Chris's Birthday Dinner!

This is one of my favorite meals ever. EVER.


To my luck, Chris enjoys it too so I figured it would be nice to have it for his "home-cooked" birthday dinner. We'll be going to a steak house for dinner on Saturday with friends and I'm sure we'll get our fill of red meat and potatoes then.

So tonight:
Tequila-lime chicken with grilled pineapple and spicy black beans finished with citrus sour cream and pico de gallo.

Phew, that's a mouthful!

A delicious, mouthwatering mouthful.

Here is what you will need:
2 chicken breasts, well trimmed
1 lime, divided
1/4 cup tequila
pico de gallo
a few slices fresh pineapple
black beans
shoe peg corn
green onion
fresh avocado (not too soft now!)
sour cream
fresh cilantro
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Start by marinating your chicken breasts in the tequila and lime juice from half a lime. Allow a few hours to marinate before cooking.

I used a can of Bush's seasoned black beans and a can of chipotle shoe peg corn.

Toss in a saute pan and add some chopped green onion and cayenne pepper to taste. Allow to simmer until the liquid reduces down. keep warm.

Drop your pineapple slices in a HOT, lighted oiled grill pan. About 30 seconds on each side then remove from heat and set aside.

Add chicken to the grill pan.

Once the chicken in finished you can prepare the last few ingredients.



Give the cilantro a rough chop and add it to the black beans.
Now take the juice from the other half of the lime and add it to a 1/4 cup sour cream. mix well.

If you got a ripe (and not over-ripe and bruised) avocado slice that up now too.

This is so disappointing. Mostly because I think the avocado is an important player in the dish but also because I was totally deceived by this avocado's mostly firm with just a bit of give exterior.

oh well. So today we go sans avocado.

Lets plate it! Here's the order I like it best: Layer the bottom of your plate with the black beans, next a slice of pineapple, then grilled chicken, avocado, pico de gallo, and a dollop of sour cream. If you have extra chopped cilantro left over toss then on there too. I subscribe to the "you can never have too much cilantro" school of thought. As opposed to my sister who is a card carrying member of the "get that nasty green shit off my plate" club.

I don't get it, but I still love her.

Viola. I ate this in two bites.



And then I ate a big slice of birthday cake! Happy Birthday Honey!

The easiest, lightest pasta with meat(less)balls!

I GOT A NEW CAMERA. Ok its not technically new, but its new to me. I got it from some lady on Craigslist. Its a Canon Powershot S3 IS that she received as a gift from her son. According to her its got more bells and whistles than she cares to learn how to use, so she sold it. To me! For 40 dollars! I was perfectly fine scoring this camera off of someone my own age or even younger. But when I showed up at our designated meeting place to find a gray haired little old lady I felt like I was trying to pull one over on her. So with a heavy heart I told her I didn't feel right with her asking price when these models go for around ten times that. She smiled at me and said "Dearie, I didn't pay a dime for it and my son tosses money around like its a reliable constant. I just want to make enough off of this monster to cover the point and shoot bugger I bought. Besides, you're going to need a good camera to capture every moment of that precious little boy's life. It will go by too fast and the memories, well you will want them in pictures when you're an old lady like me." I smiled and with a gratitude I cannot explain I handed over two crisp twenties. I think she probably knew what her kind gesture meant to me; I think she knew that I wouldn't have been able to afford much more than forty or fifty bucks on a luxury item like a camera. Maybe if I had shown up driving a better car or didn't have Liam in mismatched shoes (I was in a hurry and couldn't find a full set!!) she would have considered asking for more once she knew the value of the camera. Either way we both walked away from the transaction happy. Well, she was happy, I was over the moon.
Now I just need to learn how to use the thing. Marion was right, it does have a lot of bells and whistles and I'm going to need all the help I can get figuring out the proper settings for the best quality pictures. You're patience and advice are welcome!

I'm probably not going back to the step by step blogging unless I come across a recipe wherein every step is a crucial one. That being said, I present to you 20 minute spaghetti and meatballs.
This is what we had for dinner the night I came home with the camera. I had spent all afternoon playing with it that when I finally looked at the clock it was 6:00 and I hadn't stepped foot in the kitchen! whoops.

