh yeah, that’s how you do it, much better idea.;)  Mr. shot me a look that pretty much said, thanks for making me look like an idiot.  Sorry!!!

Well… my embarrassing situations did not end there.  I managed to make the same stove mistake while warming the meat for guests.  I turned the burner on and ten minutes later it was time to eat.  That’s when I realized the meat was not on the correct burner (Who does that twice in one night?!) and the meat was just warmer than room temperature.  Nice job Mrs., No gold star for today!

Recipes and Reviews:

Taco Shell Bowls: A, Once you figure out a system things go pretty smooth.  We used a smaller glass Pyrex container to make some and we followed the can idea in the recipe for others.  Both options work.  You can only make a few at a time though, so start early.  These don’t have to be warm when you serve them so make them early in the day to save yourself the hassle.  We had to cook ours a little longer then the recipe said.  It was a lot of fun to have restaurant style taco bowls.

Elote: A+, this is a recipe we created from an awesome dish we tried at an authentic Mexican restaurant in town.  We use  Steam Fresh corn on the cob.  Once its cooked, roll the corn in butter, lime juice, chili powder/cayenne pepper, cilantro, a little salt, and Parmesan cheese.  So easy, Enjoy!  This is the healty version.  The real Elote is rolled in Mayo and uses a maxican cheese called cotija.  Extra yummy and some days its worth every calorie to have the origianal;)

Chicken Empanadas: A+, The recipe I used was found in the cookbook called: Favorite Brand Name Mexican Fiesta.  The recipe is not online, so I will attempt to add it now.  Ingredients:   1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (two 11-in crusts), 4 oz cream cheese, 2 tbs salsa, 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken, 1 egg, beaten, additional salsa.  Steps:  -Remove crust pouches from box, let stand at room temp. for 15-20 min.  -Heat cream cheese in a small heavy sauce pan over low heat, cook and stir until melted.  Add salsa, cilantro, cumin, salt, and garlic powder, stir until smooth.  Stir in chicken, remove from heat.  -unfold pie crusts, remove plastic film.  Rollout slightly on lightly floured surface.  Cut crusts into 3 inch rounds using biscuit cutter or drinking glass.  Reroll pie crusts scraps and cut enough additional to equal 20 rounds.  -Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place about 2 tsp. chicken mixture in the center of each round.  Brush edges lightly with water.  Pull one side of dough over filling to form half circle, pinch edges to seal.  -Place 10-12 empanadas on foil-lined baking sheet, brush lightly with egg.  Bake 16-18 min. or until slightly brown.  Serve with salsa.  Note: Empanadas can be prepared ahead of time and frozen.  Simply wrap unbaked empanadas with plastic wrap and freeze.  To bake, follow directions baking 18-20 min.  Makes 10 appetizer servings. 

Guacamole: A,  4 tbsp chopped white onion, 1 1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 2 seeded and sliced jalapenos, 1/4 tsp chopped garlic, 2 large avocados,1 peeled and chopped tomato, 2 tsp lime juice, 1/4 tsp salt, combine–makes 2 cups.

(Week 8) Mr. Couldn’t Say No to an 8 yr. old Girl March 10, 2010

Cooking our way through calorie laden food is only one of our goals this year.  We are also training to run our first 1/2 marathon (13.1 baby!).  Not sure who’s idea it was exactly (at times we have taken turns blaming one another for signing us up for this adventure).    However, we are almost there!  The run is in just a few weeks and this was our first week doing a double digit training run.

It occurred to us that just maybe we should cook healthy this week.  I had some amazing homemade tomato soup this week (first time I have ever had tomato soup!  What can I say, I was a picky child).  I thought we could try and recreate this  yummy soup while cooking light.  Only problem, I didn’t have the actual recipe.  I found a substitute recipe online for a soup that was only 58 calories per serving, excellent!  Being overly ambitious toward health at this point, we decided to make a double batch to enjoy for the entire week.  I found a chicken satay recipe to accompany the soup and we decided to edit the recipe by subtracting the breading to save calories.

Sounds like we were on the right track to becoming a healthy culinary bore, right?  Well, fast forward through an enjoyable dinner, filled with fresh veggies to repair our bodies after the long run, and you will see us finishing off two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that Mr. came home with YESTERDAY.  Yes, thats right, YESTERDAY.  It took us less then 48 hours to kill two boxes of GS cookies.  I was so ticked off!

