Travelin' Eats

Bright and early tomorrow morning Josh and I will be on our way to the Big Apple. And speaking of apples there's gonna be a plethora of restaurants for us to try. I'm an obsessive planner, so I've been wandering the foodie corner of the blogosphere looking for good places to keep any eye out for in our wanderings.

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen recommends we not miss these food opportunities:
-Doughnut Plant
-Murray's Bagels

Robin, better known as The Girl Who Ate Everything, says good things about:
-Clinton Street Baking Company
-Il Laboratorio Del Gelato

And over at nycnosh they like these Upper West Side eateries:
-Big Nick's Burger & Pizza Joint
-Fairway Cafe at the Fairway Market

Wish us luck and good grub!

Zucchini Quesadillas

Yeah, couldn't come up with a more clever title for this entry. Not that my other titles are all that clever either, ha. Anyway, this has been a hectic weekend, involving very little cooking outside of some pigs-in-blankets for Josh's birthday breakfast, and some bacon and eggs yesterday morning. I rarely cook breakfast, but that's all that I've made the past couple days. And Josh and I will be leaving for vacation in a few days. I didn't have anything new to post so I went looking for a recipe that I hadn't written about yet and remembered these Zucchini Quesadillas. This is another one of those first recipes, one of the earliest recipes I tried when we decided to eat a bit healthier. Because of that I don't have a good pic of it, so I borrowed one from Martha here.

Zucchini Quesadillas
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4















4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
Salt
4 cloves garlic , minced
2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup frozen corn kernels (4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more.
• Add zucchini and frozen corn kernels; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is soft and corn is tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, if using.
• Brush one side of all tortillas with remaining tablespoon oil; lay 2 tortillas, oiled side down, on a baking sheet. Place half of the filling on each, and sprinkle with half the cheese. Place remaining 2 tortillas on top, oiled side up; press down gently with a spatula to seal.
• Bake until cheese has melted and tortillas are golden brown, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. To serve, slice each quesadilla into wedges.

My notes: I've never been able to turn these quesadillas without creating a big mess. The last time I made them I didn't even bother trying and they still came out great. And while this recipe is supposed to serve 4, Josh and I are piggies and eat a whole quesadilla each. Mmmm.

Muffin or Cupcake? You Decide.

Last week I made these cupcakes (or is it muffins?) to serve with coffee on Friday while we had our friends Steve, Meri, and Cory over for a game of Scrabble. They are each a bit of a health nut, so I thought these would be the perfect sweets for the afternoon. The recipe is from the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food, and is one of the reader submitted recipes. I made a change or two, which I'll go over in my notes below. The changes made it seem a little more muffin-like than cupcake, but whatever you want to call it, they were delicious.

Ian's Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes
Recipe from Everyday Food & Ian Young; Makes 12












1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 zucchini (10 oz.), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.
• In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).
• Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Coll in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely.

My notes: The magazine includes a recipe for cream cheese frosting, but we had them plain. I also substituted whole white wheat flour for half of the all-purpose. I think the whole wheat is probably what made it a little more muffin like, but it could have been the lack of frosting too. Either way I didn't miss the frosting and I thought they tasted delicious. I also used pecan bits, since I happened to have a bag in the pantry, instead of buying more nuts just for the recipe. I'm definitely gonna pull this recipe out again when my father-in-law has a plethora of zucchini ready to leave his garden.

Rub Down

Whew, sorry it took me so long to get back. I had a real rhythm going, keeping up with posting, but then a busy weekend came right along and interrupted everything. I guess it's not that bad though, since at least I have a couple of things to post about while I'm making repeat recipes this week. Last Thursday for dinner I whipped up the cover meal from January's Everyday Food. Well, with a little alteration. A certain grocery store wanted me to pay more than $7 for less than 2 pounds of chicken breast. I wasn't okay with that, but I was also in a rush so I grabbed the breast tenderloins which were slightly cheaper. Makes no difference, as Josh and I both really, really liked this dish. I wasn't sure how he would feel about the salsa, as he typically doesn't go for things like it. I told him that I thought it was really good, but put it on the side of his chicken all the same. He surprised me by saying that it was really delicious and eating all of the salsa with this chicken. Obviously I'll add this recipe to the rotation.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 oz. each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

• In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

My notes: I didn't worry about how finely I diced my onion. After last week I was just trying to get it cut and be done with it. I also mixed all my spices in a pie dish, then dumped the chicken in and coated them that way, much easier if you ask me. Aside from that everything else is pretty much by the recipe.

Think Happy Thoughts

Well after Tuesday night I was a little worried about getting back in the kitchen. Luckily my worries were unfounded and I had a very successful night of cooking. I made this 3-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo, which has been on my to-cook list for quite awhile. Pretty much since I started my to-cook list, ha. And it's really kind of sad that it took me so long to get around to making one of Josh's favorite meals. This is the perfect fettuccine alfredo recipe for a weeknight dinner, so now that I've gotten around to making it I will definitely get around to it again and again. I also whipped up some sweets last night, but I'll write more about that later.

