No Soup for You! "Cream" of Broccoli Soup (?) Take 1

With all the broccoli I bough when it was on sale I proceeded to go about making a bunch of broccoli foods. I also tried to make a batch of cream of broccoli soup. I must admit that broccoli soup is not something I have ever had the interest in personally. I love cream of spinach soup and cream of asparagus soup is on my short list of best foods ever...but somehow I have had zero interest in the broccoli version. This is most likely due to the general addition of cheddar to it. I have never been a fan of cheddar.

However i do not cook for myself only. I live with my sister and her husband and both of them enjoy broccoli soup so i decided that I would try my hand at making some. After all how hard can it be? Now, My sister is a Vegan (70% - so no Vegan Powers sadly), so I needed to make a soup that would not rely on chicken broth or dairy.

So here is a record of my first attempt...

You will need:

A Large pot
A Cutting Board

A Sharp Knife

A Blender or an Immersion Blender

A Measuring cup

A Tablespoon Measuring spoon

Ingredients needed (for ~5 servings - Give or Take):

 2 lbs Broccoli stalks, chopped (roughly 4 Cups) Florets reserved for other uses
1 Onion, diced
2 Leeks, halved and sliced
1 C Diced Celery
1-3 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
6 C Vegetarian Broth (I used Better than Bullion and water)
1 dash Salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Chop the Broccoli, Leeks, Onions, and celery.

Already I was in trouble. I had no leeks on hand (it was kind of spur of the moment when i decided to make soup) and when I went for my celery it was all gross! - Eww!

So what to do? I decided to go ahead with it anyway. How much difference could those 2 ingredients make anyway. I have had ingredients go missing or whatever before, so I fifured in this instance it was no big deal to continue.

2. Place the vegetables and the oil in a soup pot and saute until the onions are translucent. Stirring to prevent burning.  Cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Add the flour to the pot once the vegetables are cooked. Still to coat. Continuing to cook briefly, until the flour begins to color slightly - 5 minutes or so.

4. Add the broth. Add it in batches, stirring between each to prevent the flour from clumping.

As i said, I used Better than Bullion. The jar lists the directions of taking one tsp of Bullion paste and dissolve into one cup of water for every cup of broth you want. Better than bullion is some pretty awesome stuff, but it is kind of hard to measure well. It is very thick (think molasses) so I find the best way to measure it is to either scoop out the spoon after each dip - ie scoop the bullion and then dump it into the bowl (pot etc) and while dumping it out take your (clean) finger and smoosh out the spoon. Or you can try the oily spoon method - where-in you dip the unused measuring spoon in an oil first then measure out the bullion (also works with other sticky thick substances). The Oil Method works pretty well, but adds extra oil to your recipe, which isn't always ok to do.

5. Bring the pot up to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Remove the soup from heat and blend it to a smooth consistency.

You can use an immersion blender if you have one, or you can use a standard upright blender or ninja or whatever kind of blending tool you have. An immersion blender is the best kind of tool for this job. I didn't realize my sister had an immersion blender available so i used the regular blender for this.

Why is a stick blender better? Because the biggest problem you face when blending hot liquids is their risk of explosion. No, seriously! Its dangerous because the hot liquid will expand rapidly when agitated and you can get really hurt. So if you are using a standard blender be sure to only fill the vessel part way (like less than half) and blend in batches. If what you are blending is thick DO NOT attempt to pop the "bubble" that forms in the blender when mixing hot foods. It is still safe to blend, just be smart about it.

Using a stick blender will allow you to blend in the pot preventing the issues of rapid expansion and bubbles from being dangerous.

7. Tada! Soup! Eat and enjoy.

So yeah...I totally didn't have soup at the end of this. I had something that appeared to be gravy. I was perhaps a little heavy on the flour, or maybe I didn't put enough water in. Or maybe i walked away from it for too long (I forgot to set a timer) and too much evaporated. For whatever reason my end result was WAY thicker than soup is supposed to be.

With some trepidation I took a taste. Freaking Delicious! Holy Crap! My brother in law had arrived shortly after I finished the product and announced his intentions to make a batch of mashed potatoes and top them with the "Cream" of  Broccoli Non-Soup. So totally awesome. We ate it all.

Moral of the story....

Sometimes you really do need all the ingredients to make the dish.

Don't give up on a dish if it doesn't turn out the way you intended.

Spicy Blanched Broccoli

So we know you can eat Broccoli Baked and of course you can eat it raw...How else can you prepare it?!  How about Blanched?

I'm not talking about the Golden Girls here...its a legitimate way to cook vegetables. And its fairly easy.

Blanching is a cooking method where-in you immerse a raw food into boiling water for a brief period of time, draining it and then arresting the cooking process by immersing it in ice water. As mentioned before - broccoli is best only lightly cooked.

You will need:

A Large pot
A Colander
A Container with a tight fitting lid
A small bowl (for mixing the dressing)
A larger bowl (for the ice water bath)

Ingredients needed (for 1 serving):

1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1-3 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1-3 tsp Hot Chili Paste
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Diced Garlic
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 dash Salt
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted

Ice Cubes

Directions.

1. Fill the large pot with slightly salted water. Bring it to a rolling boil.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop your broccoli into florets. You can cook the stalks this way too or you can reserve them for a different recipe, or you can toss them. I have even seen grocery stores that offer fresh broccoli crowns without the stalks!

3. Drop the florets into the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes (you can adjust this time to your own preference on how cooked you like your broccoli)

4. Put the ice cubes in the bowl and add water - so that you have a ice water bath for your broccoli to go into.

5. Drain the broccoli in the colander

6. Put the broccoli into the ice water and chill for a few minutes. You can take the ice bath and put it in the fridge overnight if you like.

