Happenings

I firmly believe that things happen when they happen for a reason.

For example, something very exciting for me happened a couple of weeks ago. After years of searching (apparently in the wrong damn places), I found someone that was instrumental to my childhood years. I lost track of this person after my freshman year of college (18 years ago - oh. my. god.) until two weeks ago or so when on a fluke, I found this person's father's name on the web.

Honestly, if this person and family hadn't been in my life, I would swear more like a sailor than a truck driver. Amazing, considering that we were only together (although joined at the hip whenever possible) for two years, one of which we didn't like each other the whole time because of....A BOY (gasp!). Now I need to ask if she remembers the boy's name.

Once we get to know each other again, I will see how this person feels about my talking about our relationship here.

However, I do have to share this. She moved many miles away one summer and we didn't get to see each other again for YEARS. But we did keep in touch, writing letters, making the occasional phone call. I can't remember which school year it was (I know it was at least 8th grade but may have been 9th), a local family was going to visit her family and invited me along for the ride. I remember her brother driving us batshit the whole time...and I remember her mother buying us matching magenta sweaters, black leggings (hot back then, I tell ya), belts, and hair accessories so we could hang out as twins for Halloween.

Have mercy on me. I kept that sweater until 1995, and EVEN WORE IT ON OCCASION, until a rather large hole finally worked its way through the left armpit. Even then, I cringed as I disposed of it.

(giggling uncontrollably over here)

I wonder if she still has a picture of that. If so and I can get a copy, I promise I will share, if she agrees.

Anyway. Back to things happening for a reason.

Something made me give The Gidge a puppy cut on Sunday evening, because I felt that 8 hours on my feet JUST. WASN'T. ENOUGH. For those of you that don't know what a puppy cut is and have a long-haired dog, ask your groomer for a puppy cut the next time you go and watch the eyebrows rapidly fly toward the ceiling before the groomer tries to talk you out of it.

You've seen The Gidge - she's usually pretty fluffy due to her mixed breeds of shih tzu and papillon. This is an already-starting-to-grow-out puppy cut.

She was mad at me for a good 24 hours, seriously. And cold. Very cold.

(giggling like a loon again)

Bad momma. Bad momma.

Anyway (again), when I got to her hind legs, I found nasty mats that the comb had missed, primarily because The Gidge hates to be brushed or combed. She barely tolerates a regular plastic comb like my dad used to use and refuses to be touched by a slicker brush or any other type of brush that would be used on a normal dog. Normal being the operative word, of course.

Something told me I needed to make my dog nearly bald and when the haircut was nearly over, I found bad mats that would have most likely needed to be cut out, anyway. So there you go.

And finally. I had intended to attempt the recipe below last night, but when I got home later than normal thanks to having to pick these up:

(Am I officially old now? These replace my dress orthotics, which gave out on me)

I just didn't feel like cooking anything and ate leftover pizza for dinner instead. Naturally, I didn't decide that I didn't feel like cooking until I had taken two chicken breasts out and defrosted them.

I forgot about the chicken breasts hanging out in the sink. Until this morning.

So, without further ado, here's a tasty and light lunch or dinner for ya. It makes a lot, so cut the recipe in half or you better like leftovers. A lot.

It's similar to primavera, so that's what I am running with for the name.


Pasta Primavera with Cannellini Beans

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup carrot coins
1/2 cup zucchini coins
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1-15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups uncooked rice pasta
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp fresh basil, torn into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, boil the carrot coins until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter and olive oil over low heat in a large, deep skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook until garlic just starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the green beans and zucchini; increase the heat to medium and cover the pan. Saute for 5 minutes or until the beans are just starting to get tender. Remove the cover and add the cooked carrots and drained beans.

Now is a good time to start cooking the rice pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Pour in the chicken stock and wine and stir in the tomato paste; bring to a boil and then continue to cook over medium-high to high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn off the heat; add the tomatoes, cooked pasta, and cheese and toss to coat. Sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper, and serve.

Comfort food can be ugly

I was in sore need of comfort food this evening. You see, I noticed something horrifying this afternoon.

The Gidge is in heat.

Oh. My. God.

My little girl is growing up.

So after loading my face with dinner, and now typing this, I will head off to PetCo to get...dog diapers.

Sweet Salmon with Cheesy Garden Vegetables

I only made one piece of salmon, so that's what these measurements are for.

For the salmon:

1 salmon fillet

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

A pinch of ground ginger

1 tbsp butter, melted

For the vegetables:

1/2 a large zucchini, sliced into coins and then chopped into quarters (about 1 cup)

8 plum tomatoes, quartered

1 large potato (courtesy of the neighbor who grows them in big buckets), cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a drop of olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish and smear it around with a paper towel. Place the salmon fillet in the dish.

Combine the remaining salmon ingredients in a small bowl. Liberally spread the glaze over the salmon; place the salmon in the oven and bake until it flakes easily with a fork (10-25 minutes depending on the thickness).

