Sweet & Sour Pork

Chinese food is a "red light" food for me, meaning, if I start eating it, I won't stop. Deep fried meat covered in sweet, garlicky sauce? Pork fat and meat mingling with ginger and garlic, wrapped in pasta dough and pan-fried? Who would not eat a great potsticker put in front of them? Even green beans can be deep fried and still appear to look healthy.

On a completely different note, I'm about a pound or so away from hitting forty pounds lost. I'd gotten really close 10 days ago, then gained a bit (.8 lbs). Today I got on the scale to find I've gone up even more...so I need to get my nose back to the grindstone.

So why on earth would I make sweet & sour pork for dinner? Oh so many reasons. Because pork is a nice, sweet meat. Because I could. Because I wanted to take something really bad, and make it good. And I did.

Angelic Sweet & Sour Pork

2.5 lbs Pork Top Loin Roast, trimmed of fat
4 large red bell peppers (substitute up to one yellow or green)
1 large yellow onion
20-oz can pineapple chunks in sweetened juice
4 scallions, sliced in 1" pieces
Garlic powder
Dried ginger
Soy sauce
cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp ketchup
Red pepper flakes

Heat oven to 325; season pork with salt & pepper, cook in roasting pan, dry (no liquids, lid, etc), about 25 minutes a pound, until meat thermometer is about 143. Allow meat to rest, at which time thermometer will rise to 150-160 degrees.

While meat roasts, chop peppers and onions into large chunks. Heat pan on medium-high, add 2 tsps canola oil. When hot, add the onions. Stir fry until fragrant and still crisp. Remove (adding to roast pan is fine); add peppers to pan and stir fry, keeping crisp. Add a generous dash of garlic and ginger powders, and a liberal shake of soy sauce. Remove the peppers to the same pan as the onions. Add approximately three tablespoons of cider vinegar to pan, ketchup, sugar, and chili flakes, heat to boiling. Remove from heat, add pineapple with juices. Heat through. Add scallions.

Adjust sauce seasonings to taste, and salt onions & peppers. Toss with pineapple. Slice pork into generous slices (no wimpy thin pieces!) and serve.

Goes well with brown rice or quinoa.

Meat Pies for My Love

I don't know why I never have my camera when I make something that looks just as it should, this being one of those times.

For New Year's Day I like to make something special, especially because we normally don't do anything fancy for NY Eve (this year I managed to stay awake till midnight, but just barely). This year, Juiceboy had mentioned that I never make meat pies, or pasties, which he loves. And it's true, I don't.

I guess it's memories of horrid, little, cheap pot pies with gummy crusts and gloppy centers, and dry meat and frozen chunks still floating around in a tasteless sauce. Doesn't that sound dreadful?

I tried to envision a meat pie I'd like to eat: thick chunks of meat, potatoes, fresh and fragrant vegetables, all held together with a flavorful gravy. And on top of it, it needed to be fast, as I seem to have no time these days, even though I am on vacation (till tomorrow).

This dish was a big hit with all concerned. The Bug had two slices! Serve with salad to make up for the lack of peas or corn in this recipe.

Beef and Lamb Pie
(Makes two pies)

2 boxes Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts
1 pound quality beef cut in stew sized chunks (about 1.5-2"). Stay away from cuts like shoulder or pot roast which need to cook a long time to be tender. This won't spend long cooking.
1 pound ground lamb.
1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
2-3 large carrots, rough chopped in quarters
3 large celery ribs, rough chopped
2 pounds russet potatoes, medium-thick sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
Splash of red wine
1-2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce
Crushed red pepper to taste
About two cups of your favorite beef gravy (I used the kind in a jar)

Heat your oven to 400 and let the pie crusts warm to room temp. Season both meats with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Brown the lamb, reserve the meat and keep any fat in the pan. Brown beef cubes, taking care not to cook through (they'll cook in the pie and won't be overcooked and dry). Remove the beef to a bowl to rest. Pour off all but three tablespoons of fat.