7. While your broccoli chills out, mix the remaining ingredients except for the pine nuts. This is your spicy dressing. These amounts are approximate and you should taste it as you make it to adjust it to your personal preferences. Recipes are alot like the Pirates Code - more like guidelines really. (You could even skip this whole step and eat the broccoli plain, or substitute your favorite salad dressing)

8. Drain the broccoli again. Then put it in the container with the tight fitting lid and add the dressing. Close it up and give it a good shake. This distributes your dressing on the broccoli more evenly.

9. Top with the toasted pine nuts and enjoy!

Its great hot or cold!

Asparagus Blue Cheese Pasta

It is Spring!!

Farmer's Market is in full swing and it is time to learn what to do with all the wonderful items showing up at the market right now.

Asparagus.

Asparagus, like opportunity, is not a lengthy visitor. Only available for a few weeks in early spring these tender shoots are a real delicacy.

They are fantastic roasted or grilled, very easy to steam or pan fry. You can use them anywhere fresh green veggies are welcome...stir-fry, pasta, salad, etc.

My favorite thing to do with them is...Blue Cheese and Asparagus Farfalle

You will need:

A Pasta Pot
A colander
A Cutting Board
A Knife
A small oven safe pan
Small pan
Spoons

Ingredients needed (for 4-6 servings):

1 pound Farfalle (Bow Tie) Pasta
1 pound Shallots
1 pound Asparagus
½ pound of Blue Cheese
5+ cloves of Garlic
1 Cup of Dry Vermouth
1 cup of Panko (or other bread crumbs)
Some Olive Oil
Some Butter

Directions:

1.Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
2.Slice the shallots and place them in the oven dish. Peel the garlic and add to the dish. Drizzle with olive oil and top with vermouth.
3.Get the water boiling in your pasta pot.
4.Prepare your asparagus. (Many books and people tell you to cut the ends off the asparagus and then peel half of the length of the stalk. I find that simply snapping the ends off works well. The tend to snap off just after the woody end. Peeling is a total waste of valuable nutrients and flavor.) You want the asparagus spears to be broken into bite sized pieces of no longer than 2 inches in length. 1 inch is ideal.
5.When the oven is hot, put the shallots and garlic in and cook for 15 minutes or so.
6.When the water is boiling add the pasta to the pot.
7.Crumble the blue cheese.
8.Cook pasta until nearly done (according to personal preferences and package directions) when there is only about 2 minutes until it is done, add the asparagus to the pot.

9.In a small pan melt the butter. Add the panko and cook, stirring until browned.
10.Drain the pasta and asparagus in the colander.
11.Return the pasta and asparagus to the pot. Add the blue cheese and stir.
12.Remove the shallots and garlic from the oven. Add them to the pasta, stir.
13.Top with panko...stir.
14.Eat.

Fantastic. Easy. Delicious. This dish is done. It needs nothing.



Nutrition (serving 6)

Calories per serving: 569
Fat: 15g
Protein: 21g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 567mg
Potassium: 615mg
Fiber: 3g
Calcium: 243mg
Iron: 5mg
Zinc: 2mg
Vitamin C: 11mg
Vitamin A: 9885IU
B6: 4mg
B12: 3mcg
B1: 1mg
B2: 6mg
Folacin: 121mcg
Niacin: 8mg

Where did I go wrong?

Comming up on my one year anniversary in just over a week. How did I do?


Well...I did great right up until April. I did pretty good for 4 month. What do I want??!? A cookie?!

I didn't completely fuck up though...I did lose some weight. I did make some lasting changes to my life.

I didn't stick to the plan though. I never realized how much losing my job would screw up my plans. I wasn't employed again until August - the end of August! Blame it on the economy.

But what happened then. I got a job...I should have jumped right back on the diet train but I didn't. WTF?

I don't know. I wish I did. I will however use the oldest excuse in the American Lexicon...I didn't have the time.

So...Where do I stand?

Weight: 187lbs (down from a starting weight of roughly 208lbs)
Average meals cooked in a week: 0 (yes, you read that right...I don't cook anything anymore. I suck...I know.
Average number of breakfasts eaten in a week: 3 (I know... seriously...Last year I would have rather faced a firing squad than miss breakfast and now I am a habitual skipper)
Average times I get to the gym in a week: 1 (I am being kind here. I get to the gym like 3 times a month and they generally are all in the same week)
Alcoholic drinks at home in a week: 0 (this much is still in effect. I will have on average 1 drink at home in a month but it is usually to try something someone else is drinking.)
Alcoholic drinks in a week out: 2 (in a normal week, the first weekend a month is Leather and Lace at the Inferno and then it is more like 5 or 7 drinks but that is only at the club)
Ramen consumption: 0 (with the exception of the couple times I was sick and then I only had a few and stopped eating them when I was better)

How can I do better?

I'm wondering how I could do worse.

Joking aside...I really do see now how much blogging made a difference. I was answerable to this media for my actions and inactions. If I want to keep losing weight I need to:
1.) Blog at least once a week. More often if I can make the time to do so.
2.) Freaking eat breakfast everyday.
3.) Cook at home (this one is hard because I cook for a living now...I know it sounds counter-intuitive but...remember the friends episode with the gynecologist..."Do you ever come home from work and not want to look at another dress?")
4.) Get my ass to the gym - I'm going to shoot for the standard 3 times a week
5.) Keep the drinking down to a decent level. (I feel where I'm at in a normal week is pretty good. Special occasions notwithstanding)


Today's food:
Breakfast....Lunch...(I slept late, as it was a Snow Day for work) A can of Campbells Chicken and Rice soup with Corn, crackers, and some sesame oil, and Bangkok Blend Spice.
Dinner: an embarrasing large portion of serve-yourself Chinese from Sentry, a small container of Italian Feta Pasta Salad from Sentry, A can of Red Bull, and half of a very dry, very large cupcake
Post Dinner: I have had most of (and I intend to finish) a 20 oz bottle of Mello Yello.

