Edamame Ravioli

I love these ravioli, and they contain two of my favorite ingredients--edamame and goat cheese. Edamame is a rock star ingredient, as they are a great source of low-cal protein and fiber. Goat cheese isn't anything to sneer at, either!! As a softer cheese, it tends to be lower in fat than the harder cheeses like cheddar. These positives are just happy coincidences, the real winning thing about these ingredients is their taste :)


Edamame Ravioli
Adapted from Bon Appetit RSVP
Yield: ~25 ravioli (depending on the size)



1/2 lb frozen edamame
4oz goat cheese
2 oz nufatchel (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
wonton wrappers, or homemade pasta

Cook edamame in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender (~5min). Drain, then transfer to bowl of a food processor with cheeses and blend until smooth. Season filling to taste. This can be made a day or few ahead of time, keep refrigerated.

At this point I use the easy route of wonton wrappers, filling 4 at a time. Seal the edges with water and keep covered with a towel until ready to cook to prevent drying out. Cook 3-4 min in a large pot of boiling salted water, a few at a time to prevent sticking.

An alternative to cooking right away would be to place the filled ravioli on a single layer on a cookie sheet in a freezer until, umm, frozen. :) They can then be packaged into freezer bags for longer storage.

I often eat these on their own I enjoy them that much, but the recommended sauce was a browned butter mushroom sauce (which I will have to try when serving for guests!!). This time I made a Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Sauce and served it with some sundried tomato chicken sausage. Which led me to think that sundried tomatoes would also be a good addition to the ravioli filling! I'm sure you could also play with the seasonings in the filling, too.



Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Sauce


1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28oz can fire-roasted whole tomatoes
1 small jar of roasted red peppers (it was 3 peppers worth), roughtly chopped
basil, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes to taste (fresh or dried, whatever you have on hand)

Saute onion in EVOO until softened. Add garlic, tomatoes (with juices), peppers, and seasonings and let simmer for awhile (I just let it go while assembling and cooking the ravioli). If you have fresh herbs, add them towards the end of cooking instead. Cool slightly before blending with an immersion blender, blender, or food processor.

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Don't forget to head over to Chocolate-Covered Katie for her Jocolat giveaway. Abbie, at Food that Fit, is putting together an e-cookbook. Check out the details here if you'd like to submit some recipes!

Enough

On a cold morning in March of last year, Matt and I rode our bikes down the West Side of Manhattan. We pedaled from his apartment on the edge of Harlem to Penn Station, where we hopped on the Long Island Railroad. We were escaping the city for a few days, on spring break from graduate school.

I watched the sun rise over the Hudson as we passed through Riverside Park. It was early and I was hungry. We hadn’t had breakfast and my fingers, in too-thin cotton gloves, were numb. But I remember feeling content. I was on vacation and going on a trip. I was entering the final months of a master’s program that I found both challenging and fun. I had borrowed my roommate’s bike and relished the smooth sound of tire on pavement. And I rode next to Matt, whose brown hair was long enough to poke out from under his helmet and who, everyday, I grew to love a little bit more.

When Matt and I had first met, six months earlier, his hair was still short. He had it cropped close to the skull, reminiscent of his life before Journalism school: as an officer in the Army.

I knew about Matt’s past. I listened to his tales of studying as a cadet at West Point, of being stationed as an officer in Germany, of spending 2 years fighting in Iraq. But it was a foreign world to me, and difficult to imagine much beyond his words. When we met, the sand storms of Ramadi were thousands of miles away. Matt’s uniforms and combat boots were packed in boxes at his parents’ house in Tennessee. He wore jeans and T-shirts. His hair was soon long.

We rode our bikes quickly, gliding down 8th Avenue with wind at our backs. I followed as we weaved among cars and stopped at red lights. When we passed a large truck, double-parked on the west side of the street a few blocks above Times Square, Matt turned his head back towards me.

“That smells like Iraq,” he said.

I sniffed.

The scent of diesel permeated the air. It reeked of gas and metal and didn’t leave my nose for a few wind-swept blocks. For a brief moment, breathing in those thick and noxious fumes, I could imagine a world far away. One of sand and stone, heat and violence. One that smelled of fuel.

