Two Bean Salad

Summer is the time of backyard potlucks, people dropping in unexpectedly for weekend visits, and stinking hot temperatures. The following is my recipe for my go-to quick, easy, cheap and healthy Two Bean Salad. I love it as a side with multigrain tortillas and eggs for brunch! Take liberties with it--the salad gets better the more you tweak it to your taste.

Two Bean Salad
(serves 10 as a side; four if a main course salad)

The juice of one or two limes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp cumin (or more, to taste)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (to taste)
1-3 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt, pepper, healthy dash of red pepper flakes
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans, drained--rinse if you're watching sodium
1 can small white beans, drained--rinse if you're watching sodium
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn (not thawed)

In a medium-large bowl, make the dressing, mixing all the ingredients from the lime juice to the cilantro. Mix well, adjust seasonings and vinegar levels to taste. Add remaining items, mix well. Let sit at least 30 minutes for flavors to develop. As the frozen corn will thaw as it sits, but will also keep the salad cool.

Getting to 120

Those of you who follow my blog may have noticed that about a month ago the address changed to "GettingTo120.blogspot.com" as did my Twitter handle. It's a constant reminder for me that even though I've lost a huge amount of weight I have a long journey ahead of me. As of this morning I've lost 70 pounds; I have just 50 more to go.

Some significant changes in the past 14 months:

1) I started as a size 22/24, depending on the cut of the clothing item, etc. I'm now at a regular 16 in tops and dresses, a 16W in pants. Skirts...it depends. I *did* get a 16 regular bathing suit but realized after seeing a picture of me in it that it's still a bit too small.

2) Inches lost. I've lost lots of inches. Over ten inches from my hips, seven from my bust, and six from my waist.

3) Different approach to food. Sure--today I did seriously consider getting donuts this morning after my Weight Watchers meeting. I was even in line at the bakery. My dad's voice ran through my head "fat pills!" and when I looked at them, my mouth didn't water. They didn't look yummy. They looked like the equivalent of a whole big healthy brunch...but with a stomach ache and lethargy afterwards. So I left, thrilled that it was such a happy revelation, such a change in habit.

For lunch today I had a delicious summer salad made with organic Candy Cane Beets and Golden Beets from Shooting Star CSA--a great place I'm lucky to live near. This is earthy, sweet, and tangy. It is summer on a plate!

Balsamic Beet & Orange Salad

One cup cold, cooked beets, quartered
One medium orange, segmented
One thin slice of red onion...to taste
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
Salt

Combine the ingredients on a plate, and enjoy. Serves one as a lunch; serves two as a side.

Cauliflower Ragout

I love the idea of Anne Burrell's Cauliflower ragout--one where she says that she "cooks the CRAP" out of it. I couldn't find a recipe for it however, so I've created my own. I have enjoyed it twice now, and it's really quite delicious. Sorry, no pictures because it's been eaten.

Cauliflower Ragout
Two teaspoons olive oil
One yellow onion, chopped
Three cloves garlic, minced
28 oz diced tomatoes
14 oz crushed tomatoes
Four oz red wine
One large head cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
Green olives with pimentos--amount to your taste.
Oregano
Salt & Pepper

Spray a large pot with cooking spray, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, cook until lightly browned. Add garlic, saute till fragrant. Add diced and crushed tomatoes and wine, increase heat to high. When boiling add cauliflower, turn down heat to medium, and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Remove lid and allow to cook approximately ten more minutes, until liquid is reduced. Add oregano, salt & pepper to taste. Slice olives in half and add before serving.

Pickled Cabbage Salad

One of my favorite restaurants, Cafe 15 in Oakland, serves a lovely fresh cabbage slaw with its oyster po'boys and pulled pork sandwiches. When my dinner menu went belly-up last night (I thought I had bought red lentils but it was yellow split peas), I scrambled for a replacement side dish.

What follows is a cross between Cafe 15 slaw and "Lahano Salata Kypriaki"--cabbage and pickled cucumber salad from The Foods of the Greek Islands.

