Tag - You're It!

I'm really bad at playing these tag games. I plan on doing it and then I get distracted and forget. Sorry!!! Anyway....I've been tagged by Pat over at Mille Fiore Favoriti and Bob at Cooking Stuff. Both of these tags are very similar. The rules of both of these tags are similar, one wants 6 random facts about me and the other wants 7 so I guess I'll do 7...aren't you lucky? ;-)

1. I can't stand cats. I know, you're all going to hate me now...I'm sorry. There is a reason, I assure you. Back when I was in elementary school I spent the night at my friends house. She had one of those cool day beds that hid another bed underneath. I was sleeping on the top one and she on the bottom but hers was lower than mine. I woke up to the cat watching me. I just stood still and tried not to move and the darn thing jumped on me! I screamed and jumped from the high bed over her bed to get to away from it. Everyone woke up scared but then laughed at me...I was embarassed and have been afraid of cats every since. They must know this because when I go to someone's house who has a cat the cat always follows me, I know it's just ready to pounce on me!!!

2. So, if you're still reading...here's my second weird thing. I eat my pierogies with apple sauce. I ignore all the strange looks and continue to eat them that way because that's how my Aunt taught me and that's how they like them. So there.

3. I am clumsy and have zero coordination. I don't even think I can properly throw a ball. I don't know how I walk sometimes. I would make a terrible waitress.

4. Speaking of throwing a ball...I know absolutely nothing about sports. Steve will explain the same thing over and over again. Poor guy thinks one day I'll remember the rules but I just won't. I can't, I have some sort of mental block. Blame it on my father and brother who never watched any sports!

5. I like to watch QVC with my mom. When I lived at home we would curl up under one of her afghans and watch Cooking with Bob on a sunday. Whatever she ordered for herself she ordered for me and my sister. After that we'd watch a lifetime movie.

6. I don't like "stuff" in my ice cream. I like plain chocolate with nothing on it. No sprinkles, or hot fudge, no nuts or m&m's just plain chocolate. Sometimes if I'm feeling a little "wild" I'll thrown some corn pops on it...then it tastes like an ice cream cone.

7. The smell of a car's exhaust reminds me of the ice-cream truck. I guess when I was a child and was short (not that I'm much taller now at 5'2") my nose reached the exhaust and now I associate that smell with being a kid on a summer day in Brooklyn.

So here are the rules of the game:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules.
3. Write 6 (or 7) random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they were tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry has been published.

Can I have a drumroll please.....

I am tagging...

1. Lucy from Sweet, Savories, etc. Lucy is an excellent cook. She could be part of my family since we cook so much alike. Not only does she have some fantastic recipes but she also very sweet and helpful!

2. Lisa from Lime in the Coconut has some great easy recipes on her blog with some great pictures. If you haven't seen her blog yet you need to check it out! Oh and I have to add that everytime I see the title of her blog I can't stop singing in my head!

3. Deborah from Jersey Bites, A quest for food with attitude has her own social network for New Jersey foodies! She has some great giveaways on her blog and some wonderful recipes as well!

4. Katie of Good Things Catered
has menus for all occasions. If you think entertaining is hard, fear not, Katie gives you the recipes you need to pull it off!

5. Chelle over at Brown Eyed Baker will make you drool when you look at the pictures of the goodies she makes. She has more than desserts and breads on her blog but I can't seem to take my "green eyes" off the sweets!

6. Jonny and Nikki from Sunday Sauce are an adorable young Italian couple who live in New Jersey. The love to cook and eat and often review local restaurants. Check out their blog and urge them to post more often!!!

Just want you all to know that I've tagged you because I really enjoy reading your blog. So even though there isn't an actual award with this tag, know that you get a gold star in my book!!!

Alright everyone, start tagging, you're IT!!!

Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli and A Happy 30th Bday to Steve!

I've been so busy this past week with Steve's birthday that I haven't had a chance to post but I have been taking pictures. Let me start by wishing my other half, Steve, a very Happy Birthday! I love you! XOXOXOX




Now about the food. While visiting with Steve's parents this past weekend I noticed a cookbook on the bookshelf that I have never seen before. It's called "Eat Right, East Well - The Italian Way" by Edward Giobbi and Richard Wolff, M.D. There are a ton of wonderful recipes in this book and I look forward to trying more. I made very slight variations to the recipe because I wanted to use what I had on hand but nothing that really would compromise the end result. This recipe can be found on page 138-139 of the cookbook.