Brown the onion, carrots, and celery in the same pan with the fat (if the meats were very lean add butter, not oil).

While veg are browning, cover potatoes with hot water and cook for five minutes in microwave (or on stovetop). Drain potatoes on paper towel.

When vegetables are brown and fragrant, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan. Then, add the gravy. Mix well, adding the juices from the beef. Add red pepper, Lea & Perrins, and adjust seasonings to taste. Mix in ground lamb.

If beef cubes are large, cut in half. They should be about two bites large. Be sure to add the juices to the lamb/veg mix. Also, don't be alarmed that the meat is raw in the center. It will cook.

Next, unroll one pie crust and press into ungreased pie plate. I like a large one with very sloped sides. Arrange potatoes on bottom of crust, then put beef on top of potatoes. Add lamb/veg mix over top, shaking slightly to fill in holes.

Unroll second crust, and place over top. Pinch edges together, making a strong seal. I don't worry about crimping the edges--this is a rustic pie. Cut three slits in center to allow steam to realease and repeat for second pie. At this point, pies can be frozen (defrost before cooking).

Bake for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees, checking your crust periodically. If the edges brown to quickly, cover the edges with tin foil. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown.

IMPORTANT: Let your pies sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing into them, or you'll have pie disappointment.

Coporamb

I've been hearing about Turducken a lot this holiday season. Seems lots of people aren't happy with just the traditional turkey, not even the deep fried turkey. The in-thing now is Turducken: a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken--all boneless, of course.

That sounded pretty tasty to me, until I thought of what I'd like even BETTER this Christmas:

Coporamb.

A cow stuffed with a pig stuffed with a lamb. All boneless, of course.

Think of it as a pig roast, on steroids.

Who's up for the ultimate meat feast?!

Spinach Tacos

Okay, so they aren't really just spinach tacos. But that's the only thing I could think to call it. I had leftover chicken thighs from the White Chicken Chili in the fridge, so Juiceboy cooked four of them up as I braved Bay Area Traffic.

When I arrived home it turned out that neither of us was super hungry and The Bug was happy playing on the computer. The Baby had just spit up all over himself, so I grabbed the opportunity to give him a bath (which is something I rarely do). As I dried him I tried to think of things to go with the chicken, and realized I don't really like thigh meat, unless it's all cut up and part of something else, and I was completely not interested in dinner.

"Hey, how about if I cook up some spinach and we just have a little light meal of tacos? No beans or cheese or anything...."

Sounded good to Juiceboy. I pulled out the sad little bowl of caramelized onions, and we had a great, simple dinner of onions, chicken and spinach tacos. I had corn tortillas and the guys chose flour. I think I made the better choice.

Can't Win them All

A Cooking Light recipe on braising prompted me to make something braised this weekend. It's been gloomy, we all have colds, and the thought of some slow-cooked, melt-in-your-mouth beef was just what the doctor ordered.

Being of stuffy-headed mind, I read the recipes and article twice and watched the videos on the website carefully. The videos were a disaster. The talking heads didn't discuss cuts of meat at all. They didn't show browning techniques. I wanted something more than a pot roast. I wanted delicious, braised beef.

Well...you can guess what happened. It was Saturday afternoon, so all the smaller cuts of bottom round were sold. There was a huge brisket--but I don't have a container big enough for a whole brisket. If I'm going to buy flank steak I'm going to marinate and grill it. No roasts. So, I got a four-pounder. It had to be cooked in my bigger, lighter pot.

I forgot that it heats faster. What happened as I was dicing onions? Yup, I burnt instead of browned. Picture it: the Bug coughing from smoke, the baby crying, and I'm scraping meat like it's toast. Juiceboy to the rescue, and dinner got back on track.

I slowly simmered it in a lovely red wine sauce with parsnips, carrots and red potatos (those added about 45 minutes from serving time). I served it on top of wide egg noodles.