Pickled Cabbage Salad

Four cups shredded cabbage (about 1/2 small cabbage)
Juice of two lemons
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
One cup blanched, chopped carrot (clean the carrots and steam or boil for about two minutes, until just fork-tender, then coarsely chop)
Two cups chopped celery with leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Two teaspoons olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together, adding more lemon juice if necessary. You can make this ahead--add the lemon juice & olive oil before serving.

Burning calories

It's been raining and stormy in Northern California this week, grounding my husband and I from our daily walks. It's been a convenient excuse to not exercise, and though I've done Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred a number of the days, it just hasn't been the same.

Today I found a moment when the baby was asleep *and* the rain abated, so I threw on my heart-rate monitor watch and grabbed my hand weights and ran out the door. As I started up, my hip was sore and tight and my knee grumbled and I was tired. What was I doing? The baby was napping for another hour and I could use that time for something better--like reading my new books. Or figuring out what was for dinner. Or napping.

I pushed on. I thought about all the nice compliments I've received lately. I pictured my next goal--to hit 60 pounds lost. At the time when I normally turn up my street to head home, I kept going. I walked past the farm that's lush and green right now, and the hills past it were verdant and dappled in sunlight. Thinking about completing the Bay to Breakers, I kept going. Every time my heart rate dipped I reminded myself of the cocktail party I went to last night, where I ate and drank with abandon. By the end I logged 625 burned calories, and I was invigorated.

For the party I brought Cauliflower "Poppers" which are bite-sized pieces of cauliflower tossed with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes. I *also* brought a fancy little appetizer that are super-easy to make. Amounts are flexible, depending on how many you want to make:

Caesar Salad Frico Bites

About 3 cups 4-cheese shredded Italian cheese mix--note: SHREDDED, not grated
1 to 1.5 shredded Parmesan or asiago cheese
Approx. 2 heads romaine lettuce
Garlic-herb croutons (you can make your own, but in the interest of time, you can certainly get store-bought)
Caesar dressing--again, make your own if you prefer, but I use Newman's Own Creamy Caesar dressing
Other materials: cookie sheet, non-stick aluminum foil, measuring cups, thin spatula

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cheeses together in a medium bowl. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Using a 1/8 measuring cup, put six rounded cupfuls of cheese on the foil. Gently tap down cheese. Cook for 7-8 minutes, watching for browning at the edges. When browned, use a thin spatula (like a fish spatula) to remove the cheese and insert it into 1/3 to 1/4 cup measuring cups. Be sure to get the cheese flat against the bottom so that your cups will sit properly. MOVE QUICKLY! If your cheese cools so that it isn't easily pliable, pop the tray into the oven for 30 seconds.

When the cheese has cooled in the measuring cups, remove to cool further on a rack. Use two cookie sheets to keep the process going.

Salad--crush the crutons by hand into a bowl (don't grind them in a food processor, it will pulverize them which you do not want). Chop the lettuce very fine and add to the crutons. Add enough dressing to season the salad, but you don't want it drippy. Season with crushed black pepper. There is probably enough salt in the cheese and crutons that you won't need to add more.

Spoon the salad into the cups and enjoy!

The cups can be made a day or two ahead of time.

Bean & Cabbage Soup

I don't know any phrase that strikes more fear in my husband than "Bean and Cabbage Soup." Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but this recipe is definitely for a house stocked with Beano. Or at the very least, don't have this as a workday lunch! Nice on a lazy, rainy day.

This recipe was inspired by Mollie Katzen's White Bean & Collard Green Soup.

Bean & Cabbage Soup

One tablespoon olive oil
One large onion, diced
Three large carrots, washed and thickly sliced
Three celery stalks, chopped
Two large cloves garlic, chopped
Six cups Chicken broth (or vegetable)
One to two teaspoons fennel seeds
One can cannelini beans, drained
One small head cabbage, cored and sliced

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, adding the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Salt to taste, saute until fragrant. Add broth and fennel, simmer for 20 minutes. Add beans and cabbage. The cabbage will likely fill your soup pot--put the lid on and allow the cabbage to cook down, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Nice with some "cheese toasts" (french or sourdough bread topped with sharp grated cheese and toasted under broiler) and a shot of srihacha sauce.