The quickest spaghetti and meatballs when you don't have any food in the house:

What I did have in the house allowed me to throw together this yummy dinner.

whole wheat spaghetti
1 large can of seasoned diced tomatoes
a few cherry tomatoes
a few tablespoons of evoo
2 garlic cloves
fresh basil
Veggie Patch meatless meatballs
Parmesan cheese

I didn't even have a jar of tomato sauce in the house but quite honestly the diced tomatoes with the garlic and basil was really nice. It was 'fresh and light' and I'm not sure I'll stock up in tomato sauce ever again. We get a pint of cherry tomatoes weekly so I always have a few on hand to toss into what ever I am cooking. I HAD a basil plant that was growing wonderfully hydroponically on my kitchen sill for weeks so basil was in no short supply throw in the tiny corner left from my brick of Parmesan and the meal really prepared itself. And I found a new love. Meatless meatballs. They're not my mothers meatballs, to be sure, but now that I know all about factory farmed beef my mothers meatballs are guilt ridden. So I found these yummy little suckers... and best of all they are made from non-gmo soy - a rare commodity these days.

I sauteed the garlic in the evoo. Then I added the diced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and the meatballs. I probably added water or veggie stock when the sauce reduced down. I simmered the sauce until the meatballs were cooked through, probably ten minutes or so- just enough time for the pasta to cook. Add your fresh basil to the sauce right at the end you don't want it cooking in the sauce for long it looses its luster, I think. Then pull a heaping pile of noodles onto your plate, top with sauce, shredded cheese and more fresh basil. YUM!

Are you craving this pasta now? because I am, and I just had it.

Even Liam approves, and that's really saying something!

Strawberry Bread Pudding

A new twist on an old favorite! I found a recipe for strawberry bread pudding on one of the blogs I frequent and I made it for the fourth of July celebration my family and I were attending. If I'm being totally honest the result was unremarkable, at best. the marriage of fresh summer strawberries and bread pudding is, in my opinion is a brilliant idea so what went wrong? It was the recipe. it was boring, bland. So I'm deffering to my bread pudding recipe and adorning it with strawberries.

Here is what you will need for the pudding:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 to 5 cups sourdough bread, cubed
1 to 2 cups of cut, fresh strawberries


Several hours in advance cut your bread into cubes

Spread them out evenly on a cookie sheet and set aside until they are relatively dry.

Cut up your strawberries and toss them in with your dried bread cubes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat together eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk. Add sugar and spices and mix until sugar is dissoved. Arrange bread cubes tightly in a nine-inch baking dish. Pour liquid over the bread and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, or until crust is golden brown all over the top.
Fresh out of the oven all warm and bubbly. We couldnt wait...

A la mode!

Huevos Rancheros

Dear Breakfast for Dinner,

I love you.

Lara.

Now that summer is here and we are, in the lovely state of North Carolina, reaching temperatures of 95 and higher, light dinners are in order. This is, by far, my most favorite egg dish... right now.

Ask me tomorrow and I might say my heart belongs to Eggs Benedict. But since I'm feeling the black bean, cilantro, salsa thing today, I love you, Huevos Rancheros.

You'll love it too, I'm confident!

Here is what you will need:

1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 green onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
eggs
tsp. evoo
shredded pepper jack cheese
salsa
sour cream
cilantro chopped
flour tortillas
a pinch or two of cumin and/or coriander
salt pepper-- to taste
a few dashes of hot sauce

We'll start by preparing our tortilla bowl. Pop a flour tortilla in the microwave for just a few seconds to get it warm and pliable.

Now, take your tortilla and shape it to the inside of an oven safe bowl. Be careful not to tear the tortilla.

Place the tortillas in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tortilla holds the "bowl" shape on its own.

In a sauce pan warm the black beans, green onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, cilantro, salt and pepper. This is where you add your hot sauce, texas pete for me. hold warm.

In a frying pan fry the eggs. I like mine over easy, runny yolk makes me a very happy girl.

Now to assemble:

A large spoonful of beans into the tortilla bowl
Top beans with shredded cheese

Top beans and cheese with yummy fried egg

Top fried egg with salsa, sour cream and cilantro!
(This makes my mouth water)

Since we've been boycotting factory farmed foods we've been eating significantly less meat. However, I wouldn't be opposed to picking up some sausage at our local co-op to cook with the beans. That would be lovely, too.

Vegetable Lo Mein

I love Chinese food. Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Lo Mein, Crab Rangoon, I love it all. When Chris is out of town I hit China Fuji. Hit. It.
I order one of everything I love, rush back to the house, find a serving platter to eat from and then gorge myself into a food coma.