In the end, dinner was an hour late. The veggies were just barely cooked and the meat was tough. And...it was your basic pot roast.

It made for good leftovers. I slowly simmered it the next two days, cooking extra egg noodles right in the sauce the second night. They were pretty good.

So--I don't know if I'm too excited by braising. I've yet to have truly tender beef come out of something braised. But then again, I'm known for my kitchen fiascos.

Did I mention I burnt the bacon the next day?

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

For the Food Network, Memorial Day signifies the beginning of grilling/bbq season. I blissed out on barbeque shows last weekend, making myself crave barbeque with a vengence. It's rare that I rue the day we left San Francisco, but last weekend I did--because we used to be so close to Memphis Minnie's. Memphis Minnie's does 'que the way I like it: dry rubs with flavorful sauces on the table for *you* to add.

I skipped out to the store and found a lovely cheap shoulder blade pork roast for only $4.50 (which is unheard of in the Bay Area). I cooked it slowly and lovingly and it gave us great pulled pork sandwiches for days afterwards.

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 pork shoulder blade roast (4-5 pounds)
4T ground cumin
1/4C packed brown sugar
4 T paprika (I used sweet)
1/4 C chili powder
2T red pepper flakes
liberal amount of salt and fresh pepper
2T vegetable oil
1 C Apple juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim excess fat off roast. Mix all the dry ingrediants in a bowl, adjusting for taste and amount (if you have a large roast you'll need more rub). Rub meat with seasonings. At this point, you can let the roast sit up to a day--wrapped and refrigerated--but I'm impatient and last minute, so I get going with the cooking.

Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof pot at medium. Add the oil. Once heated, brown the meat on all sides. When sufficiently browned, cover pot with aluminum foil and an oven-proof lid. Cook in oven at 325 for about 3 hours (until pork is at 170-175 degrees and tender tender tender). Halfway through the cooking process baste meat with apple juice.

Remove from oven and pot, and let juices settle. Skim the fat from pan juices and set those juices aside. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred with two forks:










Mix in with the pan juices (watch out--don't add too much liquid!).

At this point you can add in your favorite barbeque sauce. Some people will only make their own. I like Emeril's Sweet N Easy Molasses BBQ sauce.

The result:


Juiceboy and I both like our Pulled Pork Sandwiches to be topped with a vinegary, crispy coleslaw. The Bug likes just the meat, of course. And I only use those terrible, fluffy sandwich buns for this sloppy sandwich. No Kaiser Rolls to get in the way of my chomping down!

Typical American Serving Suggestions: Boston Baked Beans (we like Bush's Honey Beans); corn on the cob, garden salad.

Cookbook Recipe: Rigitoni al Forno

For Christmas Eve I made Nigella Lawson's Rigitoni al Forno, from her Feast cookbook. The cookbook itself is glorious, with Nigella's wonderful voice making it a great read. However, I found that many of her recipes turn out flat. I used her recipes for baked potatoes and yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner, and we were all disappointed with them. Of course, I didn't have the required two cups of goose fat for the potatoes, so my substitution might have been a large part of the problem.

As for the rigitoni: since it was a recipe for 16 and we were only 5, I reduced the recipe, which wasn't hard. It originally called for 3 pounds of rigitoni and 3 pounds, 4 oz of ground beef, so I just reduced everything to 1/3-- one pound of rigitoni and one pound 1.5 oz of beef.

I did increase the amount of bechamel sauce from 1/3 to 2/3 of the recipe, due only to bad math. And in the end, it needed it!

This was the MEATIEST pasta dish ever. It was supposed to be a take on lasagna--but boy, it was saucy ground beef with some pasta noodles. In the end I had lots of meat leftover because I'd had to pick out all the pasta to serve it round.

Also, the recipe calls for cooking the meat sauce for two hours. If there were other meats in this ragu that would be called for, but I think 30-40 minutes is more than enough.