Apple Salad

My parents came for a short visit last weekend. That prompted me to spend a week figuring out what to make for dinner. I knew one night we'd have Chinese food, as they live on a small island and never go out to dinner. Chinese food seems to be one of the few things my mom really misses since moving there nearly ten years ago. But for the other two nights, I didn't know what to do. I decided on my "angelic" sweet & sour pork for Sunday dinner and Apple Salad with sandwiches for Halloween night, after they arrived.

Apple Salad is a light and decadent way to celebrate Fall. The sweet and crisp honeycrisps are perfectly offset by the pungent, creamy cheese. And the glazed walnuts bring it all together.

Apple Salad
All amounts are approximate and should be adjusted to meet your taste and nutritional needs (ie., throw in more/less cheese and walnuts to make this more/less healthy)

8+ Cups Mixed salad greens--spring mix is great with this. You want the deep, dark lettuces, not the light iceberg/romaines.
1/4 to 1/2 Cup crumbled Roquefort
1/2 Cup glazed walnuts
2 Large or 3 medium Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Newman's own light Italian vinaigrette, just enough--the lettuce should not be dripping with dressing
Salt & pepper

Toss lettuce with salt & pepper. Toss apples with lemon juice. Combine all ingredients, then lightly toss salad with dressing. Serve immediately.

On my way

15+ lbs gone, it's working well.

Last night I made a mango/jicama/black bean salad after seeing Daisy Martinez make it on Viva Daisy. It was the first time I prepared a jicama, and cut myself peeling it, and then didn't know how far down the "thin, fibrous layer" went that the Joy of Cooking told me to peel away.

It was okay--though next time I'll add two mangoes and cut the jicama into smaller pieces. And I'll probably add more cilantro and maybe a bit of cumin.

So little time

I haven't been blogging. I've been knitting, reading, swimming, writing, bike-riding, walking, playing with my kids, watching "The Closer", and so on. I haven't been cooking much either.

I'm looking for the ultimate Greek Salad. One from my youth, that I remember having after spending a day at the Acropolis. Crisp, cold iceberg. Red, ripe tomatoes. Salty, pungent feta. Warm, soft kalamata olives. Oregano, lemon juice, olive oil. Salt. Pepper. Was it really that simple?

Thanksgiving, here we come!

I can't account for my time this year. Somehow time has flown by and I haven't blogged...but I really haven't cooked, either. Two years ago I burst out of bed on Thanksgiving morning, thrilled to be getting to cook. This year we go to my sister-in-laws, and I'm kind of happy about it. No mandatory cleaning beforehand, no need to clean-up after.

I cooked an $8 Safeway turkey ten days ago, and made a stock from it on the weekend. I now have to reduce that so I can actually have the pot back, as I have been assigned the potatoes for the Thanksgiving dinner. This family always has Bubble and Squeak, and I shall make a simple vegetarian version of that--and will make my fancy one on Christmas

CHRISTMAS! I've been given CHRISTMAS!! I will be making roast pork, with all the trimmings, whatever those may be. I will make my fancy bubble and squeak dish then, which has bacon and tons of cheese and those Durkee fried onion bits. It's a heart-clogger, for sure, but it's del-i-cious!

I'll post tomorrow's B&S recipe, with the feedback from the family (which amounts to...how much was left in the pan and on the plates).

Regarding the baby: HUGE. He's not yet 18 months and is in 4T clothing.

The Perfect Moment

This afternoon I had the perfect moment. It was about 5:00pm and I was sitting in my backyard, reading a book. The Bug, who at eleven is nearly too old to be called a Bug any more, was splashing around in the pool, today being the first real pool day of the summer. The baby was in bed for the night, and Juiceboy was readying supplies for an upcoming camping trip.

