Waffles

Purchased Case a Belgium Waffle maker for Christmas. Waffle overdose. Seriously.

Red Chard Mac & Cheese

We were having a hard time with the cheeses on this one. I wanted some panache so I purchased Gruyere and Fontina. This is a lovely two person job. Case and I have got it down. We made this for Christmas and just made it again today. Yeah...that good. No measurements here. It can be adapted to however much you want it to be.

Red Chard Mac and Cheese

Pasta
Gruyere & Fontina Cheese
Onion
Garlic
Red Chard (also called Swiss Chard)
Bread Crumbs
Butter
Flour



Melt butter with onion until translucent. Add garlic. Add flour & make roux. Add milk, thicken. Add cheeses (save a handful).

While that is going on de-rib the chard and boil it for a minute (until softened), remove from water and add noodles to same water. Slice the chard up.

When the pasta is done add it to the cheese. In a pan make one layer of Pasta/Cheese one layer of all of the Chard and one layer of Pasta/Cheese on top of that. For the bread crumb, mix shredded cheese and bread crumb and sprinkle even layer. Bake until browned.

More Turkey Pot Pie

I realize I have posted this numerous times, but we just can't get enough of it. Leeks + cream of chicken + carrots + celery + frozen peas + left over thanksgiving turkey. Need I say more?

Caramelized Pear Tart

Grr, it has been too long since last post. (For me) Waaaaay back in Thanksgiving I made a Caramelized Vanilla & Cinnamon Pear Tart. So very yummy. I toned down the cinnamon and added almond extract. Initially purchase and thaw puff pastry. Place one sheet on the bottom of your pan and re-freeze. If you're doing this the day before keep it covered.

Than, you take butter and melt it down with vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and cloves. Add sugar (which is supposed to melt, but never has for me) and than caramelize the pears for longer than you think you should.

The filling has the same ingredients except for a little flour, and an egg. Once you're ready and the oven is preheated add the filling to puff pastry and place pears round side up. You are supposed to peal the pear but Casey's and mine's sake there was no need. A month later for a Christmas Potluck dinner I did peel them for appearances sake.

This recipe stolen from Bon Appetite.

pasta bowls

Turkey Stroganoff and Creamy Saffron Chicken. There was a little too much meat in the stroganoff in my opinion. I was trying to use the leftovers from turkey burgers but maybe I should have saved some. The Saffron pasta is so so so so good. White wine, broth, heavy cream, reduced in caramelized onions. Add some saffron and some browned chicken. My kind of meal. And check our new pasta bowls!!

plan b

Sweet Rosemary Yogurt Bread with (not in picture) lavender glaze. Taken straight from Bon Vivant. My glaze looks nothing like hers. oops.

Anatomy of a cheap person photography set up. Potatoes as paper weights. Whatever works right?

I've made these once before. They are freakin amazing. Prosciutto and Artichoke Involtini. What is involtini you ask? Good question. As the plural form of involtino it a thin slice of meat wrapped around a stuffing and cooked. (eep, didn't do that) but close enough! Stolen from here

candy?

Tried to make some candied orange peels. As usual I tried to combine recipes to come up with something I wanted. It usually works but this time not so much. This was supposed to be for a pot luck, maybe I will try something else.

i heart advocado

yup, can't get enough of it. Some very simple fajitas. Some medium cheddar. Oh I can't even go on, it's too much. It has mushrooms, so clearly this is my fajita. I don't believe the peppers and onion were marinated in anything. So simple. So good. I Love Food.

Mmmm Pizza

So it happens that I get discouraged to continue to update this blog until recently read URBs post (aka VENT) about how she blogs for herself and for no one else. It's a website that archives her favorite recipes, that other people just happen to enjoy. The passion she shows for her photography and her cooking and many other things is amazing. Sometimes it feels it is all I can do to to go to work, go to the gym and eat the wonderful dinner that casey has made. I don't have any idea how people have the energy to fill their calendars with so much. So here is our pizza. I like all sorts of weird veggies, and I don't know why we haven't made 1/2 pizzas before. Mine is no sauce, truffle oil, shrooms, onion. His is with sauce red pepper, olive oil and onion. So delicious. Nothing special to make. Boboli crust with canned sauce and sauteed veggie.