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potato and cover; stir occasionally. When the potatoes are nearly done (just starting to get fork-tender), add the zucchini and cover again. Stir occasionally. When both the potatoes and zucchini are cooked through, add the tomatoes and remove the skillet from the heat. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes so the existing heat in the pan warms the tomatoes. Add the cheese to the top, allow a minute for the cheese to melt, and serve.

Makes 2 Sheri-sized servings (1 for a person with a big appetite).

A yummy recipe and other tales

Tonight I made another recipe from Carol's new book, but I will get to that momentarily.

The Stepson drove his car up here for the first time yesterday. He fixed it up with help from his grandfather and stepdad. I am quite proud of him - we were afraid we were going to see a rust-bucket when he finally got it up here.

Somebody has new clothes.

Ever think about buying a dog car seat? They're ridiculously expensive. The Gidge doesn't like to ride in the car unless she can see out the windows, so when we go somewhere, she's riding in my lap, putting her paws on the steering wheel, and just generally getting in the way of safe driving. So I started looking into a car seat for her.

I can't remember what the website was that put it into my head that I could make one. But it's simple - buy a tote big enough around for the dog to lay down comfortably, cut holes in it for the seatbelt to feed through, fill it with foam, and put a cover on it. That's exactly what I did, and this is what I ended up with.

I attached a thin leash to the headrest of the seat and have now gotten a harness for her to wear and to hook it to (when we tested it out last night, I was afraid she was going to hang herself if she tried to jump off the seat). On the test drive, she whimpered for the first couple of blocks because she couldn't get at me, but once she realized she could see out the windows.... Ladies and gentlemen, we have a success!

I have begun wearing aprons when I cook. More often than not, I am wearing a white shirt. I make a mess when I cook.

I have a lot of stained white shirts.

I had one apron with my name on it that I got years ago, but I wanted a couple more. Here's the latest:

This is the last recipe I will post from "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy." Honestly, this book has a lot of good stuff in it and I bet I will find more that I enjoyed as much as I did this one. The salsa has just a tinge of sweetness from honey so it went with the salmon wonderfully.

I changed things a bit to suit what I had in the house, so I have added those changes in italics.

Teriyaki Salmon with Tomato-Cucumber Salsa
From "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy" by Carol Fenster, PhD

Salmon:

4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (I used this)

Tomato-cucumber salsa:

1/4 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 diced English cucumber (I used a normal cucumber from the garden)
1 tbsp rice vinegar (I used regular distilled white vinegar)
1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 tsp canola oil or sesame oil (I used canola)
1/4 tsp table salt (I used sea salt)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint (I skipped because I didn't have any)

Place the salmon in a heavy-duty food storage bag. Add the teriyaki sauce, seal the bag, and refrigerate, making sure that the salmon is coated with the marinade.

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl, tossing well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if you are making it several hours ahead. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Heat a grill to medium (I used a plain ol' frying pan). Remoe the salmon from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the salmon, skin side down, until it reaches the desired degree of doneness. Remove the salmon from the heat and serve immediately with the salsa.

Go get the book. Really.

Where the *BLEEP* have I been?

Ever noticed that life seems to enjoy conspiring against your wishes? By being totally cool?

Harry Potter. The last book rocks. But before I would allow myself to read it, I had to go back and read the other six books. Because I am totally weird that way. Before I see the current movie, I am compelled to watch all the previous ones first. Which I haven't done yet, because we recently got a satellite dish and I have been DVRing and watching all the Good Eats episodes on Food Network.

Courtesy of the publisher, I recently received a copy of Carol Fenster's new cookbook, "Gluten-Free Quick & Easy." Before I start picking out recipes to try, I have to read the whole thing through, cover to cover. I tried the first one tonight, which I will get to in a bit.

Sensing a pattern here? Just Not Dinner, aka Anal Are Us.

Amy's sent me some samples this week - thankfully, they're all products I have never had, namely because I have not seen them in any of my local stores. Maybe they'll read this and fix that little problem. I have eaten one and not been totally impressed. But again, I will get to that later.

We have begun working in earnest on this year's Haunted Barn. I spent several hours on Sunday covered in cobwebs and other unappetizing things while cleaning out what was left behind by the critters that inhabit the place in the off-season. Ew.

Last week Friday, someone I admire a great deal asked me to cook all of her meals for her. She is following the LA Weight Loss diet plan - quite successfully, I might add. However, she loathes cooking. Eating healthy and well and no cooking do not go hand-in-hand very well. So I have begun a new venture - private/personal chefdom. On Sundays, I make 3 meals per day for Monday through Wednesday, and on Wednesdays, I make 3 meals per day for Thursday and Friday (and sometimes the weekends, too).

God, PLEASE let my parents bring me my dishwasher.

While the foods I am cooking for her fit quite nicely into the gluten-free lifestyle, for the most part, it's all pretty bland for my tastes. The diet plan only allows so many condiments, fat, and dairy per day. When I come up with something truly magnificent (and there will be), rest assured that it will show up here.