Finally, she mixes the rigitoni first with the bechamel to coat it, then adds the meat sauce. If you stir it too much it gets gray and looks like something the dog threw up.

In the end, this was a good concept that needs some tweaking to be a 100% success.

Black Friday

Yesterday I blogged as I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. It was my first complete TG dinner ever made all by myself, having gone to potlucks for the past 12 years. But this year we weren't welcome at the potluck and I was pleased to have the freedom to cook what I wanted, the way I wanted.

I thought I'd have many problems, mix ups, and fiascoes. Surprisingly, I didn't. I planned in advance, double checked ingredients (save for the buttermilk), and expected delays. My dinner table wasn't as pretty or as fancy as I would have liked. I'd planned on turning the little gourds into candle holders, and I'd thought I would plate up in the kitchen, but at the end, I just ran out of counter space.

Here are my lessons learned:

1. Turkey: Don't put two cups of water in the pan. I think one cup would have been enough. Also, check the temperature much earlier. When I pulled it out to check it was at 180, so it probably rose to 190. The breast meat was good, but my guess is that when it's cold it will be dry. I found I didn't need to baste it--rubbing melted butter all over it before I put it in did the trick. I also cooked it on top of a whole bunch of carrots, a really big, quartered onion, and some celery, to make the juices flavorful.
2. Stuffing: The cornbread by itself was really dry, so I'm glad I used it in stuffing. I used the Joy of Cooking Southern Corn Bread recipe, which was dead easy (email me if you want the recipe). Then, I cooked up some Jimmy Dean Sausage, and I do think next year I'll add some andouille to that. Into that went 3 tablespoons butter, 1.5 cups of chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery, a large clove of garlic, chopped. That cooked till fragrant, then I crumbled in the corn bread, about 1/3 cup chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage (which I'll increase to two T next year), 1 teaspoon thyme (again, I'll increase that), one beaten egg and chicken broth to soften. Next year: more onion, sage, thyme, another egg, and I think I'll take some of the liquid from the turkey pan in addition to the chicken broth--if I have as much as I did this year.
3. Bubble & Squeak: Definitely this year's stand out winner. Juiceboy snuck back into the kitchen and had more later in the night. I'll post a separate recipe for that. It just kills me that it's a recipe for using leftovers and I made it all fresh!
4. Corn Popovers: They were a nice idea and looked great as they puffed up in the oven, but they were heavier than I had thought they'd be. Don't know why I expected something like miniature Yorkshire Puddings when I loaded them down with corn meal and corn, but there you go. They were good with butter and I'm going to have one for breakfast. Hmmmm....what should I have on it? How about....
5. GRAVY: My favorite part of any holiday dinner. The turkey gravy came out GREAT. First, I made a roux with about 4 T flour, and really let it cook. I think I could have let it cook a little more than I did, to darken the sauce. Then, I added room temperature chicken broth in doses, whisking like mad. All told, I probably added 1.5 cups. I took my de-fatted turkey juices and added about four cups, mixing well in between each addition, and then I just let it boil furiously for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. I was going to add some wine, but I forgot. And that was okay--it tasted great with just a shake of ground pepper. I'm happy to say I have a big container of "gravy fixins" in the freezer now for the future.
6. Salad: I have a new sweet & savory salad dressing. Since I don't have measurements, it's not going to be its own recipe: about 1/4 cup honey, about one clove of garlic chopped fine, olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste, thyme, salt and pepper. This would be great with some crushed red pepper flakes, too. For the salad I tossed organic greens, one roasted beet that I'd julienned, about 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and some softened goat cheese. It was very good and I look forward to having it for dinner!
7. Chocolate Trifle: Well--this went sideways. I was making Paula Deen's Chocolate Coffee Trifle, which I'd had at someone else's house. It was the best dessert EVER. However, I didn't have any Kahlua, and wasn't about to buy a bottle just for this dessert. Another missing element--I don't have a trifle bowl. So, we had pieces of cake with the fudge sauce over top, a scoop of Hagen Daaz vanilla and a little Cool Whip. There were supposed to be chopped up Heath Bars on it, but I forgot to add them. I don't think anyone noticed...not the way my guys were wolfing it down! I hadn't made the sauce before dinner because as soon as the popovers were done they needed to be served. And I was ready to eat after six hours of cooking.