I'd just put some lamb chops on the grill. Delicious, fatty smoke was pouring out of the vents, billowing first, then carried away in great wafts by breeze. The sun was beginning its evening slide behind the hills, and I scooted my chair into the shade of the tall evergreen. I had a glass of cool red (nothing nicer than a slightly cooled Cabernet on a hot summer day) and my new Lee Child. Yogurt and grated cucumber were draining in the kitchen for tzatziki; pencil thin, organic asparagus was ready to be quickly cooked in a drizzle of hot olive oil. And we had leftover sourdough baguette to sop up some lovely balsamic vinegar floating in olive oil--which the Bug calls "special sauce."

Birds were trilling. Everything was bright and alive and in bloom. The lemon tree was fragrant. I was cool and tired from an earlier swim, and anticipating a good dinner. My family was happy. I was perfectly relaxed and wishing it could last for hours.

Here's a lovely, garlicky tzatziki recipe for you to share with those you love a lot. It goes great with lamb, gyro meat (WinCo sells great pre-sliced, packaged gyro meat for veritable PENNIES!), as a dip, etc.

Tzatziki

Cheesecloth--this is a mesh fabric sold with cooking supplies. My Safeway carries it with the pots and pans.
2 cups lowfat or full-fat (but NOT non-fat) plain yogurt
Half-to-a-whole large cucumber, seeded
One clove garlic
Salt
Fresh lemon juice, to taste

You'll need a wire mesh strainer--one with a lip on one end and a long handle on the other works wonderfully. Line this with about a foot of doubled cheesecloth. Place the strainer in a bowl deep enough so the strainer doesn't touch the bottom. Add the yogurt and let stand at least 1.5 hours. If you have more time, up to 24 hours, place plastic wrap over the bowls and refrigerate.

After 1.5 hours a fair amount of liquid should strain out of your yogurt. Put the yogurt in a small bowl; mash garlic with a press into the yogurt and stir. With the big holes of a grater, grate one half to a whole cucumber; place in the strainer (minus the cheesecloth). Salt generously and leave for 20-30 minutes to drain.

Add cucumber to yogurt. Add salt and lemon juice as needed. Enjoy!

Leeks and Eggs

I have the kind of job where I can work from home a day or two a week, as long as I don't have meetings, etc.; I try very hard to work from home on Fridays, on account of the terrible Friday evening traffic in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, that means that I miss the Old Oakland Farmers' Market, which is on...yes, Fridays.

What I like about this market is that it's geared towards the locals. It's a stone's throw from Chinatown and the produce offered matches the neighbors. Lots of greens, daikon, kohlrabi, etc. at this last market on Friday. The prices were all reasonable--for $8 I got two lovely bunches of beets, two beautiful bright fennel bulbs, and three leeks. These were lovely, fresh, and fragrant. Yes, even the beets smelled lovely and dirty.

As you might guess, I had to work on Friday. And I was lucky enough that a fire drill drove me out of my office in the morning and it was a gorgeous day. I bought the produce mentioned above, a $4 loaf of pugliese that was delicious from a french bakery, fougasse with garlic and cheese for my lunch from the same bakery for $2.50--delicious!, and then spent way too much ($12) on boulani and cilantro pesto...but oh, it's good.

I got home with my "trees" as Juiceboy calls the fennel, and didn't really know what I wanted to do with everything. I sliced fennel up into slices, wrapped them in prosciutto and drizzled olive oil on them for a light appetizer. Wonderful! While I munched on that, I soaked the leeks and drained/dried them, to have them to cook tonight.

As it was, I got home late and the guys ate leftover pizza. What would I cook that was quick, easy, and just for me? Leeks and an omelet. I'd read somewhere that braised leeks were a lovely omelet filing. I thought I'd try to perfect the two, separately, yet eat them together. Because honestly, I'm not the best cook. I can easily screw one thing up...and if I serve it *in* something else, I've messed up the whole dish.