But now.

I tried the Amy's GF mac and cheese. Eh. The pasta was too mushy for me and the sauce seemed gritty. It might have seemed weird to me because I didn't put my normal ketchup on it (I know - shut up!); I wanted to taste it by itself. It's not a bad product, but it's not something I would buy. But then, I rarely (even in my gluten days) eat packaged mac and cheese without some major doctoring.

More Amy's down the road as I eat my way through the samples.

Carol Fenster's new book. I like it. If you're looking for gluten-free dinners that can be put together in a hurry, this is the book for you. The only thing I have found that I don't like is that the side dishes chapter is pretty thin compared to the other chapters.

I made the Balsamic Marinated Sirloin Steaks tonight. I put the meat into the marinade at 6 this morning so it had plenty of time to soak in. My mistake, most likely, was that I used a piece of meat that probably needed 24 hours in the marinade to do it justice - a buffalo steak. The game-y taste (which I like, by the way) overpowered the marinade, even though I made the full recipe for only 1 steak. So, when I make this again, I will try a beef sirloin and I expect better results.

No picture - I had to cook the steak so long to get it done that the outside was a bit charred (nearly 2" thick - I won't do that again).

Balsamic Marinated Sirloin Steaks
From Gluten-Free Quick & Easy by Carol Fenster

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 sirloin steaks (6 ounces each) or similar cut

Combine the wine, oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper in a heavy-duty food storage bag. Add the steaks, seal the bag, and shake to blend the ingredients. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the beef from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Discard the marinade.

Heat a barbecue grill to medium heat. Sprinkle the steaks with the remaining 1 tsp salt and grill them to the desired degree of doneness. Remove the steaks from the grill and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Necessity is the mother of invention

I finished making the last of the cherry jam this morning and also did 2 batches of blueberry. You can imagine the color of the skin around my fingernails after all that - a nice purple. So I painted my nails lavender to set it off. I can't remember the last time I painted my fingernails - I know it was well before we brought The Gidge home. There was a time where I had them done every 2 weeks without fail, but I found that there are more important things to spend my money on than that. Namely, good food for me and the zoo. And The Man, I guess LOL

Blog Title Reason #1:

No matter what I tried, I could not keep The Gidge out of the cat boxes. Yesterday morning, I finally went and bought 2 baby gates to block off the bedroom with the secondary litter box and also the second bedroom, which is where she likes to "go" when she's being a BAD DOG.

I also bought 3 window screens, some screws, and L brackets. The Man thought I was nuts, but the guy at Ace Hardware thinks I should patent this idea. When I got home with my loot, I screwed the screens together, put the brackets on to resemble feet, stretched the side screens as far as they'd go, and set it in place.

I then trained Baby and Vester that it's okay to jump over the baby gates and the screens by throwing treats and favorite toys inside until they got in and out easily.

I rule - The Man drools.

Blog Title Reason #2:

Once again, I found a recipe to tweak on Epicurious, but I didn't have an ingredient. So I substituted. I searched all over the fridge and cabinets to come up with something to use, but this was all I could find. You'll figure it out when you get that far, believe me.

Sometimes I scare me. Actually, most of the time I scare me.

Orange Roughy with Dijon-Butter Sauce

Based on a recipe on Epicurious.com

1 pound orange roughy fillets

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp lemonade

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and place the fillets inside. Bake in the oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 10-15 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the fillets).

Place the butter, mustard, worcestershire, and lemonade in small saucepan; heat over low heat until butter is melted and the ingredients have been whisked together to make a sauce. Remove from the heat and add the parsley.

Plate the fish and pour the desired amount of sauce over.

Yes, I like a little potato with my sour cream :-)~

Lemonade isn't just for drinking with vodka anymore...

Worth waiting for

A hellish week for cooking. Storms every evening, downpours. Hot as Hades. I just didn't have the motivation to cook anything, even in the microwave! Even with my new cookware! The most I made to break it in was a patty melt last night. For the most part, I have been existing on sandwiches made with my new favorite bread (see previous post).

Until this evening.

I found the original recipe online this morning at http://www.epicurious.com/. I spend a lot of time on this site and Food Network's, but rarely make any recipes as written. However, on a side note, if you like sweet barbecue sauce, you gotta try this one (I put it on country pork ribs last Sunday and Oh. My. God.).





Now, back to my original thoughts. I stewed and salivated over my imagined dinner all through work. I got sidetracked by a trip to PetCo (20 minutes one way), so including some grocery shopping, I didn't get home until nearly 7 PM. Kind of late to start dinner, especially when you have a puppy and two annoyed cats all looking for attention from their momma.





But I decided I would just attempt to stay up later than normal (I hate going to bed with a full tummy because I sleep miserably) and stick with the plan. And my heavens, was it worth not cooking all week to be able to eat this tonight.