I told Matt about that moment on our bikes, late one night last week. I sat at our kitchen table while he stood nearby. We were drinking wine and talking about the war. My head felt encased in a cloud and I couldn’t breathe out of my nose. The wine tasted vague and sweet; the grape fell flat on my tongue.

A few days earlier Matt had received an envelope in the mail. It held a packet of papers: orders from the Army, written in a screaming capital-letter font. He’s been called back into service and will soon deploy to Iraq for his third tour of duty.

When he first told me we were sitting on the steps of our apartment building, one night after work. I immediately thought of that truck. Of that smell.

It was a scent that Matt knew well by the time he returned from his first tour.

“Iraq smells of diesel exhaust and human waste,” he said. “It’s like nothing else.”

Even between deployments, the scent was never far from his mind. Matt lived in Germany and would pick up whiffs here and there. But when he went back to Iraq for the second time, two years later, and he breathed in the burning oil, the gas, the waste and the sand it hit him hard. He immediately remembered things that had happened before, things that he hadn’t thought about since he last stepped foot in that country, things that happened back in 2003, when the US first surged into Iraq.

“It felt like I had never been gone,” he said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Matt told me about the mornings in Iraq. Away from the baking sun the temperature would drop. The sun would rise, pink over the horizon. He would see birds flying into the palm groves near his base. The scent was still there, but it was better in the coolness of dawn.

“It was beautiful,” he said.

I listen. I try to imagine what it’s like. But sometimes words just aren’t enough.

Beignets

A cloud of powdered sugar at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, where Matt and I spent Mardi Gras weekend.

Perciatelli all' Amatriciana

I didn't take anything out of the freezer for dinner on Monday so after lunch I began perusing through some blogs to help give me an idea of what to cook. I came across this recipe from Lucy at Sweets, Savories, etc. Like me, Lucy comes from an Italian family and our method of cooking is very similar. If you don't know Lucy please check out her blog, you will be very happy you did. So when I came across this recipe for Penne all' Amatriciana I knew it was the winner for tonight. I had a pacakge of diced pancetta in the freezer and that doesn't take long to defrost. I didn't have a 16 ounce can of whole peeled plum tomatoes but after chatting with Lucy I decided to use two cans of diced tomatoes. You can see from my photo that mine wasn't as saucy as Lucy's but it still works. This dish was delicious and I wouldn't change a thing! I only have one recommendation, don't bother using Perciatelli with this sauce. Perciatelli pasta is a long tubular pasta that has a hole in it, think tubatini or ditalini before it's cut into small pieces. It may be slightly fatter than Bucatini. This pasta is certainly fun but it's messy. You can't twirl the long thick pasta and it's one of those that slap you in the face. I'm sure kids would love it. It didn't do a good job of holding onto the sauce and since I used diced tomatoes it was difficult to grab the tomatoes and the pasta at the same time. So next time (and there certainly will be a next time) I will use penne like Lucy did. I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place!

Lucy's all' Amatriciana (with my notes)

1 lb Penne (or pasta of your choice)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped (This is what really makes the sauce)
1 clove garlic, minced (I did up this to three because I loove garlic)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
3/4 cup-dry white wine
16 ounces-plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (I used two cans diced plus pasta water to make it a little less chunky)
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Romano cheese

Quinoa w/Gruyere & Veggies

Wow, seems like forever since my last post, it's been busy!! I got to dog-sit this weekend, and I had a blast :) It was fun to get them playing with opposite ends of a chew toy! Here are the pups, cause they're just too cute not to share...

Sampson

Dante, making himself comfortable!

Some other goings-on in blogworld: check out Lauren's post here to help support the Maryland Food Bank and don't go to Hangry Pant's giveaway for Zoe's Granola ;-) You can also check out this list of 10 healthy foods you may not be eating. I can't actually remember if I've tried broccoli rabe (strange...), but I did pick up some at the store a few days ago. I also don't eat many brazil nuts (although this may be leftover from childhood, when all i liked were peanuts!).

Speaking of broccoli... I made this Gruyere Quinoa w/Sauteed Mushrooms & Broccolini which was very yummy. The nuttiness of the gruyere and quinoa played together well with the pan-roasted veggies. I meant to throw in some extra protein (chicken, tuna, or tofu), but I got lazy. I actually just had to look up the difference between broccolini (a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli) and broccoli rabe (more related to a turnip than broccoli)! Learn something new every day :) We'll have to see what I do with that broccoli rabe... any suggestions??

sorry so fuzzy!!

