Quick and Easy
Orzo with Veggies and Feta
I’ve been thinking about making something with orzo for a while, and saw a good recipe on Tasty Kitchen and thought I’d give it a try. But you know me, I can’t follow directions when it comes to food, so, as always, I added my own touch on the recipe. The asparagus I had was already roasted (LOVE! roasted asparagus) so that was one variation from the original recipe. Another was the tomatoes. I love tomatoes, and Sendik’s had cute little cherry tomatoes on sale. These aren’t good enough to eat on their own yet, but are good enough to cook with (the added spiced and other things in the dish help out the paper-like taste of winter...
Read MoreBeef Stroganoff
After making the Mushroom Stroganoff I wanted to make the real thing. Especially considering that I haven’t had beef stroganoff in at least ten years. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either when I started thinking about it. I actually don’t remember the last time I had it. And after I made the mushroom stroganoff, I started searching for recipes. But as you know, I have a hard time following a recipe. So, I decided to combine a few and the ones I liked were the Paula Dean version and a Cooking Light version. Here is what I came up with: Ingredients: 1 lb of beef (I used the already-cut-up beef that you can find at your local grocery store) 3 TB of...
Read MorePuff Pastry "fingers"
This recipe is even easier (I know it’s really hard to believe) than my other puff pastry desert. It’s equally delicious, but I think that my dad likes this better because the can control (read pile on) the amount of strawberry jam. Here, I just placed a small bowl of softened jam so people can dip and eat as much as they’d like. Ingredients: 1 box Puff pastry dough (I used one sheet) Jam (which ever you like, as much as you like) Steps: 1. Cut the puff pastry dough in half length-wise and then in about inch intervals. 2. Bake until golden and puffy (about 400 degrees for about 12 minutes) 3. Dip the “fingers” into warmed jam. Or, split...
Read MoreMushroom "Stroganoff"
I was reading a few yummy recipes, some for beef stroganoff and some for a mushroom and pasta dish, and the wires must have gotten crossed and this creation emerged. I had a rather large packet of mushrooms from Costco and I’ve been trying not to waste them (again). So I figured I’d saute them and server with ribbon pasta and some sort of sauce, but that’s not exactly what happened. Here is what I did: Ingredients: 24oz packet of mushrooms (thinly sliced) 1 cup of low-fat sour cream Roasted asparagus (optional; I just had some in the fridge so decided to use it) 1 large onion (diced) Salt, freshly ground black pepper, sweet paprika, smoked...
Read MoreChicken Soup
I’ve never made chicken soup before. Mainly because I don’t really like it. It’s an odd confession as an opening for a chicken soup recipe. But…. The soup I made wasn’t like the chicken soup I grew up with. What never appealed to me was the rich, clear broth that had little pools of chicken fat floating on top, the kind you eat when you’re sick. So I figured that instead of throwing a whole chicken into the pot with a carrot and an onion, I’d do something differently. I used a chicken breast, a chicken leg, and a bone in, skin on chicken thigh. As usual, I tried to remove as much fat as possible. I also added a lot more to...
Read MoreCrockpot Oatmeal – A healthy breakfast
You must have noticed that I don’t have any breakfast recipes here yet. I’ve become a non-breakfast person in the last 10 years or so. But one of my New Year’s resolutions is to eat breakfast every day. So, another try at crockpot oatmeal was a must. I’ve been experimenting with this for a few months on and off and yesterday, I was telling a friend of mine how quick, easy, and healthy a crock-pot oatmeal is. My experimenting involved different proportions as well as different things I added and when I added them. In one of the earlier versions, I’d add the dried fruit right away, but the raisins plumped up and were a little sour, the...
Read MoreDirty Rice
I was looking online for a rice, sausage, and beans dish and stumbled upon a Dirty Rice recipe by the Neelys on Food Network. It looked easy, quick, and I had all the ingredients. But I’m sure you noticed that I have to add my own touch to recipes. The Neelys’ recipe didn’t have beans and I switched out a few of the ingredients. Instead of the pork sausage they used, I used buffalo hot dogs from Lakevew Buffalo Farm. I tried the hot dogs earlier in the summer and really liked them; they’re more like brats or sausages than hot dogs and a lot healthier too, probably. Here is what I had. Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked rice 2.5 cups of stock (2...