I melted a tablespoon of butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat, till it was bubbling, then added about 2.5 cups of the leeks. I had cut them into 1-inch slices before I washed them last night.

Then I added a teaspoon of kosher salt and turned the heat up just a tad. I cooked the leeks, shaking the pan every now and then, for about five minutes, until they were brown, then I stirred them, and cooked for another five minutes. Then, I added about a quarter cup of decent white wine. I turned the heat to medium low and let the wine cook down. Then, I added about 1/4 teaspoon savory and fresh pepper to taste.

I removed the leeks to my dinner plate.

Then, I added another 1/4 tablespoon of butter to the pan, let it melt to bubbling, and added two eggs that I'd salted and peppered, and added two teaspoons of water to, stirring well. I tipped the pan to quickly coat the bottom with egg, then used a spatula to move the eggs to the side, tipping the pan once more. I used light, gentle movements and barely let the eggs touch heat. I have an electric range and used a wide pan...and the eggs spent no longer than two or three minutes in it.

I ate it with a slice of the bread from the market--it was on day three and was a little tough, but a touch of olive oil or red wine fixed any problems.

So how were the leeks and eggs? Delicious! The leeks were remarkably sweet, and the eggs...I've never had such soft, tender eggs. They just simply melted in my mouth. It was an amazingly simple dinner, and fast, and I plan to have more like it.

Caramelized Onions

The above onions are NOT mine, but Kathy Maisters, at StartCooking.com

If I didn't know better, I'd think I was pregnant. I've been craving caramelized onions all week. None of the restaurants I had to go to for work had them. Seriously--I ate out four times in five days...you'd think one place would have a sandwich with caramelized onions!

Of course, I wanted real caramelized onions. Not ones sprinkled with brown sugar to speed the process, or fat slices of sort-of brown onions...that make you think they possibly just sauted them in a brown liquid.

So tonight I pulled up the old Joy of Cooking, sliced up two organic "Mother Love" onions and got cooking. The Bug was curious...could he have caramelized onions as a snack in his lunch? Would they be thick, like jam? (Mmmm...caramelized onion jam....).

They softened for 80 minutes. Then I put the baby down to sleep and turned the heat up to medium. Ack! In 15 minutes they were caramelized and slightly burnt. Somehow the heat was too high. They're edible, but I've got to figure out my burner and pan.

In the middle of the caramelization process Juiceboy opened all the windows and doors. I was SERIOUSLY stinking up the house. The house is still redolent with the odor of slightly burnt caramelized onions.

The verdict? The Bug said they're the best onions he's ever had. I will try again, this time, with the heat lower.

I was going to blog the whole recipe, but Kathy at StartCooking.Com has a great play-by-play, straight out of the old Joy. The image above is hers...honestly, her onions are much prettier than mine.

If you haven't visited her site yet, do. The video on how to make grilled cheese just cracks me up!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

It's a funny Northern California Saturday in March--cool and sunny in the morning, turning to clouds and damp mid-day. As I typed that sentence I heard the strange sound of rushing water outside only to find nickel-sized hail suddenly coming down.

This morning was the first day that all of us are whole again after a nasty stomach bug. It hits for about eight miserable hours and leaves the victim wrung up for the next 36 hours. I ate toast and bananas for three days afterwards, and still don't feel ready to face things like a big bowl of bibimbap and kimchee.

I've decided once and for all I'm changing the ways I feed my family. No more running through the drive-through because Juiceboy can't find a thing for dinner (or I'm more in the mood for a burrito than I am for soup, or salad, or a ham sandwich....). And no more cheaping out not getting the stuff that I know is best for the family because I feel it's too expensive. Take for example, milk. I know organic milk is the best way to go with two growing boys. But I see the $6/gallon price tag and choke, knowing I can get two gallons of regular milk for the same amount.

And yet, I'll spend upwards of $80 a week just getting take-out and coffee.