Oh Nuts!

A huge thank you to from Tamara at Oh Nuts for sending me some fantastic goodies to sample!! I kept seeing Erin's dried kiwi and just had to try it (i had opened the package already...). Dried cantaloupe (on the right) was alos something that I don't know if I've ever seen in a store!

There was one piece of information that I looked for on the website, but didn't seem to find-- whether their dried fruits had added sugar. Turns out the cantaloupe does, and I have no idea about the kiwi. The first taste- the cantaloupe was way too sweet, almost cloyingly so. The kiwi however I did enjoy on its own, not too sweet or tart. And you don't have to peel them :) I eat enough fiber, don't need to eat fuzzyness!

With some snow in the forecast, I was inspired to make some cupcakes for work that could bring us to somplace warmer. I give you, Tropicakes :)

can you see the chunks of kiwi and cantaloupe?? :)

Tropicakes
adapted from this recipe
Yield: 12 cupcakes


heaping cup of chopped dried cantaloupe and kiwi
2c all-purpose flour (or half AP and half whole wheat)
1/4c granulated sugar
1 1/2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1t salt
2/3c light coconut milk
4T butter, melted (I used smart balance 50/50)
1/4c egg substitute and 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
zest of 1 lime
2T honey
2t pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper/foil liners (or use nonstick spray).

Combine dry ingredients (flour thru salt) in medium bowl.

Lightly beat egg whites and egg substitute in a large bowl. Add coconut milk and butter, whisk well. Add zest, honey, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in dried fruit. Divide batter evenly into 12 cups.

Bake for 16-20 minutes (mine were done at 16min), or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

I brought these into work unfrosted, and brought along some frosting to add. (Thus no picture of the final product) Next time I think I'd just sprinkly coconut on top of the muffins before baking, as in the original recipe, as they were sweet enough :) Or maybe cream cheese frosting...

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

I've been meaning to write about this book for awhile now, but I guess better late than never! Bittman's cookbook is a great resource, I have found myself going to if multiple times to learn about a new ingredient, cooking technique, or preparation ideas. An introduction into vegetarian basics, equipment and techniques is followed by pages and pages of recipes. This book is not for the light-hearted, weighing in 996 pages! It reminds me of an encyclopedia, as you can find information about new ingredients, information about various ways to cook said ingredient, and then variations on the theme. You can actually find the book on Google Book Search if you want to preview it.

Awhile back I made some Eggplant Gnocchi , a nice variation on the traditional pasta. Now that I have a potato ricer, I bet these would turn out even beter!!

Eggplant Gnocchi

Since then I've also tried Braised Tofu & Peas in Curried Coconut Milk, which I served over a mix of brown and wild rice. I was a little worried about this one, but I really enjoyed it!!

Braised Tofu & Peas in Curried Coconut Milk

After purchasing some miso for that hummus-turned-soup, I also prepared some Miso Smashed Potatoes & Edamame, which was delightful. I've been meaning to throw some edamame in there, and I'm glad I finally did!

Miso Smashed Potatoes & Edamame

It seems strange to call it a cookbook, as it's really so much more, but I think its a perfect addition to everyone's library! Let me know if you have any other specific questions :)


A few things before I leave...
--Check out Sabrina's recap of a Boston Blogger Meetup! Thanks to Tina for organizing!! I think everyone else has posted a recap too, so click away :)
--Don't forget to head on over to Healthy Tipping point for a RoadID giveaway--it could save your life!
--I made some notes on the Snowball recipe, as I tried out some substitutions to make them a bit healthier for Meghann's Bake Sale and they were still ever so yummy! Lisa wrote to tell me, "They are AWESOME!!!! As soon as I received the box, I had to dig in! Perfect consistency, great flavor...oh so addicting!!! They are very popular here!"

Dinner party, February 7: Hamachi tuna, pomegranate, toasted green wheat.

I've been bad...