Poached Eggs on Salmon Hash


Based on a recipe from Bon Appetit on Epicurious





4 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped


1/2 cup red onion, diced


1/2 cup green pepper, diced


1 clove garlic, minced


2 tbsp sour cream


1 tbsp prepared horseradish


1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard


2 tbsp butter


2 tbsp olive oil


3 cups frozen hash browns


2 eggs


Salt


Pepper





Melt the butter and the oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hash browns, onion, green pepper, and garlic; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper (a pinch will do unless you're a salt fiend, which I am not). Cook the potato mixture until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.





Poach the 2 eggs. If you want a fool-proof method, use this. It has never failed me.





In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, horseradish, and dijon mustard. Add this mixture and the salmon to the skillet. Toss with the potatoes and cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes.





Split the potato mixture between 2 plates. Top each mound with a poached egg and a grind or two of fresh cracked pepper.

Using what I have

I hope everyone had an uneventful holiday - all body parts intact, all car parts intact, no visits to the local jail, no visits to the local hospital, no glutening, etc.



This was my first GF holiday where I had to go somewhere else to eat (well, that I can think of right now, anyway). Every year we go to this same house and everyone brings a dish to pass, while the hosts take care of the hamburgers, hot dogs and brats. I planned ahead by bringing my toasted Grandma Ferdon's hamburger bun wrapped in foil and a caprese salad, so I knew I could have something other than a burger.



The guy at the grill just happens to be a good friend of The Man, so he already knows (if not understands) what I have to do to eat. He graciously gave me the first burger off the grill, before he started scooping the rest onto the hamburger buns that waited a table away.



So I had a hamburger and a big scoop of caprese salad (which disappeared quickly, by the way). I spied the fresh fruit trays sitting a short distance away from Mrs. M's baked beans. I snaked some grapes, raspberries and melon while eyeballing those beans.



I love homemade baked beans. Really, really love them. Mrs, M's beans run neck-and-neck with the ones my parents make. And GACK to the canned ones, IMHO.



I must have been standing there staring for a while because Mrs. M. walked over to see if I needed anything. I explained my issue and asked if she would be willing to tell me exactly what she put in them. Not only did she list the ingredients, she told me brand names of what she used. Holy crap - I could eat them! Even the bacon she used was gluten free.



Someone up there is looking out for me. Hi, Nana J!



So, I ate really well. Things were going swimmingly until I realized that the back of my head was being fried by the mid-afternoon sun. This was not a good thing, and not because of sunburn (I am white as a ghost on purpose - I know too many people that have had skin cancer removed, so I load up on the sunblock if I am going outside after 10 AM). Sure enough, a half hour after moving into the shade, I was slammed with a migraine. So I hopped in the car and drive the 3 blocks home (no snide comments LOL we had a big cooler and food to bring).



Naturally, I had no Relpax in the house, so I ate 1000 mg of ibuprofen, ate a carton of yogurt to make sure it didn't rip my insides apart, and crawled into bed with The Gidge. Naturally, she didn't cooperate. Barked up a storm. So I strapped an ice pack to my head and took her outside to play fetch until she crashed. FOUR HOURS LATER.



This morning, I ran an errand for my mother (sorry mom, no dice on the dress) and got back just in time to say good-bye to The Man, who was heading to the Dells area in Wisconsin with a couple of friends. Their mission? I quote: "We're going to check on the pontoon boat." Whatever. We all know that they're going to be ON the pontoon boat in the lake with a cooler of beer. LOL



It's just me, The Gidge, and my boys. We napped all afternoon and then I started planning my dinner, since I ate a large omelet for a late breakfast (I was starving when we woke up around 3). I went down to our chest freezer to see what I have meatwise and ended up cleaning the thing out while I thought about what I wanted to eat. I decided to check out the garden and hooked up The Gidge to her lead. Out we went to see what we could see (and pee 4 times, in Gidget's case). I came in with a head of broccoli that should have been eaten 2 days ago, 10 green beans, 10 cherry tomatoes, and a fistful of parsley. What the heck could I do with that?



I set my bounty in a colander in the sink under running water and started rummaging through my cabinets. I found a 3-oz package of tuna, half a package of Tinkyada penne, half a head of garlic, and some red pepper flakes. And viola - we have dinner!


My ingredient measures are literally what I had in the house, so feel free to adjust as you like.






Garden Bounty Pasta



6 ounces GF penne pasta (or whatever you have)
3 oz package tuna packed in water
10 green beans, cleaned and cut in half
10 cherry tomatoes, cleaned and cut in half
1 small head broccoli, cleaned and cut into florets
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tbsp fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Salt



Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a stock pot. Add a good pinch of salt. Make an ice water bath in another bowl and set near the stove (6 cups water, lots of ice). Place the broccoli and green beans in the boiling water and let them blanch for 2 minutes, then remove them from the pot and plunge them directly into the ice bath. Once cool, drain the broccoli and beans on a paper towel and set aside.



Bring the same pot of water back to a boil (I don't know about you, but I know a lot of nutrients end up in the boiling water, so I like to reuse it for my pasta. If you don't want to do this, start a fresh pot) and prepare the pasta according to package directions.



