Things I Like list

Because I'm having such a totally shittah day at work and I hate the nursing lobby (I don't hate nurses, I hate the individual nurses they choose to have represent them at the state level for lobbying purposes), I've decided to try to cheer myself up by discussing some favorite foods of the moment for me. So he we go.

1) Little Debbie Zebra Cakes. Lovely creamy middle. Yellowy cake. Thin hard frosting exterior. Delicious.

2) Green vegetables, particulary broccoli. I don't eat it either as much as I should or as much as I'd like (R hates it with an unbelievable intensity, and so I tend to be lazy and not make 2 vegetables with dinners) but I really REALLY heart it. Perhaps I'll eat some tonight. The vitamin C will perk me up.

3) Diet A&W Root Beer. A beverage, not a food, but I still lurve it.


4) Egg rolls. They were a featured app at my wedding reception. I roundly enjoy most wrapper-type items stuffed with meat and/or vegetables. Spring rolls, wontons, potstickers, burritos...the list is really endless....HAGGIS is NOT on the list. A sheep stomach IS NOT a wrapper-type item. FYI. (See photo to left, courtesy of Wikipedia.)

5) Grilled cheese. I'm the master at preparing grilled cheese. No one can touch me. I LOOOOVE IT!

Casserole Craze part 2 update

We resurrected the frozen Chicken Tetrazzini from the great icy depths (see Casserole Craze Part 2). It did not fare well. We both ate enough to satisfy our hunger and tossed the rest. It was like dry noodles with sandpaper bits on top from the bread crumb crust. Lesson learned - chicken tetrazzini does not freeze well. Oh well....

All Hail the New Sandwich

I'd like to personally applaud Einstein's Bagels for their new panini, the Cheesesteak panini. It was fabulous. I could eat 12 of them. But not more. That would just be ridiculous.

Casserole Craze Part 3

While I'm sure I will have to link out to a certain Arkansas family who hearts casseroles as well, right now, I'm sticking to family favorites.

Most people, once they've tried it, roundly enjoy my Grandma Ginger's chicken casserole. I have sent this recipe far and wide, and people have taken the recipe and made it their own in many ways. Here is how I prepare it:

Poach two large boneless chicken breasts in water seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, and other spices/herbs as you see fit. Allow the chicken to cook approximately 15-20 minutes in boiling liquid until cook through. Remove to a cutting board. Meanwhile, prepare 4 c of cooked rice according to package directions (I'm the worst at measuring, cooking, estimating the proper amount of rice).

In a large skillet, heat one tbsp butter and saute one large chopped onion with 3-4 stalks chopped celery with a dash of salt until slightly softened.* At this point, if I have a splash of leftover white wine on hand, I might toss it in the skillet and allow it to evaporate off. Place cooked veggies in a large mixing bowl. Shred the chicken once it has cooled and add to the veggies. To the veggies, add one can of cream of chicken soup, one can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 to 3/4 c Miracle Whip,** and salt/pepper to taste. Add the rice and mix thoroughly. The mixture should be quite gloopy - if it seems too wet, add more rice. Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

At this point you can refrigerate for later preparation, or forage ahead.*** Melt 3-4 tbsp butter in a mixing bowl. Add 2 c cornflakes (or more) and 1/4 to 1/2 c sliced almonds. Mix the flakes and almonds in the butter and place this on top of the casserole. Bake at 375 deg. for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is well heated and the topping is lightly browned.



*You can also saute some mushrooms if you have them on hand.
** You have to use Miracle Whip, or light Miracle Whip. Do not sub mayonnaise, or you will go to hell. The delights of this tangy salad dressing cannot be underestimated.
*** If you refrigerate, remember to increase the cooking time.