I've been a very bad blogger and I'm sorry! I have been cooking but my photos haven't been coming out so well. I think the problem is that by the time I get home from work I'm rushing to get dinner on the table so we eat at a decent time. I'll take a quick photo because I'm in a rush to eat (not a big surprise! lol) but then later I'm not happy with the way the photos turned out! :-( I promise I will put more time into my photos because you're all missing out on some great recipes! Again, SO sorry! Some of the new things I made are Pulled Brisket Sandwiches, Homemade Ranch Dressing, Buttermilk Chicken Breast Strips with Panko breadcrumbs, Homemade Gnocchi with a Bolognese Sauce and Escarole and Mini Meatball Soup. I may post them anyway even though the pictures weren't that great because all of those meals were delicious!

In the meantime I have to apologize for one more thing. I have neglected to tell you all about this awesome contest going on over at Bakespace. If you read this blog often you know how much I LOVE BAKESPACE! I have met so many great friends through this community. The contest has been going on all month but there is still time to participate! Don't miss out on this one! Check it out and join bakespace today!



I promise I'll be back very soon with some photos and recipes! Hope you're still reading!

Runnin Runnin

It seemed like there was some interest, so I thought I’d start to tell you how I came to the ‘tri’ portion of my blog name…

I think I’ve mentioned before, I was not a runner for most of my life. Undiagnosed exercise-induced asthma and knee/hip pain made that timed mile we had to do in junior high my least favorite thing to do.

Enter grad school. I finally asked a doctor about my breathing difficulties and got an inhaler. I joined a lab with a few active people, one of whom was a runner in hs into college. His talk of running piqued my interest, and since I wasn’t playing as much tennis, I tried it again. I still remember the day I ran 3 straight miles on the treadmill (very late in 2003)—I was ecstatic!

Slowly but surely, running got easier, and I really came to love it. A great way to escape and get outside. A great time to think about a problem, or think about nothing at all. Jess has a great list of running benefits which I think are great.

Three guys in our lab and I would go for a run by the river, or hit up the track for some speedwork (I always chased them). They provided so much motivation and support for me, I never would’ve gotten this far without them. Or this fast!! It started with a 5k, then a 10-miler, and finally a half marathon. I think I'm most impressed by my 1:16.33 Broad Street Run (10 miles). From my one half, I can give you the advice to NEVER eat something new before a race. I fought cramping the entire race, but I managed to come in just shy of 2 hours (my goal at the time).

This is all well and good, but longer distances don’t seem to be possible right now. Poor biomechanics are somewhat corrected by orthotics, but I was told that my knees were also not built to handle that much stress (although I’m not doing any damage). For me it’s a balance of running schedule, orthotics, sneakers, PT to strengthen the supporting characters for my knees, and luck. As a consequence of all this, or maybe just bad luck, I've also had a run in with an overuse injury and a random pain/ache in my left foot that hasn't gotten a real diagnosis (despite a few doctors, MRI and PT). Grrr. Now I err on the side of caution, as I'd rather take it easy then be sidelined for weeks or months.

I don’t have a HRM, most days I don’t wear a watch or an iPod, it’s just me and the road. Actually, I try and stay off pavement if I can, running on the sides of paths or on the track. They’re gentler on my joints. I usually run 2-3x a week, with a long run of 4-6 miles, some speedwork (intervals or a tempo), and one other run depending on schedule/my knees/etc. (Yes, training for the 10milers and half marathon occurred on 3 runs/week.) Now that I’m in midst of a Boston winter, I don’t get outside as much :( Philly winters are much milder… Speaking of Philly, if you’re in the area, I would highly recommend the Broad Street Run. This is an amazing race, so many people come out to support, and it’s flat (although I swore there was an uphill portion the first time I ran it). There are also so many people running (close to 15k I seem to recall) that you’re never alone!

Bottom line--everyone is different; your goals, needs, and abilities will not be the same. Find what works for you. Enjoy it. Believe in yourself, you never know what you can accomplish! Writing this all down on paper reminds me of how amazing this journey has been, how much I’ve surprised myself, and how proud of myself I am. Which is welcome, as it has been a rough year. Thanks for listening (err, reading), and I hope it wasn't too boring! You may not be a runner, but I'm a huge proponent of doing what you love. Walk. Hike. Bike. Climb. Crawl? Use your imagination :) Next time I'll ramble on about how I got into (or trained for my first) tri...