Roast Chicken, Traditional and Good

After trying a bunch of "butterflied" roast chicken recipes I've gone back to my simple roots. And I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of this pretty bird, but Juiceboy took the camera camping and I have no clue where it is in all his gear. But trust me, this was one good-looking, juicy chicken!

Roast Chicken
A 4-pound bird
Four carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1.5" wedges.
Two stalks of celery, cleaned and cut on a bias into 1" chunks
One yellow onion, chopped
One lemon
Kosher salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Cumin, chile powder, thyme
Pre-heat the oven to 425. Clean and pat the chicken dry.

In a bowl, mix carrots, celery, onion, the juice from half the lemon, about one tablespoon cumin, one teaspoon chile powder, one teaspoon thyme, and fresh ground pepper. Toss to coat.

Generously rub the chicken with salt. Stuff the bird loosely with veggies and the
unused lemon half. Brush with olive oil.

Mound the remaining veggies in the center of the roasting pan, seating the chicken on top of the vegetables. Add approximately two cups of water to the pan to keep
veggies from burning.

Put in upper part of your oven at 425 for about 12 minutes. Then lower heat to 375. Cook, basting and turning at least every thirty minutes for approximately one hour and twenty minutes. Since ovens and beginning chicken temps vary (mine had just defrosted, so I cooked it for the full 80 minutes and it was PERFECT), check for your preferred doneness at 60 minutes.

Let it sit for at least ten minutes. I reserve the vegetables and serve with the chicken--they are roasted but not spent. I also make a lovely light pan gravy with the juices left in the pan (add water to the pan when cooking as needed).

I served this tonight with a two-bean salad, which I'll write up tomorrow.

Alton's Butterflied Roast Chicken

I do love Alton Brown. He explains things so well. So why didn't I listen to some of his reasons on why to make his Butterflied Roast Chicken the way he said to? Last night we had dinner at 9:30pm, partly because Juiceboy was home late from a trek, and mostly because dinner took forever to make. I served the aforementioned chicken, curried couscous, and a quick creamed spinach.

Here are my lessons learned:

1. The recipe calls for a 3 to 4 pound bird because anything bigger won't cook properly. I had my 5-pounder under the broiler for close to 40 minutes, and I still had to pop individual servings in the microwave just to get it done.
2. Grinding peppercorns takes time. I enjoyed using my mortar & pestle, but this took 15 minutes more than I thought it would.
3. Regular scissors and kitchen scissors: yes, there is a difference. I broke a perfectly good pair of scissors cutting out the back bone of my bad boy (or girl?).
4. Red wine makes a muddy jus. I used a nice pinot noir which tasted good, but the jus was purple. Not appetizing.
5. At 9:30 at night, the guys will eat anything. The Bug thought this was a great dinner. Who would have guessed?

I'll try this recipe again, next time baking if I have such a big bird.

Mexican Pork Stew

It was our first cold day today, with overcast skies and temps in the mid-50s (remember, I'm in California--that's cool weather). I cooked some cool-weather food that satisfied my craving for spicy as well. There was enough pork left over that I'm making a nice stock right now.


