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!

Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

About a year ago, long before Liam was eating solid foods, I saw this recipe on one of those morning shows. I jotted down the ingredients and crammed it into one of my recipe books never to be thought of again. That is until Liam pulled all the cookbooks off the shelf and proceeded to shred the paper I had the recipe on. Sort of serendipitous. If you disregard the mess...

Around here mac and cheese is a favorite. Its one of the few foods Liam will consistently eat. Which means it my "go to food" when he's swiped all the other options off his tray onto the floor.
Now, Liam loves most veggies so its usually not a problem getting him to eat them but if some veggies are good more is better especially when they are replacing heavy cream and butter. Which is exactly what we are going to do here. And I promise, even you, knowing its in there, will have a hard time detecting it.

I first made these little babies for a memorial day BBQ we hosted. I figured the kids will love these: not only is it mac and cheese, but its mac and cheese you eat with your hands! Win, win.

What I didn't figure was all the adults loving them too. The antipasto pasta salad I made was very lonely on the buffet table.

Here is what you will need:

For the puree:
2 medium *sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 **carrot sticks, peeled and chopped

Steam potatoes and carrots until soft. Transfer to food processor and add 1/4 cup of water used to steam the veggies (it has some of the lost nutrients from steaming). Process until pureed.

For the mac and cheese:

4 large *eggs
1 cup orange puree
2 cups shredded *cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked whole wheat organic macaroni
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and puree. Mix in the macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper.

Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups:

Really pile it on there or else they wont come out looking like cupcakes...

Top each with about one tablespoon of cheese and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly on top.

Kids will even enjoy them cold so you can pack them in their lunch box. Just make a big batch and put half in the freezer so you have them on hand.


* Product from our local Coop

**Produce from our CSA

Rosemary Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

I think I may have mentioned it before but Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. The flavor is so versatile, lending itself well to meats, potatoes, vegetables like carrots or corn on the cob. You get the point. I love it. And to my good fortune, it just so happens that my neighbor has a rosemary plant growing in her yard that she so graciously shares with us. Now under normal circumstances I would have to practice a bit of restraint. You know so as to be sure I didn't leave her with just a skeleton of her former plant. But as luck would have it this aint no ordinary rosemary bush...

I don't really talk like that. I just thought, for effect.. you know?

Anyway, back to the rosemary bush.

This sucker is mammoth! Rosemary for everyone!

There is more rosemary here than two families could possibly use in a season, but that wont stop me from trying. "Say, Liam how about some rosemary chocolate milk?" Or "oh, you like it? Its peanut butter and rosemary"

Have I gone too far? Perhaps.

For the purposes of this post lets just stick with what works, shall we?

This works.

Here is what you will need:

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed
Red potatoes halved or quartered depending on their size
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh rosemary, chopped- I probably used two heaping tablespoons
zest and juice from half a lemon
4 Tbsp EVOO, divided
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

In a large skillet add two tablespoons of evoo and heat to med-high. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then add to heated pan to sear. About 3 minutes a side. If you cant fit all 6 in one pan break it up, one tbsp evoo to 3 breasts.
transfer chicken to a large roasting pan or baking dish and arrange cut potatoes around the chicken.

In a mixing bowl add garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and zest, two tablespoons of olive oil and chicken stock. whisk together and pour over chicken and potatoes.

If your rosemary grows on trees like mine does throw of few sprigs in the pot for good measure.

Bake (uncovered) at 375 for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

I love this dish, its easy and it has always won me compliments from dinner guests. The olive oil and stock keep the chicken juicy and tender and the flavors are mouth watering. Enjoy it soon!

Zucchini fries

Ok, I meant to post this years ago. Or maybe it was months? I cant remember but either way I made them forever ago and they were deceptively satisfying. If it weren't for the lack of melty mozzarella dangling from my chin I would have mistaken them for cheese sticks. almost.

These would be great as hors d'oeuvres at your memorial day party or just a super sneaky way to get some extra veggies into your tot.

3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks

1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese- get the good stuff, it matters.
cooking spray
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt
fresh pepper

Quick Marinara Sauce (1 cup)

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and fresh pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 425°.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping.

Its zucchini season and if you're like me your looking for new and creative uses for all the zucchini you've got in your crisper! This fits the bill, Enjoy!

Sustainable sustenance

Ok. About a month ago Chris and I saw the documentary Food Inc. and it dramatically changed the way we buy and eat food. We were on the right track buying organic when it was available at the market but we were incredibly uninformed. I'm embarrassed by how much we didn't know. Anyway, I'm going to spare you the lecture on why you should see this film and in turn stop buying meat from Tyson, Perdue or Smithfield (Shame on you, Paula Deen!) to name a few. Instead, I'll just start posting recipes of the sustainable foods that are making their way to our table.

Now, a certain little boy with an affinity for all things electronic dropped our digital camera down the stairs and busted the lens. So for the time being my posts will be sparse with even lower quality (didn't think that was possible, did you?) pictures taken from my phone.

Recipes in the works: Blackeye pea cakes, cheesey mac cupcakes (what!?) and Rosemary chicken with red potatoes.