Channeling the Southwest

Although I've posted on chili before, I've modified my recipe (as I do almost everytime I prepare almost anything I cook). I made some rockin' chili last night, served with some rockin' Jiffy corn bread. Here's a refresher:

To prepare said chili, brown 1 lb of ground chuck* in a dutch-oven style pot over medium head. Halfway through the browning, add 2 chopped yellow onions and 1 chopped pepper (red or green) and lightly salt. Once the meat is cooked and the vegetables are softened, add 3 cloves minced garlic, a handful of chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, another dash of salt, some pepper, some red pepper flakes, and cayenne to taste. Add a tiny dash of cinnamon (no more than 1/4 tsp). Stir well, and allow the spices to hit the heat. Add 14 oz. diced tomatoes, 14 oz. crushed tomatoes, and 2-3 tbsp tomato paste. Once the tomatoes have heated, add some frozen corn, black or kidney beans, or any other additions. Allow the chili to simmer for at least 15 minutes (30 is better). Serve with any toppings you like - onions, sour cream, cheese, jalapenos.


* You may sub ground turkey (shudder) or shredded chicken breasts or thighs (delightful!)

Egg in a Hole

I know - at first you think, is that something pervy? But then you find out it is a children's breakfast-type food. Then you feel badly for having thought anything pervy, and need to shower.

Egg in a Hole (or EH) is DELICIOUS. I saw it prepared recently on Everyday Food by one of their catatonic chefs (I find her strangely soothing, though).

Basically, preheat a griddle on medium-low to medium heat. Butter a piece of bread on both sides. Cut a hole in the middle of the bread, large enough to hold an egg, but not so large that the crusts are structurally unsound. Don't throw away that hole, however, it is DELICIOUS later on. Place your bread and the hole on the griddle. Carefully crack an egg into the hole. Allow the EH to grill peacefully until the egg is reasonably set on the bottom. Carefully fip the EH (don't forget the hole! keep it turning too!) and cook until the bread is grilled and the egg is cooked to your liking. Salt and pepper the EH and hole to taste. Enjoy.

R and I enjoyed this twice over the weekend. We are SO wild.

Junk Food binge

For whatever reason (prob hormones), I'm all about junk this week. And just eating in general. Am constantly in a state of hunger or about-to-be-hungry. I purchased doritos and a candy bar today. I'm normally much healthier about my food choices, but powdered nacho cheese brings something out in me...

Tomorrow will hopefully be a totally awesome St. Pat's. I will likely have to work later than I'd planned (originally, was leaving at 12. Then 2. Then 3:30. Now I'm hoping to jet at 5). But then I will part-y on. Corned beef pizza, I will return to you once again.

To toast the holiday (sorry for those who've already seen this):

Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink.
Thy will be drunk,
(I will be drunk)
At home as in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillage,
As we forgive those who spill against us.
And lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers.
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager.
Forever and ever.
Barmen.

Weekend Bake-a-thon

As predicted, I did a fair amount of baking this past weekend. Not as much as I'd originally planned (the chocolate chunk cookies did NOT get made as of yet), but a lot nonetheless.

First off, many thanks to my MOH, M, who provided us with a lovely Fresh Market gift card as part of our wedding gift. With said gift card, we purchased some loverly food items - a T-bone steak, fab sourdough bread, and some fancy schmancy desserts - a tiramisu and mahvelous chocolate cake. All items were delicious. As you can see in the photo, our lovely beef was served with loaded mashed potatoes (v. healthy) and spicy, shallot-y green beans. Washed down with more Zinfandel left over from the wedding. All on our lovely Waterford china with Waterford crystal with Waterford flatware and Henckel's steakknives. Only best in Lewis Center, baby. We're so ritzy, really.

This past weekend, I prepared an Apple Coffee Cake (thanks Emeril - your show may annoy me, but you and your staff certainly create some great recipes). I highly recommend this, although I thought the brown sugar glaze might be too much sugar, so I omitted it.

I also baked an apple pie. I grew up with fresh baked apple pies - that's how Dr. Jeff rolls down in the NC. I even made the crust. Pillsbury, schmillsbury (prepared dough works fine, I don't look down my nose at it TOO much).

I rely on the Barefoot Contessa's pie crust recipe (see Barefoot Contessa Family Style, my first BC book, by the way). To prepare said crust, cube 12 tbsp butter and place back in the refrigerator. Combine 3 c flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp sugar. Cut the butter, along with 1/3 c chilled shortening, into the flour, until the butter/shortening are the size of peas. Add 8-12 tbsp of ice water until the dough starts to come together (in the BC recipe, she makes it in a food processor, and I think less water is needed that way, but I've not tried it). Press dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. The recipe makes two crusts. Lay one crust in the bottom of the pie plate and use a fork to prick the crust to prevent bubbling.