Mexican Pork Stew (a Posole, minus the hominy)
One good-sized pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes
Flour
Salt and fresh black pepper
Olive oil, about 2-3 tablespoons
One large yellow onion, diced
Four cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C Chardonney wine
3-4 cups chicken broth
One 4 oz can minced green chiles
One 16-oz bag frozen corn
One cup salsa verde (I like the Safeway brand)
~1 T Chile Powder
~1 T Cumin
~1 T Mexican Oregano leaf
1t Cardamon
Three medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Two to three large carrots, scrubbed and sliced into disks
One tomato, diced
About one cup parsley, minced
Four to six T light sour cream
Soft-taco sized flour tortillas, steamed, enough for one-to-two each

Mix flour, salt & pepper. Dredge the cubed pork and shake excess flour from it. I like to throw it into a plastic collander and give it a few good shakes.

Heat oil in large stew pot till fragrant. Add pork and brown on all sides. Remove from pan.

Turn pan to medium, medium low. Add onion and stir till soft. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add wine and stir to scrape up the yumminess on bottom.

Return pork to pot. Add chicken broth, chiles, corn, potatoes, spices, salsa, and carrots. Heat on low simmer for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots and meat are tender. Taste for flavor. If you like more heat, add more salsa verde, or a roasted poblano pepper (or two or three).

This is a stew, so let it cool a bit and test for thickness, adjusting as necessary (I added some broth & flour to mine to thicken it. You could use masa if you have the time.).

Ladle into stew bowls, topping with tomatoes, sour cream & parsley. Fold the tortillas into quarters and serve on the side.

Pot Roast

I was looking for an economical bit of meat that would be good for two dinners...and one that we haven't had recently. So pork roast was out. Happily, I asked the Safeway butcher to bring out more of the 7-bone pot roast, which if you get the right cut has very little boning and not much fat.

So for $6.50, we had a nice pot roast dinner for the first cool evening of the fall.

Fleagirl's Pot Roast

Season one 4-5 pound pot roast with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper. Then, with a hand-held strainer, sift flour evenly across the roast.

In a wide, heavy pan, heat about 2T corn oil. Add roast and brown well. Turn and brown the other side.

Remove roast (put in oven proof pot or dutch oven). Add to cooking pan about three cups mirepoix (three large diced carrots, one diced onion, two ribs diced celery) and about five smashed cloves of garlic. Cook until tender.

Move mirepoix to roasting pot.

Deglaze cooking pan with 1/2 cup chicken broth, one can roasted tomatos, and a splash of red wine. Scrape up all the yummy bits on the pan, break up tomatos. Add to roasting pan after all is simmering.

Cover roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and tight-fitting lid. Cook in oven at 325 to 350 for two-to-three hours. During this time baste the meat every hour.

Serve with egg noodles (I throw some frozen peas into the water while they are cooking), and sauted cabbage (I like to add some thick-sliced carrots, which add color and crispness).

Chicken Piccata & Bread Salad

I really am trying to make smart choices in cooking. Of course, this was a Sunday dinner, so it had to be a little fancy. We had the leftover No-Cook Tomato Basil Pasta from last night plus:

Chicken Piccata

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin or butterflied if you want, but I just left mine as is, straight out of the freezer)
• 1/2 can chicken broth
• Juice of one lemon
• One large clove of garlic, smashed but not chopped
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup (eyeball it) chopped parsley
• About 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Capers (optional)

In a heavy skillet, place frozen chicken breasts, broth, lemon juice and garlic. Cover and simmer pm medium low about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. When cooked almost through, remove from pan. Reserve broth, straining first.

Add butter and olive oil to the pan--I wash the pan first--and turn pan to medium high. (NO NON-STICK PANS!). Return chicken to skillet and let brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Remove meat once again. Add pepper and parsley. Whisk some leftover broth with cornstarch in a cup till thin and lumps are gone, then add sparingly to sauce. Do this slowly. You don't want a sticky mess, just to thicken it slightly.

Sprinkle parmesan on chicken, then add sauce and capers. Garnish with parsley.

I have nice homemade bread that's just one day past eating for sandwiches. I also have lots of tomatoes from our backyard plants and the farmstand. Here's a simple recipe that celebrates the flavors of summer. It's all eyeballed and to your taste. Go easy. And remember, the bread is supposed to be soggy. It's bread salad.