Later that week, we returned to the store and those cute little girls tried to sell us a box of cookies.  We bravely walked by them and stood strong.  My “No Thank You!” response probably came out more like a shout.  In actuality, I was trying to convince myself, Mr., and the little Girl Scout that I could in fact say  to an 8 yr. old girl selling the world’s most delicious cookies!

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Soup: B, The calories and veggies content were perfect.  I would use less liquid overall because it seemed to watery.  Also, adda little extra vinger.  We saw later it was supposed to be served cold, but we served ours warm.  Not quite as flavorful as we had hoped-but it warmed up well all week and tasted better each day.

Chicken Skewers with Thai Chili Sauce: A, SUPER EASY, probably one of the easiest recipes yet.  We made ours without the breading, but it sounds good either way!

(Week 7) Baseball, Grilling, and Infomercials – The American Dream March 10, 2010

Baseball, sunshine,  and grilling are one of those perfect trios that exist in America.  And thus, after getting our first warm day in months and spending it at the ball fields where Mr. was coaching, our menu was set in stone.  It was time to dust off the grill and cook caveman style, over an open flame.  We agreed on Weber’s Blue Cheese Burgers and spicy grilled vegetables with sorbet for desert.  Because Mr. handles the grill so well, I focused on dessert. 

As funny as this is going to sound, the dessert was inspired by a Montel Williams infomercial.  The other day I had paused on a channel in disbelief.  I couldn’t believe that Montel was still on t.v.  In the same sense, it creeps me out that Maury Povich is still on t.v.  These old guys were around when I was young.  The thought of them hosting racy talk-shows is like the thought of watching someone’s grandpa talk about sex–awkward and wrong!

On that particular day Montel was actually promoting a blender called the HealthMaster, with a mock studio audience, set-up like his talk-show.  I’m not sure why he had stooped to an infomercial low (now that I think about it, this is actually a step in a better direction for him!)  but my mind was numbed long enough to watch him create fresh sorbet in a matter of seconds and I wanted that machine.  Darn it, I had been sold.

No, I did not actually purchase the HealthMaster, but I did look up a recipe for sorbet.  It’s almost disappointing (to myself) that I was inspired by a washed up talk show host who was peddling kitchen products.  Though I admit, I have at one time or another purchased Aqua Globes, Bendaroos, Strap Perfect, Wonder Hanger, ShamWOW, Pedi Paws, and Smooth Away.

Look, I know you know what I am talking about, it has happened to the best of us.  Just because Montel wasn’t the one selling the ShamWOW that dosen’t make you better then me, I know you watched and wanted.

Recipes and Ratings:

Bleu Cheese Burgers: B+,   The quasi grill bible (Webers) explained that it was best to push your thumb in to the middle of the hamburger patties before grilling.  I had seen the imprint on burgers before, where someone had pressed their finger, but I never knew why.  In case you too are baffled by this mystery, let me clue you in.  The middle of a burger will tend to plump up higher then the rest of the burger when grilled.  This leaves it in a less then perfect shape to sit flat on a bun with a tower of topping.  By pressing in to the middle, when it plumps back up, it is more level with the rest of the burger.  Makes sense to me!

Recipe not online, quick version:  1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, 2 tsp bleu cheese, black pepper-mix together and make patties.  Grill, serve on bun with more blue cheese!

South-of-the-border Vegetable Kabobs: B, the recipe called for a blanching of the vegetables.  I read about the process of dipping from hot to cold water and it is supposed to help the veggies hold their color and a bit of texture.  The corn needed to cook much longer then the other vegetables on the grill and it came out hard in the end.  Making this recipe without the corn would simplify things.  You could probably skip the blanching part and cook the other vegetables quicker!

Recipe not online, quick version-set aside 3 tomatoes (thick sliced), 1 zucchini (cut lengthwise), and 1 cup carrots.  Mix 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup A1 bold and spicy steak sauce, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, 3/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp red pepper.  Thread veggies on a kebob stick or place in tinfoil.  Brush with sauce.  Grill over medium heat 7-9 minutes-turn and baste often.

Pineapple Orange Sorbet: A-, not as easy at Montel made it look, but still pretty darn easy.  I like the recipe because you could change it up with dif. fruit and have hundreds of flavors for summer.  Caution, it is probably obvious to the world but there is actually a freeze step in the recipe that takes a few hours.  Hmm, messed that one up and we had to enjoy it the next night.  Opps.