Pasta with Chicken Breasts

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:


1 whole chicken breast, cut into strips about 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound tubular pasta, such as ziti, rigatoni, or penne
6 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons pesto (page 426)

Directions:

Marinate cut-up chicken breasts with garlic, soy sauce, pepper and lemon juice for several hours.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for several minutes over high heat. Add marinade and cook, tossing, for 10 seconds or more. turn off heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt and potatoes. When water returns to a boil, add pasta. Stir, cook about 4 minutes, then add broccoli and cook until pasta is done al dente. Drain. Reserve some of the water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup - and mix with the pesto until it has a thin saucelike consistency. Add to pasta and vegetables in a large serving bowl. Add chicken and juices and toss.

Pesto - page 426

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup walnut meats
4 cups tightly packed fresh basil
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Put in a jar, add 1/2 inch oil on top of pesto , and refrigerate. It will last all winter.


My changes were simple. I did NOT use this recipe for pesto. I included it here because it is a part of the recipe and I want you to have the option. I have my own recipe for Pesto but I didn't follow that either because I didn't have a lot of basil. So I basically just added the basil I did have (less than a cup), 1/4 cup parsley, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup romano cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and extra virgin olive oil. I used my normal recipe as a guide and used less since I didn't have a lot of basil. It worked and it was delicious. So don't be afraid to make this if you don't have pesto or don't have all the ingredients for pesto.

When I cooked the broccoli it broke down a lot, almost to the consistency of the broccoli in a broccoli soup, so to me this was almost like a broccoli pesto. I loved that and I think that's the way it's supposed to be but then again there was no picture so I don't know for sure. Either way, I liked this dish the way it came out and I would definitely make it again.

Not Just Another Frittata

This frittata had two ingredients that screamed "MAKE ME," so I listened :) Head over to Dani Spies to check out this recipe for a Butternut Quinoa Frittata. I think I cooked the squash a bit longer, so it didn't hold it's shape as nicely as in Dani's photograph. Regardless of how it looked, it was much enjoyed-- great combo of flavors in this dish! Oh, I used gorgonzola as I much prefer that to blue cheese. Sorry for the lackluster slice i'm serving up



And one more treat for today... Heather gave me the Superior Scribbler Award!! I don't know that I'm quite worthy, but here's the deal...


1. Post the award on your blog
2. Link to me for giving it to you
3. Link the originating post here
4. Pass it on to five deserving people
5. Post these rules for your recipients.

I have such a hard time picking just a few! What I think that really means is that I read too many blogs :) Based on the award, I am passing this award on to...

A couple roses :)
--Rose @ On A Lobster Placemat: her oatmeal is so creative I wouldn't be able to eat it! I love the stories that accompany every bowl :)
--Rosiecat @ Life, Love, and Food: her kitchen conversations and beautifully written posts almost outshine the recipes she so lovingly shares! (i said almost!!)

--Shauna @ Gluten-Free Girl: the tagline food-stories-recipes-love says it all! I highly doubt she knows my blog exists, but the way she writes always brings a smile and some inspiration!

and two fitness-inspirations
--Carla (Miz) @ Mizfit: along with the bumbling band, she makes me think way too hard that early in the morning!! but i love every minute of it.
-- Angela @ OhSheGlows: I stumbled upon her blog all of 5 days ago and quickly realized it's chock-full of inspiration :)

It's not just for oatmeal anymore!

I knew as soon as I saw this I'd have to try it. I'll admit, I thought "why didn't I think of this," but then I came to my senses :) Whenever I try a dish that I haven't had before, I stick to the recipe... such was the case when I first made risotto a little over a year ago. As I got the hang of this dish, I stuck with arborio and mingled the add-ins.

Enter Mel over at bitchin camero, she always gets me with her lovely photos and recipes! Using steel cut oats in this Risotto with Shrimp & Asparagus made for a nice change in texture--still creamy but with a nice chewiness. Don't forget the freshly ground pepper! I've also been meaning to try risotto with barley, or maybe even with some fruit or sweetness... the possibilities are endless :)

"Cake"

Sometimes the slow moments sneak up on me.