Exercise:
Just getting the bus to ERic's today was a work-out. The snow was deeper than my knees. I didn't go to the gym. My pedometer ran out of batteries today so... no numbers.

Meatloaf Meal: Take 1

I received a request via my sister while I was in Florida for Meatloaf Dinner. I am more than happy to oblige my friends and family with meals of their request so...Here is my first attempt at meatloaf.

First a few words about the humble meatloaf. I feel that meatloaf is a formidable weapon in any parent's arsenal of comfort foods. However, if done wrong it is not a comfort but a torture. Bad meatloaf is a common problem if the media is to be believed. Nearly every show and occasional movie that features a family portrays the overtaxed mother placing a lump of something slimy, gray and coated in ketchup as the family dinner. To which the family in question groans and begins the arduous task of eating the tasteless mass.

This doesn't have to be the case! Don't let bad meatloaf ruin your self-respect or the respect for you of those around you!

Meatloaf may appear deceptively simple but it really is just this simple. Meatloaf is a couple kinds of ground meat combined with some binders and flavorings. Don't over think it. There are a two secrets to good meatloaf: spice and patience. Spice for flavor (like I needed to explain that) The Patience is a little trickier...Patience comes in a two part trial. Part one: Meatloaf takes a long time to cook, you will have to check on it a bunch of times because over cooking will make it awful and under-cooking is gross. Part two: You are going to have to let is sit for at least 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven to redistribute the juices or it will be both horridly dry and greasy at the same time.

A lot of people top meatloaf with ketchup. I feel that this is a mistake on multiple levels. 1.) Ketchup is a very strong flavor and is fairly obviously being used in this instance to cover up for bad meatloaf. 2.) The appearance and texture of baked ketchup on a meatloaf is fairly unappetizing. 3.) The natural accompaniment to meatloaf is mashed potatoes...therefore gravy should be the toping of choice for meatloaf.

This meal does utilize several fairly uncommon pieces of equipment that, though not completely necessary, do make things much easier: Food Processor (blender can be substituted), Loaf Pan, Masher -for chunky potatoes (Food Mill-for smooth potatoes). Other than these odd items you probably have everything you are going to need already on hand.

So with out further ado...Meatloaf meal Take 1

Italian Meatloaf with Garlic/Vermouth Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Dilled Baby Carrots

To make this you will need:

1 Small Baking Pan (brownie style with high sides)

1 Cutting board

1 Sharp Knife

2 Medium Sauce Pans

A large Mixing Bowl

A Food Processor

A small Scraps/Prep Bowl

A Fork

A Masher or Food Mill

A Glass Loaf Pan

A Small Sauce Pan

Ingredients:

1or 2 Heads of Garlic (actual garlic not the pre-chopped stuff in the jar)(Number depends on how garlicky you want the potatoes)

½ C Dry or Extra Dry Vermouth (more if using 2 heads)

2-4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¾ lb of Yukon Gold Potatoes (ordinary Idaho russets will not do, you need to get Yukon Golds)

9 Tbsp Butter

0 to ¼ C Chicken Broth (Depending on how moist you want the mashed potatoes)

½ lb Ground Beef

½ lb Ground Pork

1 large Onion

10 baby Carrots

1 Tbsp Garlic if Chopped (3 large cloves if fresh)

3 Slices of whole wheat bread

2 Eggs

2-5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2-5 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

0-5 tsp Hot Sauce (Optional)

1-3tsp each of 2 to 5 different spices (I chose Tarragon, Oregano, and Marjoram)

4 Pieces of Bacon (Optional, I recommended not using any it makes it very greasy and adds fat and calories no one needs)

½ lb of baby carrots

4 Cups of Orange Juice

½ C Fresh Dill

¼ C Fresh Cilantro

¼ to ½ a Jalapeño (Optional)

4 Tbsp Flour

Salt and Pepper to Taste

3/4C or more Chicken Broth

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (This will take at minimum 15 minutes, some ovens come with a buzzer that lets you know when it has reached the desired temp.)

2. Cut the top ¼ to ½ inch off the top of the head(s) of garlic

3. Place the garlic in the small baking pan

4. Pour the Olive oil on the garlic

5. Pour the Vermouth in the pan

   

6. Bake the garlic in the oven for 25 to 35 min (until golden brown but not burnt check periodically)

7. Assemble the meatloaf ingredients...Beef, Pork, Onions, Carrots, Garlic, Bread, Eggs, Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, Hot Sauce, Spices...on a clean surface along with the food processor, knife, cutting board and a mixing bowl.

8. Place the meat in the bowl and mix some with your hands (rubber gloves can be worn and are recommended if you have long nails)

9. Peel and quarter the onions (Go ahead and cut both the top and bottom off the onion then peel it. Then cut in half lengthwise and width wise)

10. Place onion and carrots in the food processor. Pulse until the onion and carrots are evenly chopped and look kind of like wet pencil shavings. (don't liquefy these veggies)

11. Round about now the garlic should be ready in the oven. Take the pan out and cool down. Leave oven on and at the same temp.

    

12. Add the garlic (if while cloves are being used) and the bread (after tearing it into medium sized pieces...6 to 10 chunks per slice) to the food processor and pulse again for a few moments. The result should look kind of like a slightly coarser version of cooked instant oatmeal in texture.

    

13. Add the bread/veggies mixture to the meat in the bowl and combine with your hands.

14. Add the eggs and incorporate

15. Add the spice and sauces/vinegar to the meatloaf mixture in the bowl and incorporate.

16. Carefully put meatloaf mixture in the loaf pan. Top with a few slices of bacon. (I now feel that the bacon is a bad idea as it makes the meatloaf very greasy, I recommend omitting or perhaps cooking the bacon ahead of time and adding to the meatloaf at the end of cooking time)

17. And put meatloaf in the oven for the next 60 to 90 minutes. (My meatloaf is fairly dense and just wouldn't cook, I ended up upping the temp to get it done.)