Read MorePickles
I’ve been meaning to write about pickles for quite some time now but have been completely swamped with a few other projects. But these are a staple in my kitchen in the summer and I’d recommend you try these. This is the easiest recipe for pickles. I also recently found out that people can be allergic to commercially produced pickles and those advised to steer clear of vinegar also can’t consume store-bought pickles. My version is vinegar-free. That’s right. No vinegar. The pickles are still crunchy and spicy. In the picture, you see about 2 pounds of pickles in a 1-liter jar. Ingredients: 2 LB pickles 1 Liter of water 1 TB...
Read MoreRoasted Salad
I am so thrilled that it’s finally summer, but it seems I can’t give up my oven. Though I do have a grill, it’s an electric one. My local fire department does not allow grilling on balconies. But I still love summer veggies and have a tendency to buy too much. So, today, I decided to put some of those veggies to good use and make a salad. Since roasting is so easy and brings out the flavor so much, I decided to sacrifice personal comfort in my caricature-worthy tiny kitchen for the benefit of the salad. Ingredients: 3 bell peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow) 1 bunch of asparagus 1/2 red onion diced 1 tb basil Salt, pepper, olive oil,...
Read MoreOrzo with Roasted Shrimp
This dinner is completely inspired by Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa. I love her style of cooking and many of her recipes and have tried quite a few. But I had a couple pounds of shrimp sitting around and I wanted to use up some of it. I also had a ton of veggies sitting around and I didn’t want to waste those either. So, I thought that orzo would be a perfect canvas to combine all these great ingredients. I tried to stick to her recipe for the most part, but of course, I had to make things “mine” by switching a few things. Ingredients: Shrimp 1/2 cup (dry) orzo 2 bell peppers (I used yellow and orange) 1/4 large hothouse cucumber 1/4 cup feta...
Read MoreGrilled Chicken
This is one of my favorite and easiest recipes. It also happens to be very frequently requested. The important part is not to skimp on the seasonings or the time it takes to marinate. It’s best to let the chicken sit in the spices for about 24 hours, or even longer, but even overnight will be good. This keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and travels well in a cooler if you’re going tailgating or to a grill-out somewhere. This even works on an electric grill. But a real grill (the kind with actual flames), or an oven, work much better. Though, the chicken was just as tender as if it were on a real grill or in the...
Read MoreMeat "Sauce"
Initially, I wanted to make pasta sauce, but when I started to cook, I changed my mind. Instead, I decided not to add tomatoes or pasta and to leave the grain as a decision for a different day. I got this ground beef at Grassway Organic Farm and was excited about the possible meal I’d make with it. So when I started cooking, I decided not to add the tomatoes so as not to hide the taste, and added veggies and some spices instead. Basically, you can use any veggies you like or have on hand. The spices definitely added the warmth I was seeking without making the dish spicy. Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced 1 lb of ground beef Spices (salt, freshly ground black...
Read MoreTomato and Spinach Soup
This was a completely unexpected and impromptu soup. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not much into soup since I have so few soup recipes. But this just came together suddenly, since I didn’t even get into to the kitchen until about 8 in the evening. What can I say, I was bored so I started cooking. I had some things I wanted to use up before they go bad and wanted something easy, light, healthy, and packed with nutrients. And since I’m fond of throwing a bunch of stuff in one pot and seeing what develops, I got a really yummy soup that is perfect for this cold and rainy weather. I hope, one of these days we’ll have...
Read MoreAsparagus
I didn’t grow up eating asparagus and it always looked a little scary in restaurants. You know the kind, an unnatural green, bizarely sagging, mushy spears. Yuck. Not knowing how to cook it, I’ve resisted it for a long time, but finally gave it a try. Turns out, I like it. A lot. I’ve roasted it a few times, but I was in an experimenting mood today. What you see is what I came up with. Ingredients: 1 lb asparagus 1-3 tb of olive oil, 1-2 tb of anchovy paste 3-5 cloves of garlic, finely minced a pinch of chipotle pepper (optional) Steps: 1. Heat the minced garlic in the olive oil on low heat, until it’s fragrant. 2. Add the anchovy paste and...