I had been spending my days working away, lost in reams of Word documents and stacks of library books, feeling little but the adrenaline of deadline and excitement of production. But then, suddenly, the articles were filed. The revisions were made. The endpoint never ceases to surprise me.

I woke up on Sunday morning with nothing more pressing than the newspaper, wrapped in plastic and the damp red leaves that had fallen from trees the night before. I’m really not used to free time. I baked a cake to take off the edge.

I have been transfixed by Suzanne Goin’s cookbook: Sunday Suppers at Lucques. Her “pumpkin” cake—understated and sweet, made with roasted butternut squash and a whiff of honey—transformed the house with scents of pecans and butter. It spoke to late autumn, early dusk, and lazy afternoons in the kitchen.


“Pumpkin” Cake with Pecan Streusel
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

1 butternut squash
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cups heavy cream
3 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon honey
Pecan streusel topping (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut side up. (Don't remove the seeds yet; they give extra flavor.) Cover with foil, and roast about 1 hour, until very tender. Let cool 10 minutes, and then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Puree the warm squash through a ricer or food mill and measure out 1 1/2 cups.

Turn the oven down to 350F.

Butter and flour a 10-inch pan (I used a springform)

Place the butter in a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean in two and scrape out the seeds with your knife into the pan. Add the seed pod as well, and cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove the pod.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the salt. Make a well in the center.

In another large bowl, whisk the reserved 1 1/2 cups squash puree, milk, 1/4 cup cream, eggs, and honey to combine. Pour the liquid into the well in the dry ingredients, and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the brown butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake the cake another 45 minutes (or longer--mine was in for an hour), until the topping is crisp and cake has set. (The center of the cake will still be somewhat soft and won't pass the toothpick test.) Cool the cake on a rack for at least 15 minutes.

**Update: Originally, I had listed the quantity of heavy cream needed as 1 and 1/4 cups. The cake recipe calls for 1/4 cup, with the additional cup meant to be whipped and served along side the cake. I didn't make the whipped cream myself, and neglected to remove the measurement from the recipe when I wrote it up here. My apologies for the confusion!

Pecan Streusel Topping

1/4 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon dried nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet, and toast them 8 to 10 minutes, until they darken slightly and smell nutty. When the nuts have cooled, chop them coarsely. Toss the nuts with the oil and salt.

In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg until just combined. Remove to a bowl, stir in the salted pecans, and chill until ready to use.

A Sunday of Thanks

I've been blessed by some great goodies lately, and wanted to express my gratitude of the thoughtfulness and excitement that has come from blogland! You ALL are so incredible!!!!


First up, from the BSI challenges, a thank you to Sabrina, for the halloween-themed goodies she sent along for the Chocolate Polenta Cake I made (sorry I don't know what I was thinking, but I forgot to take a picture!) Also to Gina, who liked my Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes enough to send me some homemade macaroons that were just incredible--girl i want the recipe if you don't mind sharing!!!


Next up were some freebies thanks to Megan's Munchies :)


And finally, a huge shoutout goes to Kalyn over in her Kitchen, who has been running the fabulous Weekend Herb Blogging for 3 years. To commemorate the event there were several giveaways, and I was the lucky recipient of some new cookbooks! So excited for the new readings I can hardly contain myself!

The ever-expanding world

I have really loved my exploration into new and exciting grains, passing along my knowledge to my parents who have tried them with gusto (ok, well maybe sometimes a little tentatively... but they've liked them all!!) :) Alot of what I learned came from perusing both the internet and food blogs and the book Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way.


The first third or so of the book is chock full of information about whole grains (some of which I hadn't heard of before!). I had a ball reading this part :) Recipes utilizing each of the grains for different courses account for the rest of the book. Another useful tool is the index of mail-order sources if you cannot find some of the grains mentioned.

So the food? I've tried two recipes so far-- the oat pudding was just ok, but I really enjoyed the quinoa chowder with spinach and feta. Tonight I tried the Chili-Scented Pork Chops with Quinoa (with a much longer name in the book). For this dish, quinoa is tossed with corn and a roasted red pepper vinaigrette, then topped with a pork chop and served alongside lightly dressed cherry tomatoes. A really nice combo of flavors!! I'd recommend this book for its information alone, but it seems the recipes are winners, too :)