18. Seeing as the meatloaf takes so very long to cook you can freely take 30 minutes and talk to you family...watch the news...read a book...Or you can keep cooking and reheat everything at the end if they finish before the meatloaf.

19. Peel and Chop Potatoes into 1 inch pieces (roughly the size of standard dice)

20. Put potatoes in a medium sauce pan and cover with water, add salt if desired. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until done. (Check doneness with a fork, stab a potato piece, the fork should pierce the potato easily but the potato should not fall apart.)

21. Place the remaining baby carrots in a pan and cover with orange juice. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. (Check doneness with a fork . Carrot doneness is a matter of choice and can be cooked until they feel like fully cooked potatoes – see step 19 – or until the fork can barely pierce the side)

22. While the carrots and potatoes are cooking...chop some fresh cilantro and dill herbs and some Jalapeño if you are using it.

23. Take the small the sauce pan and melt 4 Tbsp of butter, but do not burn. To the melted butter add the flour, some of the same spices you used in the meatloaf, hot sauce if you like it and stir until the flour has begun to brown. You will know your roux is ready when your flour butter mix is slightly darker than your favorite khakis.

24. When the roux is the right color slowly add some chicken broth and then whisk until the mix is smooth and repeat (if you have the dexterity or help you can whisk and pour at the same time). Stir occasionally over low heat...This gravy is done.

25. Drain carrots but do not drain completely, add a Tbsp butter the pepper and the herbs and stir.

26. Put a lid on the carrots...They are done.

27. Drain potatoes. (A colander is useful for this but not necessary) Feel free to leave some water in with the potatoes if you want to forgo the chicken broth (This will also help preserve some of the vitamins)

28. While the potatoes are still hot, but after that have been drained, add 4 Tbsp of Butter. (You can choose less or even none but I would not recommend more than 4 Tbsp) And then begin mashing by whatever means you prefer or have available. (A food mill will give you a creamier result as the potatoes are going to be smaller and more uniform in the
    resulting mash; a masher will give you a home-style lumpier result) (If making food for children...remember that texture is as important as flavor for winning them over on a food. If the didn't like your mashed potatoes last time, try them the other way and see if they like it this way – Of course the same goes for picky eater adults)

    

29. Carefully (the garlic might not be fully cool) remove the individual cloves of garlic from the head(s). You can squeeze them out with a firm grip on the head or you can pick them out with a fork. I tend to prefer the fork method as it is less messy. Drop the garlic cloves as you acquire them into the mashed potatoes and them mix them in with more mashing or simply stir them if you want more of a surprise bite than a uniform flavor.

    

30. Put a Lid on the potatoes...They are done.

31. When the meatloaf is done it will be brown in the center when pierced with a knife. It will be very moist. You can check the internal temp if you have a handy meat thermometer...it will read: 160° to 170°.

32. You will need to let the meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes and probably better off at 30 minutes...During which you will reheat the side dishes.

This meatloaf was terrific but is needs to be better. Some questions...Why didn't my meatloaf cook like the websites say it will? Can I cook the bacon by itself to prevent the added fat?

This meatloaf will feed 8 well.

Nutrition:

Calories per serving: 548

Fat: 37g

Protein: 17g

Cholesterol: 129mg

Sodium: 677mg

Potassium: 989mg

Fiber: 3g

Calcium: 137mg

Iron: 5mg

Zinc: 3mg

Vitamin C: 36mg

Vitamin A (as Beta carotene): 7384IU

B6: 4mg

B12: 1.2mcg

B1: 4mg

B2: 3mg

Folacin: 77mcg

Niacin: 6mg

Belated post on Florida

When I was in Florida I tried a little experiment...I attempted to take pictures of everything that I ate. It was kind of like a conscious eating thing. I figured that if I had to take a picture of everything that I put into my body and show it to all of you I would be less inclined to eat poorly. I'm not sure how well it worked but I did get most of the food I ate on digital memory and here is just a silly little slew of pictures and comments about the food I ate while on Vacay.

So first off...This is my sister. Isn't she great! She hosted me down in FL and drove my ass around so she deserves kudos (and no I'm not talking the candy bar)

Here is my first meal (I am using the term loosely). Red Bull at the O'Hare Airport.

Here is my lunch at JFK. (JFK, by the way is a terrible airport. The plase smells like the kind of public toilet no one ever cleans) The sandwich I brought with me from Madison (Rathskeller) but the soda and Chinese I bought at the airport. I only ate half of the sandwich but I ate most of the Chinese. The most disappointing thing about the Chinese...

They used jarred mushrooms! How difficult would it have been to get real mushrooms? The flavor and most importantly the texture would have been vastly improved! But I guess that was just too difficult for them after all, they are operating out of the JFK Airport, not Times Square or Madison Ave.

This is what I had for breakfast every day I was at Mary's. Red Bull, Banana, and Yogurt. This Publix brand fat free key lime yogurt was divine just so's y'all know.

First Lunch, Fantastic Japanese place (I don't remember the name) Mary and I shared a Pork Tonkatsu Platter and Tempura Appetizer. We each had a Miso soup. That night we had Chinese take out.

Then we went to Universal Studio's for a day. We brought our own lunches to save money and eat slightly healthier (Sandwiches from Publix). The following day I cooked for the pot luck we went to. I made:

Vegetarian Moroccan Couscous Salad. It is easy and yummy. I've been making this dish since High School when I was a vegetarian. The spread at the Pot Luck was amazing and i did not hold back:

After the pot luck we ran off to Spam-a-lot. and then I ate dinner at Mary's place (Left over Chinese Take-away). The next day we stayed in and I have no idea what I ate. The last day I was there I cooked dinner for Mary Phil and my Dad who had arrived. I make Chicken Casserole and for some reason I have no pictures of it. Oh well. Then I left Florida and had the naughty breakfast I always get in Florida:

Dunkin Doughnuts French Kruller YUM! Then I headed home.