Secret Cupid

A huge shout-out to Lee for organizing a V-day blogger exchange, so very exciting when I received my package in the mail yesterday!! Cupid (aka Elise from Elise's Eats) managed to hit all of my favorites--peanut butter, chocolate, tea (even a variety of roobios, which I recently discovered), coconut cream pie... An incredibly cute card and some decadent body butter to help my really dry winter skin rounded out the package! Thank you so much Elise, I've already dug in and will think of you often :)



Have you seen the new Banana Nut Cheerios? Visit The Healthy Hostess for a chance to win!!

Orange you glad?

Mara, over at What's for Dinner?, picked oranges for this week's BSI. When brainstorming what to make, I thought of the Mashed Sweet Potatoes w/Orange Essence that I made for Thanksgiving. I came up with a few ideas, but I gave into my lab's desire for treats and made some Chocolate Orange (Mini) Muffins first. Or muffcakes/cupffins, as we were discussing the question of which they really were :)

The Stars of the Show

I followed this recipe for the muffins, using the chocolate above and adding the zest of 1/2 a blood orange that I had. They were awesome, the flavors of the zest and the chocolate bar really complemented each other well. Totally reminded me of those Chocolate Oranges Caitlin has been talking about lately :) Next time I might try to sub some applesauce, as they were a tad dry (although this could've been due to slightly overbaking, but I was watching it pretty carefully...).



Some Contests-

Bobbi (N Her Shoes) is offering up some WIN, which I've reviewed before. But don't go enter, I need more!!

Head over to Marx Foods to enter to win some artisan ravioli!!



ps- The recipients of the biscotti (my parents and my secret valentine) gave them rave reviews, so this recipe's a keeper!

Pink

On Friday morning I took the train out to Brooklyn, near where I used to live, to help my friend Ben in the kitchen. He occasionally sidelines as a chef, and we've worked together in the past. He was preparing for his most recent gig: an 80-person dinner party.

We cooked in the large, professional-style kitchen of the building where Ben holds his day job. I wasn’t there for long because I had to head off to an interview, but he remained the rest of the day, and the next.

Ben moves with confidence in the kitchen – bending over the stove, tasting sauces from steaming pots, maneuvering sharp knives as he fillets large cuts of fish, which are riddled in pink and red. I was not nearly so comfortable. It’s been a while since I last cooked under pressure, or for a group of more than 4 or 5. It’s been a while since I was last in a kitchen larger than the size of a breadbox, period. There, in the bright room that smelled of swordfish and lemons, the knife in my hand felt heavy and awkward. The pots were ungainly, and the stove, too hot.

I didn’t do a whole lot that afternoon. I pitted a crate of dates and helped to churn some ice cream. I seasoned ricotta with lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt. I poured a heavy-scented pot of garlic confit into plastic tubs to store. When I left, a couple of hours later, I took a deep breath. Everything felt unfamiliar.

I walked back to the subway on a street lined with brownstone apartments in Park Slope. I used to walk that way everyday, back when I lived in the neighborhood. The buildings are uniform in their russet-colored brick, locked together like a row of soldiers at attention. There is one block, however, where something is different. I had forgotten about it in the year and a half since I had moved. But walking by on Friday, I recalled: There is one building, toward the end of a block, which is painted a bright, screaming pink.

I stopped in front and smiled. I had forgotten about the pink.

A few years ago, on a Saturday afternoon in the fall, I strolled down this very block with a few friends, on our way home from Prospect Park.

“Why would someone paint their house that color?” a skeptical friend asked when we passed the home.

I shrugged. “Who knows,” I said.

“The people who live there must be crazy,” he concluded.

Secretly, though, I loved the house. It reminded me of summer and, perhaps, my childhood fascination with flamingos. Sometimes I even went out of my way to walk by its birthday cake-like exterior. It made me smile when I passed.

But this last Friday, heading away from the kitchen, I was surprised by the vivid pink. It didn’t seem right, bursting in color there in the leafless cold of a New York winter. It looked strange and slightly awkward. Like the way Ben’s chef knife had felt in my hand a few minutes earlier.

“I wonder who lives there,” I thought. I kept walking.

Snowballs

Has everyone heard about Meghann's Bake Sale?? She's raising money for her Team in Training efforts, culminating in a marathon on May 31. So many good things up for bidding, but I thought I'd also let you guys know that I'm offering up some Snowballs. A traditional christmas cookie in our household, these things are delicious! I've been meaning to try them with Smart Balance 50/50 sticks and maybe some WW pastry flour, so maybe now will be my opportunity... I heard from my aunt about the baking temperature that evaded my mom's recipe card, so here it is, as promised!