For an apple filling, peel and slice thinly 6-8 Granny Smith apples. Only use Granny Smith. You will be severely punished for using any other apple. My only exception is if you use 1 or 2 other varieties of apple in the place of 1 or 2 GS apples. GS are the best. Do not fight me on this one. Combine apples in a large bowl with 1/3 c flour, 1/2 c sugar, and 2-3 tsp cinnamon. You can fancy it up with nutmeg, lemon juice, allspice, and other items, but I stick to the basics. Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust. Dot with butter. Top with the top crust, crimping the edges, and making slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tbsp water). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 55-75 minutes until the filling is steaming and bubbling out of the slits. Allow to cool on a rack.

If you are crazy like me and R, you also make ice cream to go with it! Thank goodness we have an ice cream maker - otherwise, how would we make ourselves so fat?? Cream, milk, eggs, super-strong vanilla from Penzey's (thanks SS), and sugar combine to form a luscious frozen custard. Mmm.

Weekend plans

I plan to do some baking this weekend. A lot. I want to make an apple crumb cake, an apple pie, and some chocolate chip cookies (wedding favor cookies, for those who care). I'm committed to doing all three, but the cookies are a MUST because I'm craving them like mad, and the apple crumb cake is for work breakfasts next week....we'll see about the pie come Sunday.

Have a fabulous weekend one and all!

Crockpot awesomeness and more

So the CrockPot stroganoff worked out well. I didn't want to overcook the meal, so I bought an appliance timer at my local Target, so the CrockPot turned on at 10 am and cooked until 6 pm when I arrived home to rescue said stroganoff. The recipe is from the fabulous slow cooker cookbook that Elle provided. although slightly altered.

Brown 1 1/2 pounds stew meat in a skillet with a bit of oil. Meanwhile, chop an onion and 8 oz of mushrooms and place in the Crock. Add a few chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, salt, pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Add about 2 c beef broth, a splash of wine or brandy if you have it, then add the browned meat. Give a good stir. Cook on low 8 hours. At the end of the cooking time, mix 1/3 c flour with 8 oz. sour cream and a splash of water in a bowl. Add 1 c of the hot cooking liquid to the sour cream mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the sour cream mixture back to the Crock, turning the heat up to High for about 20-30 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

R enjoyed it, but suggested that we should add more wine and cut back on the sour cream, and then I pointed out that then we're making a poor man's version of Beef Bourgignon, as opposed to stroganoff. We like wine. :)

Casserole Craze Part 2

R and I experienced the the joy of another casserole last night, this time Giada of Everyday Italian's Chicken Tetrazzini. It was quite good - my only change would be to use penne or rigatoni instead of the linguine - the long pasta strands made it a bit trickier to serve. Bits flopped about the counter, etc. But it was quite tasty.

We only have a small square of wedding cake left...sigh...to be honest though, I'm getting a little tired of it. We've had a lot to work through. A hard life, right?

Right now, my CrockPot should have turned on and my Beef Stroganoff should be cooking away. I'll let you know how that recipe turns out tomorrow...

Casserole Craze Part 1

Since we are in super saver mode, casseroles are a way to economize on meals - you get your meat, your starch, and your veg all in one handy 9x13 dish. Today, I begin a deep exploration of casseroles. I know many recipes, some of my own invention, some handed down through the sands of time from relatives. I realize that these casseroles are by no means "new," but I hope to encourage others to embrace casseroling.

A few things to keep in mind regarding casseroles. They are, by nature, fluid dishes. You put in them whatever's on hand. There are four basic parts to any casserole:
(1) Starch - rice, potatoes, noodles, pasta
(2) Meat - pre-cooked chicken, beef, pork, fish
(3) Vegetable - frozen peas, green beans, corn
(4) Binder - usually a cream of-X soup, but also bechamel sauce, cheese sauces, etc.

And with that, off we go!

Megan's Oh So Inventive Italian Casserole
Brown 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of Italian sausage (hot or mild, removed from casings). Drain and place in a large mixing bowl

Melt a bit of butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and saute one large chopped onion and 8 oz. of chopped mushrooms until softened.* Add 3 minced cloves of garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 c dry red wine and cook until wine is reduced (optional step). Add vegetable mixture to the mixing bowl.