I'd like to think that I didn't do too badly on the eating front. But then again I always want to think that.

Frittata: First Draft

Cooking is a lot like writing/reading a novel. The ingredients are like the characters and the steps are the story lines. When you don’t have a recipe you are writing your own stories. When you have a recipe to follow you are reading someone else’s finished product.

I think one of the reasons that people don’t cook something new is perhaps they think that the recipes that they have used sprouted fully formed from some master chef’s imagination. Well, somehow I doubt that that is the case. It takes many drafts before the recipe is ready to be published.

I didn’t want to put any recipes on this blog for people to read that I myself had not put through a stringent drafting process, and had several very tasty and consistent final drafts. However I realize that this is the wrong way to think about this. I would be habitualizing the same problem that I am railing against if I did that.

Since I’ve decided that you all deserve to see the whole processes I will walk through the steps I took last night to make a frittata. The end resulting dinner was fine tasting but not nothing special and the visual appearance was less wonderful than I was hoping for.

So without further ado…Spring Vegetable Frittata – Take One:

Frittata is kind of like a quiche, kind of like an omelet, and kind of like a German pancake. It is also one of the easier foods to make...in my opinion. It is certainly easier than all of the afore mentioned food items that it is similar to.

One of the great things about frittatas is that you don’t really need to plan them into your week. As long as you have eggs you have everything you need to make a frittata…guaranteed. This is true because you can put basically anything into a frittata. Some good combinations are: Bacon pieces-green onions-Swiss cheese, Pees-cooked chicken-cheddar, spaghetti noodles-cooked hamburger-peppers-mozzarella, Feta-Black Olives-Capers-Diced cooked potatoes. Just open your fridge and look to see what you have available. Any starch veggie and cooked meat will work fine. All cheeses are good, though some are better than others.

For this frittata I decided to use some angel hair noodles, Asparagus spears, diced ham, chopped onion, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, feta cheese, garlic, oil, and some spices. And of course, eggs.

I turned my oven on to 250 degrees because I figured that eggs are pretty easy to cook and didn’t need to have a high temp.

I did not have any leftover noodles in my fridge, so I made some to start off. While I was waiting for the noodle water to boil in my large pasta pot, I chopped up an Onion and then sautéed it in a small frying pan/sauté pan with some Garlic in Olive Oil.

Then I added the Noodles to the boiling water and cooked them until they were fully cooked. And then I drained them fully and added some Olive Oil to the drained noodles to keep them from caking together.

Then I cracked 6 Eggs and scrambled them in a bowl. To the eggs I added some leftover Artichoke Hearts, some leftover Diced Ham, some fresh Asparagus Spears snapped into 2 inch pieces, and the sautéed onion/garlic mixture. I also added some spices and herbs to the egg mixture: Marjoram, Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Oregano.

Note: You don’t need a knife to prepare asparagus for the dinner pot. If you hold the asparagus in both hands near the cut –off end you can break off the woody end and the remaining spear should be fairly tender. For this meal I just snapped the remaining stalks into bite sized pieces using the same technique all the way up the spears.

The oven is ready and now so are all of the ingredients. I took out my cast iron skillet and placed the noodles in the bottom of it to act as a kind of base. Then I poured the egg mix over the noodles and finally I added the Cheeses to the top. At this point I realized that there was not enough egg as the whole thing looked fairly dry so I quickly scrambled 2 more Eggs and poured those on top and placed the whole thing in the oven.

After 25 minutes I checked the frittata and it really wasn’t cooking to I turned up the oven to 350. After an additional 20 minutes the frittata still wasn’t done so I put the oven put to 400. Then it cooked. It was done about 10 minutes later.

The result was stuck in the pan, when it should be easily plated as you turn the pan upside down with a plate on the top like a lid. It did eventually come out with only a little that stuck into my skillet – this may have only been because my skillet is not well seasoned.

Joe and I ate the frittata. It was good but as I said earlier not great and required some condiments. Joe added hot sauce and I used mayo – my favorite condiment.

I will work on this until I think it is just how I would serve it to the people on the Food Network's: Nest Food network Star.

The frittata servings have:

P.S. Food journal for yesterday: Breakfast-Banana and Red Bull. Lunch-Chicken Pot Pie from Pinkus and Pepsi. After work Snack- BLT from the Library. Dinner-1 Serving for Frittata and Red Bull.

Exercise: Nope-missed my workout time and had to get to the grocery store. I promise to go today.

Cooking Basics 2

I got a bunch of response regarding what cooking basics are. Most of these were not on-line.

So here, I think, is a nice list of the basics that everyone over they age of 10 needs to know how to cook...unless they are rich and will always be that way but as the song said “Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.”

Coffee -even if you don't drink it- Why? Because according to the NCA Coffee Drinking Trends Survey 2000, 54% of the adult population of the United States drinks coffee everyday and an additional 25% drink it occasionally. Therefore you are likely to have a coffee drinker in your place at some point in your near future.

Eggs – Why? Because estimates show that the average American will eat 259 eggs a year. This data does not include my sister who won't touch eggs but my brother more than makes up for her avoidance.

An Entre/Meal – This was suggested by Mary on the comment section. I have to agree and up it to an entire meal because just because you know how to make meatloaf does not mean you should serve it unless you also have mashed potatoes and peas (for instance). Why? Because you need something to wow the new boyfriend with or to serve you parents when they come to visit, before you ask them for some money.

Cookies – Suggested by Joe. Why? Because you've been asked to bring something to the meeting, you are trying to sell your house, or you want to impress your date.

Hamburger and Chicken – recommended by my Boss Cindy. Why? These are staples of the American diet. It is important to know when they are done cooking and how to make the most of them.

Rice and Pasta – The typical American meal seems to consist of (as Eric once told me) “A slab of meat and 2 side dishes.” Often one of these side dishes is either rice or pasta so it is a good idea to know how to make these.