Snowballs
Grandma's recipe
Yield: a LOT of cookies (I got almost 3 dozen from half recipe)



2 sticks butter (Smart Balance 50/50 sticks work well)
1 1/2c sifted powdered sugar
1 egg (for half recipe, 1 egg white)
1t vanilla
2 1/2c sifted flour (I have sub'd up to 1c WWW flour or WW pastry flour)
1t baking soda
1t cream of tartar
1/4t salt
1 1/2c chopped walnuts
powdered sugar for coating

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar and cream until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt). Gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in walnuts, then chill dough.

Preheat oven to 400deg. Roll dough into balls (large marble size) and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 min. Roll immediately in powdered sugar then set on newspaper to cool. Roll again in powdered sugar and then try to not eat them all!

Unexpected

I was thrilled when I heard the forecast for the weekend, since it meant a run outside! I can deal with the 37mph wind gusts when it's 48degrees in Boston. In February :) (Talk about unexpected!) The most annoying part was stopping all the time to walk around the huge lakes--err, puddles-- from the melting snow. Not that I'm complaining, it really was a fabulous day!

For last weekend's fun, I set out to make some Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Hummus, using this recipe. Sounds good, right? Well... I ended up with soup. If I hadn't been doing 5 things at once (ok, maybe only 3), I probably could've salvaged a hummus-like consistency. It took me 3 times of re-reading the recipe to realize that I used 1/3 the amount of lentils. Oops! That extra cup of lentils probably would've done a good job of absorbing all that liquid! Anyways, my unexpected soup was actually quite tasty, and I had it with some leftover Caramelized Fennel Flatbread, crisped up in the toaster oven. Fabulous!!



I also used some really ripe naners to make some Banana Biscotti, I hope they are enjoyed :)

Cauliflower Pasta

I looked through my recipes for awhile, wanting to do something a little different with the cauliflower I had picked up on sale... I ended up with a take on Rachel Ray's Pasta w/Cauliflower Sauce. For two servings, I used 4oz penne (Barilla Plus), a little over half of a small head of cauliflower, water instead of stock, half of yellow onion instead of red, fresh thyme instead of rosemary, and goat cheese instead of romano. Apparently I didn't look too closely at the recipe when I decided to go for it! haha. Anyways, I was actually quite surprised at how tasty this turned out, despite the bland colors. Purple or orange cauliflower would be quite delightful in this!

More Super Eats

To roundout the eats for the Superbowl, I made two chilis to acomodate different appetites :) The first was a Turkey & Butternut Chili, with ground turkey sub'd for the beef. I also added some smoked paprika, more chili powder, and a bit of cayenne at the end as I thought it needed a little somthin somethin! In terms of prep, I made this on Saturday and then just threw it in the slow cooker a few hours before kickoff, so it was a very no-fuss dish.

Turkey & Butternut Chili

Meat would have been unsportsmanlike for the Adobo Cornbread Casserole. Somehow it evaded my camera, which is unfortunate as it was kinda purt-y with it's golden crust :) I used a small square baker and 2/3 of the cornbread mix to create a thick, hearty layer of chili in between the cornbread. I kept a touch of agave in the cornbread mix, making it a little sweet. Delish!

Last but not least, I made a recipe for Chocolate Beet Brownies. I'd call them moist chocolate cake bites, as they weren't really like fudgy brownies (I cut back on the butter a little bit...). But they were tasty :) And with beets, wheat germ, and some walnuts, they're good for you, too!



Anyone up for some chocolate? silly question, right? :) Hit up One Frugal Foodie for a giveaway here!

Rigatoni with Flank Steak and Mushrooms

Here is another Giada De Laurentiis recipe from her cookbook, Everyday Italian. The first time I made this recipe I didn't make any changes besides the type of steak I used (I used London Broil) and it was fabulous! I really loved it. I wanted to make this again but I also wanted to use ingredients I had in the fridge already. That meant no arugula but it was still a very tasty dish. I think that this recipe can be used as a guide and all different things can be substituted. I sauteed some cremini mushrooms, added some kalamata olives and used flank steak instead of a strip steak. You could add some sliced red onion, some sort of beans such as chick peas or cannelini beans, maybe some broccoli or green beans. There really is no right or wrong way to make this. Just use what you like and what you have. I haven't changed up the dressing at all but I'm sure you could add some other flavors if you want. Just be careful not to add all the dressing before you taste it. It makes a lot and if you use it all it could overpower everything.