In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Turn off the heat - you want to infuse the oil but not burn the pepper and garlic. When the pasta is cooked and draining (SAVE 4 TBSP OF THE PASTA WATER), fire up the heat under the skillet again and add the broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, and tuna. Add the reserved pasta water. Add the drained pasta and toss all together. Remove from the heat and add the parsley and cheese. Toss again and serve with crusty bread and butter.


Well, the bread should be crusty. If the butter is crusty, you might want to throw it out.

(snort)

I'm now going to try to find the K-Too chocolate sandwich cookies I have stashed around here somewhere. Doesn't an "Oreo" Blizzard-like item sound dang good right now?

Show & Tell

I love my stove (basically a 2-year-old version of this). I got it to replace my first Kitchenaid stove, which died on me less than 2 weeks before The Stepson's junior high graduation party. Oh, the horror. Add the limping-along fridge into that mix and you get 2 new appliances.

One of the best parts of my stove is one that rarely gets used.

Looks like a normal stove grate, right?

Shazaam! It's a wok ring. Handy, huh?

I whipped together a quick and simple stir fry for dinner tonight, since The Gidge didn't give me any other option. The Man has batting practice and TWO softball games, so I was on my own for dinner. He wouldn't eat this, anyway.

Slightly untraditional in my veggie choices, but it's what I had.

Quick Chicken Stir Fry

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 zucchini, sliced

1 8 oz package button mushrooms

6 green onions, sliced

1 small package snow peas

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp + 1/4 cup water

1/8 cup GF tamari sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat your wok (or large skillet) over high heat. Add the olive oil; when the oil is hot, add the chicken. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.

Place the veggies into the wok and cook until softened (doesn't take long!). Add 1/4 cup water to help steam the veggies. When the veggies are softened to your liking, add the chicken back into the wok. Turn off the heat.

Combine the cornstarch, tamari and remaining 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Pour over the food in the wok; toss to coat. Serve over white or brown rice.

And now....

I am so proud . About 2 weeks ago, I hung bells on the doorknob to the back door, which leads to the enclosed porch, and by the back-back door, which leads to the backyard.

Tonight, The Gidge rang the bells on the back door to go out.

Now, if I could just get her to stop dining in the a la carte line. That's her to the left, right after I yelled at her for snacking.

Long summery days

This weekend, we got some stuff done around here. The Man mowed the grass twice (we hate bagging), cleaned the back porch, and laid more sand down on the brick patio. He also caught up the laundry.

The Stepson got gas money in exchange for washing my SUV, inside and out, and cleaning off my clotheslines.

I weeded, watered, thinned out onions, and cleaned the house. And basked in my little empire by taking a 4 hour nap with the Gidge this afternoon. So now my butt is dragging on the floor and she's totally fired up.

I had taken out a beef roast to make for dinner tonight, but naturally The Man screwed up those plans by making OTHER plans to go to a friend's house to watch the Sopranos. Because, you know, you need to hang out for 2 hours before the show starts. So I put the roast into the fridge for tomorrow and rooted through the cabinets and fridge to see what I could find to eat. After grabbing bags and boxes, I got to work. And if it tasted like crap, well, there was always cheesecake!

I will have to upload the picture later; Flickr is being a PITA.

Fusilli with Two Beans

8 oz fusilli pasta (I use Tinkyada)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (retain juice)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1/2 a green pepper, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt
1/4 cup pecorino romano, finely grated
1 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat; add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and green pepper; saute until just beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt; stir.

Drain the beans. Add them to the skillet; reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, just to heat the beans through. Pour the pasta into the skillet, along with the basil and pecorino romano. Toss gently to coat and serve.



And no, I didn't need to eat cheesecake for dinner. Why is it that very often, the most spontaneous, come-out-of-your-butt recipes taste better than something you've slaved over for hours?

Shh... Did you hear that?

That nasty crackling, painful sound? It might be a very faint sound on your end.... It's the hardening of my arteries after tonight's dinner LOL

I have a love-hate relationship with vacations from work. I love not having to rush around in the morning, being able to spend much time with the zoo, cooking whatever I want, regardless of prep or cook time. I hate not knowing what's going on and dread the piles of paperwork upon my return to the office.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I love getting to take a nap every day? I am such a slacker.

The Man was also off today as he was on call for Memorial Day. His company is kind enough to give a "floating holiday" if they work on a major holiday. The poor guy had a hellish Memorial Day because his phone seemed to ring and ring and ring.... He slept in this morning and then took a 4-hour nap this afternoon, waking up just in time to grab his softball shirt and head out the door for batting practice.

Needless to say, he missed dinner. One that he would have loved, with his affection for anything and everything unhealthy. I personally don't allow myself to eat like this very often because I am trying to fix what's broke, but tonight it was a craving that wouldn't be satisfied by anything else.

So, if you hear any crackling, don't panic. No one is crawling through your bushes. It's me, over here in Illinois.