If you can think of anything else please drop me a line.

**Important Note** The statistics cited above are taken from sources that have reason to encourage people to consume more of the product studied. Please keep these numbers in mind as only guidelines which are likely inflated.

Cooking Basics Are What Exactly?

I'm reading this great book called Cooking and Castle Building by Emma Ewing. It was written in 1880. It is just fantastic. I'm only into the 3rd chapter but I am hooked. It is a memoir following 3 wealthy American ladies as they decide that they need to learn how to cook. Their logic for doing this is wonderful. They want their husbands to stop drinking and instead of becoming militant in their involvement with the Temperance movement they have decided that harmonious living is all that is needed to keep their men from drinking. And harmonious living can not be attained if one does not cook well.

These women, wealthy as they were, did not cook at home. They had servants to cook for them. However, they decided that there was no better way to assure good food than to do it themselves. So, they headed off to the country where their mistakes may not be remembered by their peers while they learned.

I have not read all of the book so I don't know how it will turn out or what all they will learn to cook, but they start out the book learning to cook bread. They chose bread because it was the staple of the diet of the time. Bread was eaten in some form or another at every meal and so was necessary to have whether you baked it yourself or ordered it from a baker.

These women have the right idea. Even 100 years later so many of the country's problems could probably be related back to the fact that people don't cook, especially the obesity epidemic. I would like to cover the same concept as the ones in Cooking and Castle Building here on the Blog but I have a small problem. People don't eat bread nearly as much as they did in the 1800's. So what are the basics of cooking for the modern day?

I asked the girls I work with and we came up with Coffee and and eggs are things that everyone needs to know how to make and most people don't know.

What other things are basics that people need to know? Post your thoughts.

Kitchen Techniques: Ingredients: Onions

Onions are one of my favorite ingredients. I use them in nearly everything. I enjoy them both raw and cooked.

Recipe Note: When I say onion, I am generally referring to the common yellow storage onion. There are many other onions in the world that are available at your well supplied grocery store like Green onions – scallions, Sweet onions, Leeks, Shallots, Ramps, Red Onions, White Onions, and Pearl Onions. I use these in recipes but I will always specify which variety when I am not using standard yellow storage onions.

Why use them? They provide a flavor punch with very few calories. In about ½ a cup of chopped onion (3.5 ounces) you only have 38 calories. They also provide 10% of the Vitamin C and Folacin you need.

Shopping for Onions: Onions should be heavy for their size. This means if you have two onions that are about the same size the one that feels heavier is the better onion. The difference in weight is due to water content. The outer skins should be papery. You can select your onions individually or you can just go ahead and buy the orange mesh bag of them (that's what I do). The mesh bag offers a fast way to get a bunch of onions.

Availability of Onions (Seasonality): Onions are available year round but are most common March to September when they are fresh to most markets. Onions store well given the right conditions so stocking up on them when you have a good price at market is not a bad idea.

Storage of Onions: Onions can last several months in ideal conditions and can go bad in a couple of weeks in crappy conditions. What, pray tell, are ideal and crappy conditions you may ask? Onions want a cool dry place with lots of circulating air. If it is too humid you will get sprouting onions or rotting onions. The mesh bag is ok for storage if you are going to eat up the onions in about a month (I go through a mesh bag every other week if I'm cooking 2 times a week), or if you hang the bag so it is exposed to a lot of air. If you are going to hold on to your onions for longer you might want to try to store them in pantyhose hung from the ceiling. (To store them in pantyhose place them - one at a time - into a clean pair of hose and tie a not between each so that they have their own little nylon sack.) As you need them you can cut off the onion(s) you need and leave the rest hanging. (This is a great use of nylons with runs. You can also use this with thigh-highs too.) Do Not store them in the fridge!! Storing them in the fridge causes them to rot – The exception to this is an onion that has been cut but not used entirely. If you have a half-used onion you can store it for about a week in the fridge before it will go bad.

Preparing Onions: Onions can present somewhat of a problem for cooks in that they are round and not easily chopped into regular pieces. Be sure you have a sharp knife. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one as they tend to slip off what you are cutting and cut you instead. Also onions can make people cry so the faster you can get them cut the better off you are likely to be. Here is the technique I use to more easily deal with onions:

Cut off the stem end first, leaving the root end intact. Discard the stem end into the scrap bowl.

Then you peel off the papery outer layers and the first thin inner layer and discard into the scrap bowl. Then you turn the onion onto the cut stem end and slice off one side of the onion the thickness of the chop you are looking for.

Then turn the onion onto the freshly cut side and again slice off an un-cut edge at the same thickness.

Now make parallel cuts across the width of the onion making sure not to slice through the root end.

Now turn the onion over onto the second of the side cuts and make cuts parallel to it making certain not to slice through the root end.

Now you cut across the length of the onion getting the exact size pieces you want. Discard the root end into the scrap bowl. Chop the two remaining side pieces and move all the cut onion into a prep bowl.

Hints and Tips for Onions: Onions can make your hands smell funny after you've been handling them – try rinsing your hands with lemon juice to rid yourself of the smelly fingers (also works for garlic-fingers). Onions can make you cry – lots of old wives tales for solving this (and just like cures for hiccups) some work for some people others don't. Try a few until you find one that works for you (Light a candle next to your cutting board, hold matches in your mouth – heads out- to block the smell, put bread under your tongue, etc) Raw yellow onions are bitter – after cutting them, soak them in ice water. Change the water several times over the course of up to 2 hours before serving they will be oniony with out being bitter. Onion Breath? - Chew fennel seeds, Parsley leaves, gargle vinegar, or drink some coffee.

History: Onions have a long and distinguished career as a domesticated food-stuff. There is evidence from the Bible and other sources both literary and archaeological that the onion has been cultivated since about 3000 BCE. It is believed that onions were part of the diet of the slaves who built the pyramids.