Penne with Beef and Arugula
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Directions:

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

Catching up to the Superbowl Apps

Phew. What a week! In the middle of last week's snow storm I got to "retreat" into the White Mountains of NH. Luckily the drive wasn't too bad and the snow made for some amazing cross country skiing.

I made it back just in time for a fabulous Tea Party (in Boston--ha. don't worry nothing went into the harbor!). A huge shoutout to Starbucks (and Bjorn and Missy and the other guys I'm forgetting their names) for hosting the event. It was a great experience to try their new tea products and hear about the pairings with pastries they offer. Better yet was meeting some fellow Boston bloggers-- including Tina, Bridget, Elina, Pam, The Boston Foodie and The Boston Tea Cup. Check out their links for the lowdown, complete with photos :) The tea infusions (apple and berry) were quite sweet, and I think may be good iced. I did enjoy all the lattes, they seemed like a fantastic way to end a meal (instead of one of those vanilla scones that were also quite tasty...). I don't normally add sweetener to my tea, so I'd go for them light on the milk, unsweetened, with soymilk (which would impart a little sweetness on its own). Picky, aren't I? I always felt like that was asking too much. But you are paying for it, so they should make it how you want it!


And then there was the Superbowl. I got to do my first entertaining and had a great time :) I have been wanting to try fennel for awhile now. My hesitence has come from a dislike of liccorice... so I took the opportunity (of not having to eat it all myself in case I don't like it) to make Carmelized Fennel Flatbread. No worries here, it was fantastic, and I really enjoyed it!!

Caramelized Fennel Flatbread

I also made a Spinach Feta Dip that hid next to Daryl's guacamole :) It was good, but somehow avocados win me over more than feta! This will make a fantastic addition to my lunch sandwiches this week though!!

Spinach and Feta Dip
Adapted from this recipe



1 garlic clove, pressed
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
1 small onion, chopped
8oz greek yogurt (mine was TJ's 0%)
3oz crumbled feta (I had a light feta on hand)
2oz Nufatchel cheese, softened
1/4 light sour cream
1t dried dill (or 1T fresh)
1/8t black pepper

Saute onion in a little EVOO until softened, add spinach and garlic and cook a few minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Combine yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, feta, and spinach mixture in bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir in spices, cover and chill. I did this a day ahead so it was ready for game time :)

Ok, I need some sleep, so the rest of the goods will have to wait. Hopefully I will have a chance to catch up on all my blog reading too... I hope you forgive me! Before I go, there are some giveaways-- Pop Chips over at Missy Maintains (their wasabi flavor is quite interesting!), and Hangry Pants is offering up some almond butter!!

And I need to thank Foodbuzz for giving me the oppotunity to try some of Quaker's new snacks!! I had been eyeing those banana-coconut-macadamia ones that popped up at the Chicago Quaker Convention and couldn't wait to sink my teeth in. Yummy, for sure, I think these are a nice, easy dessert option ;-)

Thank you Foodbuzz!

Winter

I walked through the farmers market in Union Square yesterday morning. I was on my way to work, and wanted an apple to eat on the way. I passed candles and yarn, fresh eggs and loaves of bread. I passed plastic-wrapped slices of banana bread and vacuum-packed cuts of lamb. I stopped at one of the many stalls selling apples. There were long tables covered in boxes of fruit: green, red, and yellow. The air smelled of hot cider and of smoke, wafting up from a nearby cigarette.

I took a bite of a Macintosh as I walked west towards the subway. It was tart and sweet and my fingers soon grew numb. As I walked, I realized that I could also smell something else. It was something familiar, yet unknown, something biting and faintly metallic. Perhaps it came from a trashcan, overflowing on the sidewalk. Perhaps it was the exhaust from a taxi driving by. Like many new smells for me these days—smells that are there but not, recognizable but unknown, and perpetually on the tip of my tongue—I just couldn’t figure it out. Perhaps, I thought, it is just the scent of cold.