Patty Melts

3 hamburger patties

6 slices bread (I used Enjoy Life's Rye-less Rye)

4 tbsp butter plus more for spreading

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 bottle GF beer (I used Redbridge)

1 tbsp olive oil

3 slices swiss cheese

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Place the hamburger patties on a plate and sprinkle the top sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the GF bread slices and set aside.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat; add 2 tbsp butter and the olive oil. Once the butter is melted, pour in 1/2 cup beer. Add the patties seasoned-side down and then sprinkle salt and pepper on the tops. Fry in the beer, butter and olive oil until cooked to your liking (don't use my 6 minutes total as a guide because I like my beef RAW).

In a small skillet, melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it's melted, add 1/4 cup beer and the onions. Saute until onions are soft. Set aside.

To make the patty melts, spread each slice of toasted bread with butter. On 3 slices (turn them upside-down so you put everything on the un-buttered side), place a burger patty, then a good scoop of onions, then a slice of cheese. Top with a slice of bread (butter side facing up). Repeat with the other sandwiches.

Heat a third skillet (sorry, this is one of those recipes where I pray for my parents to pull into my driveway with my dishwasher - no, that hasn't happened yet) over low to medium heat. Place the sandwiches (butter side down, remember?) into the skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is equally browned.

Take a bite. Debate calling your former-paramedic neighbor to come and hang out, just in case.

You always remember the first time...

...you eat something that rocks. I made a roast chicken, some smashed red potatoes, and wanted a veggie for dinner. I had a seedless cucumber and some grape tomatoes, so I decided to wander the store this afternoon to see what I could throw in with them to make a salad. I came out with a jicama.

So here was my sidedish with dinner.

Tomato, Cucumber & Jicama Salad

12 grape tomatoes, cut in halves

1/2 a seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2" coins

1/2 a jicama, cut into matchsticks

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced fresh basil

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Combine the vegetables in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the juice of 1 lemon, the olive oil, the basil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Whisk with a fork and then pour over the vegetables. Lightly mix and serve.

Hoarding

I am a bad, bad blogger. I have been cranking out some pretty good stuff since Friday at 5 PM. How horrible of me to not blog about it! I guess I have some fairly good reasons:

--Demon Dog demands attention constantly.

--I got A LOT of yard work done, enough that we can finally get mulch laid down in the flower beds.

--Demon Dog demands attention constantly.

--I installed 2 fountains in the landscaping.

--We attended a Memorial Day breakfast at our neighbors while the parade went past our home for the first, and probably only, time.

--I assisted my sister-in-law in weeding, cleaning up, and planting flowers at the family gravesites.

--Demon Dog demands attention constantly.

But now, without further ado, I am posting Friday night's dinner. It was really, really good, but too spicy (not hot spicy, but spice spicy) for my stomach, so I unfortunately paid for eating like a pig. It's a Rachael Ray (gasp! But hey, when you're in a hurry to put something in your gullet, you have to acknowledge that she can crank out grub dang quick) recipe that I adapted slightly.

Chicken Burgers on Teff No-Knead Bread

Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika

1 tbsp grill seasoning blend

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (from my garden - how exciting!)

1/2 a medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

8 slices teff no-knead bread

Butter

2 cups fresh baby spinach

4 slices provolone cheese

Using a food processor or meat grinder, grind the chicken breasts into...well, ground chicken. Add the paprika, grill seasoning, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and pepper; get your hands into the bowl (wash them first!) and mix well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, then cut into 4 equal pieces. Take each piece and form it into a burger patty of your preferred size.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, drizzle a little more olive oil (another tablespoon, maybe) into the pan and then add the patties. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness, (or until cooked all the way through.

Toast the slices of bread and then butter them lightly. Split the spinach between 4 of the slices and place the patties on the other 4. Top each patty with a slice of cheese, then marry the tops (with the spinach) with the bottoms to create sandwiches.

Serve with potato wedges.

A way to stretch your boxed mac & cheese

Back in high school, I used to babysit - A LOT - for one specific family. With the parents working and going to school, I think I saw those kids more than their mom and dad did. One of the meals they used to have me fix for dinner was "goulash" to them - they didn't have a lot of money, so this was something I could give the kids for dinner and the parents could eat off of themselves for lunch for a few days.

I kind of lost my taste for it because I ate it so often. For some reason, though, today I wanted it. Or I should say my version of it. So here it is - kinda cheeseburger mac-y, kinda not. Sorry - didn't time anything tonight.

Mac & Cheese Stretched Thin

1 pound ground sirloin (or ground chicken or ground pork or ground turkey - you get the idea)

1 box macaroni and cheese (I use Annie's GF)

2 4-ounce cans mushrooms

1/2 a red onion, diced

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp yellow mustard

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp butter (only if your mac and cheese mix doesn't call for it)

In a skillet, brown the ground meat with a pinch of sea salt and pepper; when it's halfway cooked through, add the diced onion. While the meat and onion are cooking (it's done when the meat is cooked through and the onion is soft and translucent), cook the mac and cheese according to package directions. Drain the mushrooms and set aside.