So, this morning, I made some muffins. Muffins?! you say, "muffins are fattening and terrible for you!" But look at this recipe. It's got low-fat yogurt, flax, and big, fat blueberries. This recipe yields 12 smaller muffins or 10 to 11 larger muffins, and results in moist, fluffy, sticky muffins that needed no butter or jam.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2 cups minus three large tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 heaping tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground organic flax (optional)**

2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons warm melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest (add more to taste)
Juice of half a lemon

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, in a smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a few strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Don't overmix--the batter will be lumpy. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spray your muffin pan or line with muffin cups, then divide out the batter. I like to make eleven slightly bigger muffins and put water in the last cup to add moisture to the oven (I don't know if this really works....).

Cook in a 400-degree oven for approximately 22 minutes. You can check for doneness by sticking a toothpick into a few of the muffins. If it's clean, they're ready. Let cool for a few minutes, but serve warm. If not serving immediately, let them cool on a rack, or they'll get soggy bottoms. And no one likes a soggy bottom.

**Costco carries organic ground flax in a nice big container with screw-top lid. It even comes with a handy scoop. Mine was under $10 and I found it in the cereal aisle.

Apple Salad

Oh, I'm so tired. The baby is gianourmous--15 pounds at eight weeks. He wants to eat and be held constantly. The Bug needs extra help with school (the teachers all say, "He'd do so well if he just focused and did his work. He has so much potential.) Juiceboy wants grown-up attention after tending to the kids all day; it's hard work being a full-time parent! And October is my busiest month at work; I'll put in close to 55 hours this week.

When I cook I'm trying hard to focus on healthy, fast and cheap. Tonight I made panko breaded pork chops, sauted spinach, and apple salad for dinner. My favorite was the apple salad--it's basically a Waldorf Salad. It goes nicely with pork chops and is a quick and healthy autumn side.

Apple Salad

Two Granny Smith apples, cored and diced (peel left on)
One tablespoon fresh lime juice (toss with apples to prevent browning)
One cup raisins
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup light mayo

Mix all together. Some people like a little salt to bring out the sweetness of the apples. Let sit for 15 minutes for flavors to meld.

The Amsterdam Special

A few years ago I was fortunate to be sent to Amsterdam for work. Mornings I got up and wandered the city on foot before I headed off to work. One of the nicest mornings--and breakfasts--I had was along one of the canals in a sleepy little residential neighborhood. I'd popped into a shop and purchased a little sandwich and enjoyed it as the city started to rise.

I've craved that sandwich ever since and recreated it to the best of my ability on Saturday.

The Amsterdam Special
One sourdough baguette, cut into three or four sections
Softened, salted butter
Ripe tomatoes, sliced
Havarti cheese, sliced thin
Salt and pepper

Cut the bread to make a sandwich, and butter liberally. Cover with salted & peppered tomatoes; add at least two slices of cheese to each sandwich. Enjoy with a cold beer outside!

Cocktail Bits and Pieces

The '50's Cocktail Party ended up not being a 50's cocktail party at all. Sure, that was the purported theme, but I really didn't see anything there that said 50s cocktail party. It wasn't really clear on the invites and people showed up wearing all sorts of clothes (my awful maternity top was decidedly modern, though it does show a lot of boob).

The instructions I was given was to bring two cold and two hot appetizers, finger-only food. The hots were to come out 90 minutes after the party began; since I live two doors down this wasn't a problem. I did, however, want to be sure I didn't go over my budget ($100 for all the appetizers, for 40 people) and didn't bite off more than I could chew in terms of energy. As the others were doing a lot of items straight from the Costco freezer section, I decided I didn't have to be super fancy.

My menu resulted in a mix of vegetarian, cold and hot, crunchy/chewy/spicy and smooth:

Parmesan Crisps
Crudite with three dips (green goddess; cucumber feta; hummus)
Honey Ginger Chicken Bites
Pigs in a Blanket with three mustards

Oh sooooo fancy!