Boil 4 quarts of water with a generous handful of salt. Add 1 lb pasta (elbow mac, penne, any kind) and cook until just al dente. The pasta will cook more in the oven, so take care not to overcook. Drain pasta and add to the mixing bowl.

To the mixing bowl, add 6 oz ricotta cheese, 1/2 c shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend) cheese, 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese, and approximately 2/3 of a jar of your favorite commercial pasta sauce. Mix all ingredients throughout and pour into a 9x13 baking dish. (there may be too much - simply place leftovers in an additional baking dish...duh!)

Top the casserole with more shredded cheese and dot with butter. Bake at 375 deg for approximately 30-40 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.**

Serve with a salad and garlic bread for a balanced, albeit carb-aholic, meal.

*You can skip this saute step if pressed for time - but softening the vegetables takes away the bite of a particularly vicious onion.

**Casserole can be prepared in advance and refrigerated prior to baking. In that case, either allow the casserole to come to room temperature, or bake at 300 deg for 20 minutes, then increase temperature to 375 deg for another 30-40 minutes until the casserole is heated thoroughly. Casserole can be frozen, but I would allow it to thaw in the fridge before baking. Let me know if anyone else experiments otherwise.

Honeymoon in Vegas

We did some good eating in Vegas. First, hats off to Southwest Airlines who provides little snackboxes (not like THE Snack Box in Galway but rather a box of snacks) for its longer flights, featuring Wheat Thins, cheese and crackers (a lovely gouda spread), Walker's shortbread, and a Fig Newton bar. All this served with a refreshing beverage of your choice, or if you are the elderly foreign woman on our return flight, 6 glasses of wine on a 3 hour flight. I also spilled my refreshing beverage, and got to use the flight attendant call button with authority.

Once in Vegas, we hit up one of the legendary buffets, the Pharoah's Pheast (we stayed at the Luxor).

After R won some $$$, we had a delightful (despite desperate fatigue) dinner at Trattoria del Lupo, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. That little dude knows his food. We shared a delightful heirloom tomato salad. Then I had a pizza with braised pancetta, parmesan cheese, and homemade sausage while R had homemade Italian sausage patties with a white polenta and pepper ragout. It was delish.

For lunch on our last full day, we hit Nine Fine Irishmen hard. We loves us some mini-steak and Guinness pies. Mmm. I also enjoyed a corned beef sandwich, while Randy enjoyed a sampler of 3 mini sandwiches - BBQ pork, cheeseburger, and spiced chicken.

And finally, our last Vegas dinner following Blue Man Group was at the lovely Grand Lux Cafe, at the Venetian. I heart the Venetian first of all. I also heart the lovely "Sunday Night Pasta" while Randy hearts the stacked quesadilla. Mmm.

I'll return to cooking info tomorrow, I promise. :)

Wedding food rundown

Yo yo yo. So I'm now a Mrs., and with that, a change to the blog URL. Please update accordingly.

Although most of my readers were present at the wedding, here's a food rundown:

Appetizers
Mini egg rolls (was there a sauce?)
Bacon-wrapped waterchestnuts
Italian meatballs
Garlic artichoke dip (which I didn't try...sigh)
Fruit, cheese, veggie platters (were there sauces?)
was there anything else? I was drinking wine.

Dinner buffet
Beef wellington (eh, a bit mushy)
Chicken marsala (surprisingly good)
Italian style green beans (very eh)
Potatoes au gratin (ok, but needed salt and pepper)
Rolls and butter WHICH I LOVE

Dessert
Delicious cake from the Suisse Shop. French almond with a raspberry filling and french buttercream frosting. Mmm. We still have a layer left. Anyone want a shipment? There was also a dessert platter later in the evening, but I missed that as well. Again, the wine was filling.

I'd also like to point out that I now have a liquor cabinet to rival the world's best hotels and resorts. And that's just what my parents graciously left for us. If you're in Columbus, and want to come to my personal bar, let me know. I'll even gift you snacks on Fiestaware.

Again, I heart Zinfandel. That's all for now.