Myths and Legends: It is said in early cultures that onions were linked to the afterlife or eternal life because of the concentric circles you see when you slice an onion across its middle. Onions are also believed to have medicinal qualities. I don't know if I believe that they can cure any diseases but I eat them and enjoy a decent level of health. (Then again my sister won't touch them and she is as healthy, and perhaps more healthy than I am)

Food Journal-

Breakfast – 2 doughnuts – Red Bull

Lunch – Lasagna (my own) and a bowl of wild mushroom and rice soup (also my own) – Mellow Yellow

Dinner – Spicy shrimp over rice noodles (my own) – Mellow yellow

Exercise? - Sort of, I walked home instead of hitting the gym.

Notes from the Kitchen: Missing Ingredient

Honeymoon Suite-The Missing Ingredient

Every recipe, no matter how often you’ve made it or how simple, can present a learning experience. Or a reminder of previous learning experiences.

I’ve been making Hamburger Soup a couple times a year for a decade. Nearly every ingredient is something I keep on hand. So when I went to the store spontaneously last Monday to get some stuff to cook I thought: “I’ll make Hamburger soup! I have nearly everything I need for that at home. I only need to get burger.”

Now, as I said yesterday I was being lazy and I haven’t cooked a damn thing all week. So last night at 10:30 PM I finally got up enough gumption to get out there and cook. I decided that it would take too long to make lasagna (at least 2 hours) and definitely too much time to make beef stew (4 hours) so again my mind settled on Hamburger Soup. It is simple and fast -at less than an hour to make with all the food prep thrown in.

I chopped up my onion and threw in some minced garlic with some oil and sautéed until translucent. Added the ground beef and cooked until nearly all the pink was gone. Then I added the frozen peas. I was on a roll. Everything was going smoothly.

I was also testing out the second hand camera I had been given and it was working well despite the warnings I had been given about its finicky nature.

I went to the cupboard to retrieve the next ingredient and found to my dismay that I didn’t have any cream soup. None. How could this be? Of course, the answer is easy. I scrimp when I go to the store and some staples – even cheap ones – just don’t get bought when they are used up. I also frequently go to the grocery store on the bus. You just don’t want to buy anything extra when you have to haul them on the bus when you are done shopping.

So…Pop Quiz! What do you do when you are missing an ingredient needed to finish a meal? There are lots of answers.

1.) Substitute. What could I substitute for cream soup? Gravy would work and I could easily make some. Just be sure you know what to substitute with or you can end up with lumpy purple fondue like Mary did once ("Gruyère and gorgonzola both start with the same letter of the alphabet I bet I can substitute one for the other").

2.) Go and get the missing ingredient either from the store or ask the neighbors. I frequently do this one. Hell…I even borrowed the downstairs neighbor’s oven once.

3.) Stop cooking. You can nearly always stop cooking. I can’t actually think of an example when you can’t stop cooking because of the food. Obviously…if you need to have dinner on the table in the next 20 minutes or you will be horribly murdered- not cooking would not be recommended. I would recommend option 1 in that instance.

In my experience last night at quarter to 11:00 I decided that I should just stop. I put a lid on the whole business and tossed it in the fridge.

So...What was the learning experience that this little cooking drama presented? Always check all your ingredients before you start cooking, and preferable before you go to the store.

And how goes the diet?

Today’s food – Poor.

I had a sausage patty and some very mushy hash browns from the Student Union for breakfast.

Lunch was leftover Chinese from Asian Kitchen – and as usual they gave way more food than even 2 meals worth but I ate it all in 2 meals.

Dinner? I have not had any - it’s 2:30 in the afternoon. I expect I’ll be having a bowl of Hamburger soup after I stop at the store on the way home and get the missing cream soup.

Exercise? I expect to get at least 30 minutes at the Nat.

Parmesan-Panko Baked Chicken, Lemon Risotto, and Balsamic Sautéed Tomatoes with Spinach

A few words on cooking with Rebee….

I seldom ever measure. I prefer eyeballing things and then tasting them after they have had time to do a little cooking, and then adjusting as needed. What this means for you… I will be giving a rough estimate of how much of a certain ingredient I used, so that you can (if you wanted to) make basically the same dish. Please taste as you cook. Your idea of a good amount of garlic and mine may differ drastically. (My sister won’t touch onions and I use them in nearly everything – for example) Alter any of this to your own flavor preferences.

Also…I have provided nutritional information for this menu (and hope to do so for all recipes I provide). This information is only a guideline. 1.) It is taken from information that may be incomplete. 2.) It is based on the supposed normal 2000 calorie diet. (Like anyone is on a 2000 calorie diet!) 3.) Math was never my strong suit. 4.) A lot of estimating goes into this as I nearly never measure anything. You are welcome to double check my numbers yourself if you would like. I use: The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition from UC Berkeley.

Finally…I am NOT a professional cook. My methods are very basic. I hope that anyone will be able to follow my directions.

One of the meals that I bought the ingredients for on Monday was:

Parmesan-Panko Baked Chicken, Lemon Risotto, and Balsamic Sautéed Tomatoes with Spinach. – Serves 6

To make this meal you will need…

A Stovetop and an oven

A frying Pan, and a lid for it

A large pot, and a lid for it

A baking sheet

Some bowls

A cutting board

A decently sharp knife

Some spoons

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken (boneless, skinless, breast meat, uncooked)

½ C Miracle Whip (or your preferred Mayonnaise)

¾ C Parmesan Cheese (The real stuff, not the green shaker!)