For the veggies I had pre-washed baggies of snow peas, broccoli, carrots, etc. and just arranged them around a pretty trio of dips. I made the green goddess and bought the others.

Pigs in a Blanket turned out to be the party favorite--I had a dog chasing me down the street and then people jumping on me before I even got in the door.

The honey ginger chicken bites were a Cooking Light recipe made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, marinated, cooked, and then broiled in a glaze. Pretty good over all--but ugly on the plate even with bits of parsley and fancy frilly toothpicks.

The Parmesan Crisps were really my favorite. They should have been placed on the bar for all the folks hanging out getting sloshed. They were a great nibbly thing, just perfect with beer or red wine.

Parmesan Crisps

One sourdough baguette
1/2 pound butter
1/2 to 1 cup grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese
Julienned basil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread into 1/4" slices. Melt the butter and pour into flat tray or pan. Put cheese in second tray or pan. Dip bread into butter on both sides, taking care not to soak up all the butter. Then coat both sides of bread with cheese. Place all slices on a cookie tray. Bake for nine minutes, then turn over all slices and cook for another four minutes. Sprinkle with basil and allow to cool.

Kitchen Fiascos #87 & 88

Juiceboy has gone veggie on me again, a full three months earlier in the year than normal. I'm okay with it though, as I can get meat at lunchtime and it's not a bad thing for me to be cooking healthier meals.

For dinner last night I was going to use up some of the 25 cups of brown rice I'd brought home from work (leftovers from an event). Since I've been having problems cooking rice, I was quite glad to take the white and brown stuff off their hands.

On the menu was absolute peasant food: cabbage soup and hot and soup broccoli. The soup was fine, though dull. I'll noodle out the recipe some more and when I perfect it, I'll post it.

For the broccoli, I was to get oil in the pan smoking hot, then brown a slice of ginger, which I did. Then I was to add cider vinegar, soy sauce, chicken broth, cayenne, etc. I started with the vinegar.

SHPLOOOM! BANG! HIIISSSSS! BLANG!

Uh, duh.

Never put vinegar into a pan of hot oil. First, mix all the ingrediants called for, and add them in a large quantity, and maybe, just maybe, let the oil COOL DOWN before adding it.

I'm just lucky I don't have a gas stove. I only had minor burn spatters on me, though the surrounding area of the stove sure got a good covering of grease.

After all was said and done, the broccoli was pretty bad, any way. Too much cayenne, which I don't like as a result of trying that ridiculous colon-cleansing recipe. Cayenne lemonade, indeed!

Tonight was much more successful: a variation on the Barefoot Contessa's Crunchy Noodle Salad and fried rice. I'll post these throughout the week.

Juiceboy's a Jerk

We started our raw food flush yesterday (well, he started yesterday, but I had a bean burrito from Taco Bell in the morning). We went to Safeway and purchased $80 worth of veggies and fruit, plus some raw sunflower seeds.

For dinner last night we had a good salad, which differed from our regular main-course salads in that there was no: cheese, egg, meat, crutons, or warmed corn. I made a dressing from honey, olive oil, and lemon & orange juice, plus added seasonings. I liked it but it had too much radishes and red onion for Juiceboy's taste.

I did fold somewhat last night and added V8 juice to my list of approved items--I was so sick of water.

All last night Juiceboy talked of ice cream, and this morning he's taunting me with descriptions of buttery pancakes, thick omlettes, and then he described a steak sandwich on a crisp sourdough roll. I nearly decked him.

And my favorite thing to do on the weekend is watch cooking shows, but there's no way I can do that and keep up with my very short, three-day experiment.

God. I have the worst willpower ever. I'm ready to fold after one meal.

Off to cut up Dulcina Watermellons.

Going Raw

Juiceboy and I are going to do a "Raw Foods Flush" for three days starting Friday...adding beans on Monday and seeing how we feel. Any suggestions? Recipes?

I eat so much meat, cheese, and dairy that I just always skip foods in their natural state. I really feel like I need to "reset."

As always, I'll be blogging it.