Nothing special for dessert either. Just some boxed brownies and whipped cream. woo!

casey's specialty

Among many other things, I promise...

He takes these giant onion 'rings' and adds some delicious olive oil + garlic and simmers them for HOURS. (please take note of caps lock I do not use it lightly). It it probably the most amazing thing ever.

Caramelized Leek Gravy

I sweat a leek in butter (I used two...and it was way too much for two people.) After almost an hour when my very small hen was almost done I started a roux. Butter + flour Cook till blonde + cold milk, whisk on high heat + juice from cooked hen = GRAVY. And a good gravy at that. Kind of reminds me of my pot pie. So very fattening, I'm sure. I started caramelizing my leeks a little after my hen was in the oven so they were a'cookin for almost an hour. I used garlic, bay leaf and thyme to season. After the gravy was cooked I added it to my leeks to top mashed potatoes. Since I Gruyere left over from my gratin I added that to my mash. I got full really fast with this meal (though that could be because I was constantly 'tasting' while making it, ooops.) Oh yeah, and sweat the leeks in bacon fat on top of the butter.

Gratin (yes...with truffle oil)

Oh yum, who doesn't like Gruyere?? I let some garlic simmer in an olive based truffle oil. Mixed heavy cream and plenty of dill. One layer of potatoes in a buttered and garlicked dish. Top with heavy cream, and top that with a Gruyere/Parmesan mix, and top that with the garlic. Continue this layering with the exception of the garlic, ending with Gruyere on top. I cooked this at 375 until the top was golden/dark brown. So good. And I used Yukon potatoes.

back to cooking (or truffled bread crumbed pasta)

I have never cooked with truffle oil before, though I have always wanted to. The grocery store that I went to didn't have it but they had an olive oil with truffle oil. I'm glad I purchased it because boy does it smell pungent. It's quite unlike anything I've ever smelled and I wanted to gag. I can only imagine what pure truffle oil taste like. It's no wonder it comes in 4 oz.

And yet somehow since my new purchase I'm adding it to everything I cook! 'Gosh, I really think this roasted hen could use some 'truffle' oil' The problem is I'm probably not even adding enough to make a difference. But who knows. Maybe it is adding some panache.

This delicious pasta is taken straight from Paprika Red. I just substituted basil for mint. Mint is weird.

kitty

We have been lucky enough to be able to look after Casey's friend's cat for a few weeks. Action Cat will be missed. :(

nature

lamburger + apple vinegar onions + cumin mayo

casey is being a sweetheart and driving down to oregon to purchase some much anticipated gifts. i get to sit here bloggin' while he looks for the best deal/package, most convenient/practical purchase. than when he comes home he gets to install it. i am one lucky girl. and...i might as well take advantage and cook all the nasty things he doesn't like to eat. so at my trip to the store one day I am very pleasantly surprised to find ground lamb meat. i also spoil myself with asparagus and more mushrooms. woohoo!
1 onion

splash of apple cider vinegar

< 1 tsp sugar

olive oil + butter

lamb mince meat

-spices/oils/flavorings

mayo + cumin (stolen from zen can cook)

shrooms (i went with cremini)

i started with caramelizing the onions, once they have sweated add a splash of apple cider vinegar about a 1/4 c. some sugar and lots of sea salt. :)

not sure how other people caramelize onions but i find i have to keep them very moist, preferably with a light beer (it gives such awesome flavor!) or with water or broth. whatever makes you happy. once they are done set them aside and in the same pan soften 3-4 mushrooms. get the lamb meat out while the shrooms are a'cookin. mix with whatever spices you'd like. since my toppings were extravagant I kept it simple with parsley, garlic powder and olive oil, sea salt and pepper too of course, i would have added onions like i usually do but i was too lazy to cut up another one. gah. form into patties. start grilling. heaven to follow. as stated before, i ate this alone but i had plenty of lamb to make two patties. i stuffed my face. so very overly full. give me more!

thai chicken

I'm not thai. I call this thai chicken because it has thai basil and thai peppers.

eh, so what did I have in here, besides those two ingredients? Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, chicken...