1 C Panko (Japanese-style Bread Crumbs)

1 C Rice (Any style will do)

4 Onions (Mary - you can, of course, leave these out)

6 tsp Minced Garlic (I buy pre-minced stuff to save time)

4 to 6 C Chicken Broth (Try to remember to get low sodium and low fat-I always forget)

2Tbsp Lemon Juice (Juice from one lemon can be used or the Reallemon stuff)

3 or so ounces Pine Nuts

1 C Frozen Peas (never use the canned stuff)

6 to 12 ounces of fresh Spinach

1.5 pt Grape, Pear, or Cherry Tomatoes (experiment with local heirlooms when in season)

2Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (I don’t have the real stuff either just use what you can afford, my balsamic cost about $10.00 for a 15oz bottle)

Some seasoning mix or your favorite spices (I used a Tuscan mix this time, next time I might use a French mix)

Some Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Some Spray oil (or something to keep the chicken from sticking to the baking sheet)

Directions:

Right… Find a surface and clean it off. If your kitchen is as small as mine there is no harm in using your office desk or a folding card table in the living room as a kitchen surface. Just be sure it is fairly clean.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If your oven is decent, it will be ready in about 15 minutes. If you feel like it… set a timer now. It is unlikely you will be ready to put the chicken in the oven 15 minutes from now, but on the off chance…go ahead.

Now…Back to that surface. You will need your decently sharp knife and your cutting board. If you only have one knife and one board, or you hate doing dishes as much as I do…you will need to cut up your veggies first to prevent the chance of salmonella contamination.

I like to use an empty bowl for scraps when I’m going to chop a bunch of veggies so I can keep my area as clean as possible.

Chop up your onions 2 at a time (2 are for the spinach dish and 2 are for the risotto). You can go ahead and place these in their respective pans (The frying pan and the large pot). If you are not using pre-minced garlic mince your garlic now and again split it equally between the frying pan and the large pot. Also slice each tomato in half. Set these (the tomatoes) aside in a bowl for later.

If your spinach is older you will need to cut off the stems. This is a serious pain in the ass, so if you can avoid it, do so by buying baby spinach. Also if you are buying your spinach from a farmers market (Highly recommended) you will need to wash these leaves very well, as they can be very gritty.

Now all the veggies are chopped. You can now use the same board and knife to cut up meat (if you don’t have a designated board and knife for meat – an unnecessary precaution if you know how to wash up). Cut each breast in half (assuming you chicken breasts are as ridiculously large as the ones I bought were) You want the chicken to be about the size of your palm, or a deck of standard playing cards (not Tarot cards, which can be much larger). If you happen to have a kitchen scale…you are looking for chicken pieces to be about 3 ounces give or take.

Right…Now take the large pot and add some olive oil to it and put the burner on to a medium setting. You are going to cook up the diced onions and minced garlic. This olive oil cooked garlic and onion mixture is very common in Italian cooking (as well as my own). They have a word for it in Italian but I don’t speak Italian so I can’t tell you what it is. Let the onion and garlic cook for a bit on its own…there is plenty of stuff to do.

Take out a bowl. Go to your fridge and take out the mayo and the shredded Parmesan cheese. Also take out the spices you want on the chicken. In the bowl, combine the ½ a cup of mayo with ½ a cup of cheese and however much seasoning you want (remember a little goes a long way with dried spices, so don’t over do it).

The onion and garlic cooking in the pot should be getting near to transparent at this point. If so, take the cup of rice and add it to the pot. Stir it and let it cook briefly in the oil. Then add some (maybe 2 cups) of broth and the lemon juice to the pot and stir. Lower the burner to a low setting but not all the way down. Do not add a lid to this pot.

Prepare the baking sheet (clear some surface to put it on and spray down the surface with cooking spray, or cover it with a silpat, or use some Crisco or whatever you want to keep the chicken from burning on to the surface).

Stir the rice pot. If the broth level is dropping add some more broth (1 cup or so)

Take a chicken breast half and cover the top with a thin (1/8” to ¼”) layer of the mayo mixture. Place the chicken on the sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. When the chicken is all coated take out the panko and sprinkle the chicken until fairly well topped.

Place the chicken into the oven. Set a timer (if you don’t have one get one they are infinitely useful) for 20 minutes.

Stir the rice and add broth if it needs it. The rice should start looking more like a rice pudding very creamy. This is because the rice is exuding its starch into the broth.

Now you can turn on the large frying pan on to a medium setting on your burner. The garlic and onion should be in there. Add some oil to the pan and stir. Again you want the onion to be slightly transparent.

Keep an eye on the rice. Stir it occasionally and add broth every few minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is done cooking at this point. The rice should not be hard in the center but it also should not be too soft. When the rice is ready, add the remaining Parmesan cheese, the pine nuts, and the peas. Stir until the cheese is melted. If you want you can add some herbs and spices at this point, fresh parsley is fantastic in this. Turn the burner to the lowest setting. Then add a lit to the pot to keep everything warm.

When the onions and garlic are ready in the frying pan add the vinegar and stir. Put the burner on low and add the tomatoes, stirring occasionally. When the tomatoes are well coated add the spinach in batches. Stir the spinach until it wilts and shrinks slightly and then add the next batch to the pan. If the pan is filling too much you can take some of the spinach that has wilted out and add more fresh in. You may need to turn up the heat to do this. After all the spinach has wilted, return all of the spinach to the pan and put a lid on it to keep warm.

About now your timer will go off letting you know that the chick is probably done. Take the pan out and check the chicken for doneness. You can use a thermometer (170 degrees Fahrenheit) or you can cut open a breast and check that it is not pink. The thermometer way is better as it prevents you from overcooking, and therefore making you chicken dry. However the cutting method is cheaper, after all you do own a knife -I saw you use it earlier in this recipe.

If the chicken is not done put it in the oven again for another 5 minutes or so. If it is done serve up dinner!

This recipe makes 6 servings. These keep well as leftovers. And they will freeze decently too for a couple of months. There will be extra rice as this risotto makes more like 8 servings so don’t over load on the rice or the nutrition listed below will be off.

Each serving will contain roughly:

(To be added later as I’ve mislaid my notes-bugger!)