Bread Salad (Panzanella) day-old homemade bread or other bakery bread--crusts are great--Cut fresh, juicy tomatoes, at least a pound, in coarse pieces. Whatever you do, don't dice into nothingness. This is not about mashed tomatoes. Throw on top of the bread.

Peel and slice a cucumber into 1/2 inch chunks. Don't worry about the seeds. They're good for you.

Add either thinly sliced red onion or chopped scallion (aka green onion).

Tear fresh basil--don't chop it. Throw it in.

Let it all sit for a while, then add 1/4 cup olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar whisked in. Season with salt & pepper. Taste. You might want to repeat the olive oil and vinegar.

Please, please, don't use store-bought Italian dressing or vinagrette. The fresh, summery flavors need only to be highlighted by the oil and vinegar, not overpowered by corn syrup, soybean oil, and artificial flavors.

Fast and Cheap and Oh SOOOO Good!

We went to Casteneda Bros' farmstand today and picked up some good, big heirloom tomatoes. They are way bigger than mine.

I wanted to make a good dinner, but cheap and fast, as it's the first of the month and that means rent comes before fancy dinners. So what to do when you want to make a nice dinner for three, but you have about ten dollars? In California, where meat is expensive--as well as everything else?

One fresh (picked today!) green pepper, sliced. That's it! Cost: 50 cents
Two top loin sirloin steaks, total weight, just under a pound. On sale at Safeway: $4

Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta
(I eyeballed all of this, so all measurements are approximate)

• About two to three cups chopped, FRESH tomatoes
• One big clove garlic, minced
• Fresh basil, about 10 big leaves, gently chiffonaded (cut in thin strips)--be careful with basil because it gets damaged and bruised easily. Handle it as little as possible.
• Approximately 8 oz ricotta cheese
• Two to three tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes (if you need some heat)
• About 16 oz rugged pasta, like rigatoni or cappelletti

Put water on to boil, with olive oil and salt to taste. When boiling, add the pasta. As it cooks combine all other ingredients in a bowl, stir and taste for seasoning. Let sit. When pasta is al dente, drain well, but do not rinse. Add hot pasta to tomatoes, toss to coat.

Cost: Assuming you have the olive oil and other seasonings, about $4.

Here's an interesting pasta recipe site: http://www.barillaus.com/recipes__cooking.aspx

Steak Marinade

• Two cloves garlic
• About 1/4 C olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh basil, about 2 tablespoons, chopped

Blend in a food processor. Then marinate steaks in a glass bowl for approximately 10 minutes.

I seared the steaks in an iron pan at high heat, treated with olive oil first. I cooked on both sides quickly, then deglazed the pan with about 1/4 cup red wine.

We enjoyed this dinner with homemade bread and fresh, local honey (cost: $5.50).

No Wonder We're Fat!

Last night we sat down to what I thought would be a healthy, homemade dinner. And I realized as I looked over the dishes, it's no wonder we're fat. I'm filling up my family with all the wrong things.

I'd made turkey tacos. And while the substitution of ground turkey for ground beef was a good start, I should have gone farther.

Here's what I made:

Turkey Tacos
(one serving; all measurements approx.)

6oz ground turkey sauteed with taco seasoning
Two corn taco shells, warmed in oven
3 oz Refried beans (fat free)
2 T Chopped romaine lettuce
2 T salsa
3 T cheddar cheese

I'll post the total nutritional content for this later today (Dietwatch.com is down), but I'm sure it's not good. Where are my veggies? The tacos felt greasy just coming out of the package. And it just didn't seem like a well rounded meal.

I could have done a very similar meal, but made it salad based, and thrown in lots of veggies, skipped the cheese, and used one taco shell, or chips, for all three of us. And I'd use the salsa as the dressing.

And what did we have for dessert? Ice cream. No wonder Juiceboy felt junky this morning!