Read MoreRoasted Chicken Chili
Remember how I made two chickens for my birthday? Well, I used most of the 2nd one for this chili. It payed off to plan ahead like that and have leftovers. It didn’t take any more real effort to make 2 chickens instead of 1. I used the legs and thighs for other meals and had two fairly large chicken breasts and other odd pieces for the chili. So without further ado, here is what I did. Ingredients: 1 can of Red Gold tomatoes with chilis 2-3 cans of tomatoes 2 cans of chili beans (I used mild since the tomatoes were plenty spicy) 1 large onion 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces 2 bell peppers (any kind, but I like...
Read MorePasta Sauce – Vegetables Galore
I haven’t made anything pasta related in a while and figured it was time to get back to that. So today I decided to make pasta sauce. Additionally, I had a lot of vegetables in my fridge that I haven’t used up yet, so I figured it’s a perfect opportunity to use them. This worked out really well since I like a really chunky tomato sauce. And if you have kids, this is a great way to get them to eat vegetables. This recipe can also be vegetarian quite easily – just leave the meat out. With this recipe, use what ever veggies you like, in any quantity you like. Here is what I did. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground turkey 1 very large carrot...
Read MoreMediterranean Orzo
This is a little odd, but I’ve never made orzo before today. I’ve eaten it plenty of times, just never made it. don’t know why I haven’t tried it sooner. I’ve been craving warm-weather dishes, and the Mediterranean always makes me think of summer and all those fresh flavors. Here, I just threw things that I thought would work, but of course, experiment with your favorite flavors and quantities. Ingredients: 1 cup of orzo 1-2 tb of olive oil Spinach (about 4 cups fresh) Mushrooms (I used about 1.5 cups of baby bella) 2 Red bell peppers 2 Roasted bell peppers 3 cloves of garlic 3-6 small tomatoes 1 small onion handful of pitted...
Read MoreOn Tea
I have to confess, tea is my favorite beverage. I am very particular about it, maybe even snobbish, but when you grow up with good tea it’s easy to be spoiled by the high quality Indian tea. Specifically, the water has to be perfect and I’m lucky that my plain tap water is great tasting (but I still filter it). If you’re serious about tea, you know not to buy tea packets. The general tea packet (Lipton and other such brands) are really just tea dust and to me, they taste like the paper they’re wrapped in. Yuck. Why yes, I’m a bit of a tea snob. Not enough to actually know a lot, but I do know what I like. When I was in San...
Read MoreLeftovers into the pan
I always have too many leftovers and I never know what to do with them. Today I decided to toss all of them into a pot. Generally, that’s my typical cooking style (through stuff into a pot and see what happens) unless I’m making a specific dish. Today I had bits of uncooked pasta, half a large eggplant, and a few other raw ingredients. Feel free to try this with anything you like. Here is what I had. Ingredients: 1/2 of a large eggplant (peeled and diced) 3/4 of a large red onion (diced) 1 14.5 oz. can of tomatoes (whatever you have on hand) a packet of mushrooms (mine were already sliced) cheese (whatever you like, to taste) salt, pepper, parsley,...
Read MoreOven “Fries” / Steak Fries / Baked Potatoes
In the last few years I have developed a real appreciation for the potato. I never liked it when I was growing up, but I think it’s because it was mainly found in soups, all mushy and in various states of disintegration; or it was pan fried. Turns out I don’t really like the greasy texture of the fried potato, all crunchy on the outside and mealy on the inside. But I started experimenting with a few varieties and a few recipes. Here is an easy, quick, and healthy alternative to fries. Ingredients: 1 lb of Yukon Gold potatoes 1 bottle of your favorite steak seasoning (I use McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning) 1 TB of olive oil 1 Gallon plastic...