Its kind of embarrassing.

See, Chris believes, with all of his heart, that the chefs at Chinese restaurants prowl the neighborhood for stray kitties and pups. When I tear into a teriyaki beef skewer he's convinced I'm chowing on black beauty.

Quick son, to the stables!


Needless to say we don't order out.

The other night Chris was working late and that familiar craving came calling. I had a bunch of CSA veggies in the fridge (they come faster that we can eat em!), some left over noodles and voila:



If that doesn't tickle your fancy then there is something wrong with you.

Seek help.

But if it does...

Here is what you will need:
8 ounces cooked whole wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons evoo
1 handful sliced mushrooms
1 handful broccoli, chopped
1 handful cauliflower, chopped
1 handful snap peas
1 green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Ok, I know that ingredient list looks overwhelming. But think of the leftovers you'll use up!

Oh and Hoisin Sauce, its a must. The combination of soybeans, vinegar and chili peppers give the dish a sweet/ salty/ spicy combo of flavor that you cant go without. Find it in the Asian aisle at your local market.

Heat oil in a large wok or saute pan. Stir fry mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onion and peas until tender.
Mix cornstarch and broth in a small bowl and add to stir fry.
Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne. Cook stirring gently until thickened and bubbly. Add cooked spaghetti, and toss.
How easy is that?

And best of all: no puppies, kitties or ponies were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Blackberry cobbler. A sure thing.

You know when life gets you down, when the hits just keep on coming and you wonder when or if things will ever get back to normal. When you've got so many things swirling and circling through the forefront of your mind that you need an extra day just to compartmentalize it all.

When you're having one of those days make this:

Blackberry Cobbler. It may not be the solution to all your problems, but it will make you feel better, if only for the amount of time it takes to eat the whole dish. By yourself.

Here is what you will need:

1 stick Butter
1 & 1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup Milk
2 cups Blackberries*

(i had some left over raspberries that I threw in there too!)

Add 1 cup of sugar and flour to a mixing bowl, whisk in milk. Mix well. Add melted butter and whisk it all together

Butter a baking dish and pour batter into the buttered baking dish. This pie plate was not the proper dish, much too small. Don't make the same mistake!


lovingly sprinkle blackberries (and raspberries!) over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the top.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly.

"What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It's a sure thing! It's a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles." — Nora Ephron

*produce from our CSA.

Black Eyed Pea Cakes

I once dated this guy who, well, lets just say he had a lot of...issues.
The relationship itself was a fiasco, but every once in a while he would clear a path through the beer bottles and cigarette smoke to the kitchen, where he would prepare a meal. Of course he rarely ate because that food might soak up some of the alcohol and kill his buzz.. but I ate, and man what he lacked in personal responsibility and general gross motor skills he made up for when he cooked.

Is it bad that the first thing I thought when I heard he was working a 12 step program was "Well he certainly hasn't made it to the apology step..."
Although what does one say when they receive such a call? despite the courage it must take I simply cant imagine being gracious. "You're sorry? Excellent! Now be a dear and replace that bottle of Veuve I was saving for a special occasion, because in my book you running out of Busch light on a Tuesday morning does not a special occasion make."

I'm only being honest...

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the ashes of that relationship after it crashed and burned down the kitchen because someone left a dishtowel near the stove element.

Black Eyed Pea Cakes

Here is what you will need:

Two cans black eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 small bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup evoo
1 tablespoon softened cream cheese
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan
Hot sauce, your choice but I'm a fan of texas pete.

(The 12 pack of cheap beer and fire extinguisher are optional.)



Using a food processor or two forks, coarsely mash peas.

To the peas add the garlic, bell pepper, egg, cream cheese, bread crumbs and parm. Shake in your hot sauce and mix together well. By hand shape mixture into patties or cakes.

Depending on the size, you should get about a dozen.

Cook patties, in batches, in 2 tablespoons hot oil, adding oil as needed, in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until patties are golden brown. Drain patties on paper towels, and keep them warm. Serve with desired toppings, this time I chose homemade salsa and zesty-citrus sour cream.

Additional tips: If you you're a fan of breakfast for dinner try adding crumbled bacon to the pea mixture and serving the cakes with a fried egg. Its heaven on a dinner plate. Enjoy!