i marinated the chicken in sesame oil, olive oil, beer, cumin, dry parsley, sriracha, and fish oil for approximately 2 hrs. started caramelizing some onions and garlic, than added all ingredients. not a huge rice fan so i cooked up some pasta, coated it with sesame oil. super delicious! so wonderful. i have fallen in love with thai peppers. they imbue spicy-ness but loads of flavor.

a study in mushrooms

i have no photography skills/education/background. zero. zip. i wanted to take a picture of my shiitake mushrooms I purchased. according to a book I am reading they are very healthy for you. they contain lentinian which stimulates the immune system. rates of stomach cancer in japanese people who consume 'large amounts' of certain mushrooms (of which shiitake is included) are 50% less. mushrooms are also being used in conjunction with chemotherapy. back to photography though, I am learning very slowly. i have to remind myself to play with light and move things around and change locations. it's fun. all in all I now have 19 pictures of shiitake mushrooms. they have the names shroom, shrooom and shroooom.

more beauty

beauty

strawberry arugula salad

no matter what I do I always initially type strawberry as starberry. eh, regardless. yummy salad though maybe better with spinach...strawberries with almonds in arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. (because I love salt)

miller light chicken pot pie

this chicken pot pie was pretty phenomenal if I do say so myself. every bite was packed with flavorful bits of creamy leek and herby thyme. i'm sure the butter and the beer helped with the homemade broth.

preheat oven to 425. start browning the chicken (1/2 lbs) in butter. than add a 1/4 c of miller light (or some other lager) and 1 3/4 c of water with a few sprigs of thyme and three bay leafs. simmer for 15 min.
while it's simmering chop up one leek and carrots. simmer in butter and add the garlic after it has sweated for a bit.

after the 15 minutes of simmering chicken is done reserve the chicken in a bowl and keep the broth in a measuring cup, you'll need 1 3/4 c. start the roux, 1/3 c butter and two heaping teaspoons of flour. add 2/3 c cold milk, bring to boil constantly whisking until it thickens. add broth. add a handful (or two) of frozen peas.
set up your pan. i think i will try biscuits next time but last night I used puff pastry which never fully cooked (fine with me since I enjoy doughy pastry 'crust') but if I was serving this to people I would have been embarrassed. (trust me the picture doesn't give the doughyness justice). did I thaw the puff pastry for too long? (over one hour) did I not have the oven hot enough? who knows. either way the filling was ridiculous. whoever discovered how to make butter...you are a little weird, i mean really who decides to churn and churn and churn milk?? but nevertheless you rock.

carrot muffins

didn't even bother to adapt this recipe, (minus the walnuts). took it straight from Handle the Heat. very moist. will enjoy these in the days to come.

scalloped 'muffin' potatoes

these were so super delicious. i combined two recipes. one was a traditional scalloped potato recipe where I used the roux-based sauce and the other, a muffin based recipe that included the green onions. to start off I made a blonde roux, added half and half and some milk, added the medium sharp cheddar cheese, added the green onions, I used five, but wish I had added more. i put a very small amount of butter in each muffin holder, put a layer of potato on the bottom, and layered alternatively with sauce, potato, sauce, potato and topping it with a bit of cheddar. cooked it at 350 for 30 minutes.

gorgonzola sauce and a few words on roux

before anything is started cut some cherry tomatoes in half (you can never have too much), stick them in an oven proof dish, slather them in olive oil, salt and parsley and broil them until they look tasty.

adapted the gorgonzola recipe from my kitchen addiction. i didn't use any of the measurements. this was a meal for one... and I was a too lazy to measure. i really feel like a roux can be guesstimated. so first thing, heat three minced cloves of garlic in butter, don't let them burn. I added flour for the roux, it looked pretty clumpy but with heat and a little time it 'relaxed' a bit. honestly I have no idea how much I added. broke out the cookbook from college and it doesn't even give measurements save for saying 'add flour...stir to form paste'. i love it. i made a blonde roux and than added enough (whole) milk to make a slightly thicker sauce than desired. adding the cheese will thin it down a bit. i tried to cook it for about 10 minutes to get all the flour flavor out but really it should be cooked for about 20. took it off the stove and added the gorgonzola (to flavor). YUM!

Don't forget the pasta. mix everything together for some yummyness.