When the meat and onion are done and the mac and cheese is ready, melt the butter (if not part of the mac and cheese instructions) in a pot large enough to hold the pasta and meat together. Add the meat, onions, pasta, mushrooms, ketchup, mustard and cheese to the butter and stir well. Continue to heat on low until mushrooms are cooked through and the additional cheese is melted.

Berry salad

We had a big dinner last Saturday - honey barbecue ribs, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and rolls for the men of the house. On the weekends, I enjoy having dessert but certainly didn't want anything heavy after all that food. Packages of berries were on sale at the grocery store, so I picked up a variety and made do with other stuff I already had in the house in order to throw this together.

Berry Salad

1 pint strawberries - cleaned, hulled and halved

1 pint raspberries - cleaned

1 pint blackberries - cleaned

1/2 pint blueberries - cleaned

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (1 orange, juiced)

The zest of one orange

Combine the berries in a bowl and set aside. Zest and then juice an orange. Add the honey and zest to the juice and mix well. Pour over the berries and gently combine so the raspberries and blackberries don't fall apart.

I bet this would be awesome over ice cream or GF angel food cake.

Potato Fans

I love potato fans. They're a neat way to eat a potato and you rarely see this done anymore. I made one to go with my honey-lime salmon the other night.

Potato Fan

1 medium-sized potato
2 tsp butter, softened
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried or fresh parsley
A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the butter, garlic powder, salt and parsley. Set aside.

Starting at one end of the potato, cut 3/4 of the way through at 1/4 inch intervals. Do NOT cut all the way through the bottom! Once you have sliced the potato all the way across, use a very small knife to spread the butter mixture between the slices.

Depending on what you're having with your potato fan, you might want to get a head start on cooking it by microwaving it for 2 minutes. If you microwave it, remove from the microwave and place into a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for another 15-18 minutes (depending on the size of the potato) or until cooked through.

Hasta la vista, fajita take 2

Oh yum. I cooked 2 nights in a row. And posted about it! Mark this date down, because heaven only knows when it will happen again.

On a side note, I just watched Gidget do a dive off the couch to get to the floor. It's hysterical - she stretches full-out and lands on all 4 paws. Jump...soar.....thunk. I got a half-hearted attempt on video. She's winding down and is curled up on the blanket next to me as I type.

If I ever figure out how to upload video on here, I will show some action shots of the zoo.

On another side note, since we got her, I have seen more of The Man than I have in the last couple of years, I think. He's actually home and playing with her before I pull into the driveway. It's a nice change of pace around here.

All right. Back to food. I have been making this tweaked Cooking Light fajita recipe for years. With my last Natural Farms order, I got a couple packages of Grandma Ferdon's GF tortillas. I figured I would try them out tonight.

Another Steak Fajita Recipe
Based on a recipe from The Cooking Light Cookbook

2 ribeye steaks
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a red bell pepper
1/2 a yellow bell pepper
1/2 a green bell pepper
1/2 a red onion
1 lime
4 GF tortillas

Slice the steaks into 1/4" strips and place into a zipper bag or bowl. Add the spices and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Seal and shake to coat the meat. Place in the fridge while you prep the veggies.

Clean and slice the peppers and onion into 1/4" strips.

Defrost the tortillas if using frozen, like I did.

In a skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Add the spiced meat and the sliced veggies, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the veggies begin to soften and the meat is cooked as you like it (no more than 8 minutes or you'll have shoe leather).

Slice the lime in half. Squeeze half of the lime over the meat and stir. Turn off the burner and then squeeze the other half of the lime over the meat. Stir well.

Split into 4 portions and place onto your tortillas. Roll 'em up and eat.

And try to keep the dog away from your plate.

Oh, the tortillas. While I don't find them as tasty as the ones I make from scratch, these will definitely do in a pinch and I will keep them on hand.

Variation on a theme

Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks posted this recipe a few days ago, which definitely caught my attention. Believe it or not, though, I am out of brown rice (how the hell did that happen??), no tahini in sight, and a piece of salmon in the fridge that needed to be eaten.

Once upon a time, I really didn't like quinoa. Now, I love it. So this hit on all levels for me last night.

The Man watched Demon Dog (what we call her when she gets wild) so I could color my hair. These moments of peace are some of only a few minutes I have had to myself in over a week. Might as well celebrate with some nummy grub and a re-redded head.

Lemon & Sesame Quinoa with Asparagus & Salmon
Based on a recipe from 101 Cookbooks

1 salmon filet
1 cup red quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
6 asparagus stalks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a small baking dish. Place the salmon in the dish and then sprinkle with sea salt (just a pinch) and pepper. Bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes depending on the size of the piece of salmon. When cooked through (flakes easily with a fork), remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Combine the water and broth in a saucepan. Add 1/4 tsp sea salt and then bring to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, stir to get all grains into the liquid, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.

In another saucepan, bring a cup of water to a boil; add the asparagus pieces and cook only until just tender (about 2-3 minutes depending on how thick the spears are). Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.

Combine sesame oil, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl to create a dressing.

When all are done (salmon, quinoa, asparagus, and dressing), flake the salmon and then add it, the asparagus, and the dressing to the quinoa and toss lightly to combine.

Madness, mayhem, chaos, exhaustion....

Need I say more?

But when you look at this face....


It's all worth it.



Cue the "duh...duh, duh..." music:

"Momma, what's this?"

"Oh, shit. Damn you, Momma!"

As you can imagine, getting in the kitchen to crank out something faster than a salad or sandwich has been nigh impossible with Gidget around. Heck, even sitting down at the keyboard must involve Princess Piddle.

Needless to say, I have been hankering for some real food. Not boxed mac and cheese, not a handful of crackers, not anything that should be eaten standing up so a certain puppy that shall remain nameless can stick her face in your plate or bowl.

Yesterday was filled with the first vet visit for my girl and a chiropractic appointment for me. And lots and lots of naps, both dog and momma. She just kicks my ass. I am supposed to take her visiting at the office this afternoon, but that means I need sustenance.

So I grabbed a Pamela's Wheat-free Bread Mix and managed to turn out focaccia. I ran to the store (gasp - puppy went into the playpen. Yes, we bought a play pen. Shut up.) to pick up a few things that had been making my mouth water with just the thought.

Momma can't live by junk food alone.

Chicken Sandwiches on Focaccia
Makes 2

2 squares focaccia
1 good-sized handful arugula
2 roasted red pepper halves (buy 'em if you don't have time to roast - I sure as hell didn't)
2 slices provolone cheese
2 thin-sliced chicken breasts
Olive oil
Paprika
The juice of 1/2 lemon
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Sea salt
2 tbsp roasted garlic mayo
Thinly sliced red onion

Prepare the chicken first so it has time to marinate: place the breasts in a bowl; drip the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil over the top, then sprinkle paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt. Go lightly here - no more than 1/8 tsp of each and even less of the paprika. Cover and place in the fridge for half an hour.

Drain the roasted red peppers and pat dry. Set aside. Wash the arugula if you haven't already. Dry the leaves either in a salad spinner or on some paper towels, if Gidget hasn't taken off with the roll.

Preheat a skillet on medium heat with about a teaspoon of olive oil; add the chicken and saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (more if you use chicken thicker than 1/2 inch).

Slice the focaccia squares in half through the middle. On the crown, place 1 tbsp of the mayo, then a few rings of red onion, a slice of roasted red pepper, then half of the arugula. Place one chicken breast on each heel and top with a slice of provolone. Combine the tops with the bottoms and inhale delicately.

A Mexican-y lunch

I was in the mood for quesadillas, but I didn't want to make anything I had done before (other than the corn tortillas, of course. Those I will be happy to make again and again). I found a recipe on Epicurious that I liked, but it involved going to the store. So I tweaked it.

This recipe would probably fill eight 6" tortillas, but I made teeny weeny Gidget-sized ones (FYI If I haven't mentioned it already - she comes home Wednesday) because I am betting that this will be damn good as a chip dip. I wanted some left to snack on later.

Pinto Bean & Cojita Quesadillas
Adapted from a recipe found on Epicurious

1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley (better with fresh, I am sure)
1 heaping tsp chili powder
1 scant 1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, peeled
8 corn tortillas
2 cups grated cojita cheese

In a blender or food processor, combine the pinto beans, onion, parsley, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Pulse until well combined but still a little chunky. Place into the fridge for an hour so the flavors can meld.

Prepare your tortillas if you are making them from scratch. If not, hang out for a while. Snuggle with the animals or something.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread a tablespoon or two of the bean mixture onto one tortilla, sprinkle a good amount of cheese (3-4 tablespoons), and then place another tortilla on top. Continue until you either use all your tortillas or the filling is gone.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crispy.

Nothing fancy but sure is good

Happy Friday the 13th!

As promised, I made my pizza for Catherine's round-up last night instead of today...just in case. I don't like to tempt the whammies LOL

On a side note, Gidget's caretaker is going to allow me to bring her home for a few hours whenever I want until we bring her home for good. I really want to get the cats used to her as much as possible before G-day.

Over the last couple of weeks, I thought about the different kinds of pizza that I haven't had since going gluten free. One day, I will attempt a deep-dish Chicago style, but that isn't what I wanted for dinner last night, especially since I wanted to eat before 8:00. So I stopped at the store on the way home, grabbing some scallions and chicken.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 GF pizza crust (I used an Arrowhead Mills mix)
1/2 cup GF barbecue sauce
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 large ball of mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your pizza crust as directed; if you make a crust instead of using prepared, make sure to prebake it since it doesn't take long to bake once you get the toppings on. Spread the barbecue sauce over the top of the crust, arrange the chicken over the sauce, and sprinkle the scallions over the top of the chicken. Place the cheese on top and place into the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.