3-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












2 sticks butter
1/2 lb. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt
1 lb. fettuccine

• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and Parmesan until creamy.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water; drain pasta.
• Return fettuccine to warm pot. Toss pasta with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add more pasta water, as needed. Serve with additional cheese.

My notes: I didn't use any more than the initial 1/4 cup pasta water. This was delicious, but I may have used a little more cheese than I needed, because this stuff was like glue once it cooled. But, since I've never made it before, maybe this is just what happens when it cools and I'm just out of the loop.

Wish Me Luck

I'm already clumsy as it is, but when I have a rough night in the kitchen it can really get me down. And last night I took a beating. Things seemed to go especially rough considering it was a repeat meal on the menu. I got home and began prepping to make Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. What could go wrong, you ask? How about everything.

-While slicing onion on my mandolin some onion was flung into my eye! My EYE! And my hands were covered in onion juice, so I couldn't just react. I had to get a paper towel, carefully wipe the onion stuff from the corner of my eye, scrub my hands as I watched myself cry in the mirror, and finally be able to flush my eye.

-My sausages cooking away in olive oil decided nothing would be nicer than to open just ever so slightly at the ends, causing extra fat and grease to splatter all about. Grease is flying everywhere, and despite me using a pot lid as a shield I get a burn on my hand. Also, thanks to all the fat sputtering from the end of the sausage, there are burned splotches in my pan. I can't just plop my peppers and onions in there to cook, unless I was looking for a charred flavor. Which I wasn't. So I had to clean out the pan and start over with fresh olive oil.

-Boiling water? Check. Package of rigatoni? Check. LIVE BUGS IN THE BAG. CHECK!!! Oh by the hammer of Thor, there were live bugs in my bag of pasta. Live. Living. Well, most of them died as soon as they got dumped into the boiling water. In fact, I thought that they were dead, until I inspected the pasta bag I had already tossed in the trash and saw several still breathing, still moving specimens. Had to dump the pasta and clean the pot. Luckily, oh so luckily, I still had a half package of rigatoni from another recipe. Which I scrutinized well before using.

This recipe came out a little saucier than the last time, since there wasn't as much rigatoni, but it wasn't a detrimental issue. In fact, considering all the trouble I had, it's a wonder that the dish came out just as delicious as I remembered. At least there's some consolation in that.

Lackluster Lentils

Last Thursday I made the Vegetarian Lentil Soup with Croutons found in the December issue of Everyday Food. I thought it would be a good way to use the rest of the lentils leftover from the Veggie Chili. I also wanted to make it so I could use the cute plates that my brother-in-law & wife got us for Christmas. This was a pretty easy and quick recipe. Eating it went something like this...

-First bite: Not sure if I'm gonna like this
-Two more bites: Actually, it's not too bad
-Five more bites: Nope, I'm done, it's not for me

Josh wanted nothing to do with it after smelling it. Apparently Josh doesn't like things flavored with bay leaves. He compared it to a meal I made once before that he didn't like. I understood none of this comparison though, because that meal had chicken, bacon, corn, and edamame. Nothing in common with this soup. He claimed there was a smoky scent that he didn't like. I guess bay leaves can be a little smoky in scent. But really, I think he's just crazy. Anyway, it's quite possible that most people will really enjoy this recipe. We aren't two of them however, so I doubt I will ever make this again.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup with Croutons
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 bag (1 pound) brown lentils, picked over
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 dried bay leaf
4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add carrots, lentils, broth, bay leaf, cayenne, and 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Serve soup topped with croutons.

My notes: I cut this recipe in half, which I am very glad of, cause otherwise I would have been disposing of twice as much soup. Nothing went wrong with this recipe, we just didn't like it.

My grilled cheese however, rocked!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Recipe from me















Sourdough bread
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Crumbled feta
Butter

• Slather butter on the exterior side of the bread slices. Apply layer of cheddar cheese on one slice and sprinkle light layer of crumbled feta on top. Complete the sandwich format by topping with other bread slice.
• Cook in small frying pan over medium heat till cheese is starting to melt and bread is golden and toasty. Flip carefully to toast other side. Remove and enjoy, but don't burn your mouth!
  

False Alarm

This is another one of the first recipes I tried when Josh and I started changing our diet. It can be a little time consuming with all the chopping involved, but it's worth it in my opinion. It's so hearty and filling while still being great for you. And it makes plenty for leftovers too. I had to edit this post, cause I forgot that I totally wanted to use it as my entry in The Well-Seasoned Cook's Legume Love Affair Event, which you can read more about here. This recipe is legume crazy!

False Alarm Vegetable Chili
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Serves 10












2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 large carrot, chopped medium
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound dried lentils, rinsed
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, green and red peppers, carrots, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in 7 cups water, lentils, tomato paste, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Stir to blend, adding stewed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and crushed red-pepper.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. If the chili starts to dry out, add hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

My notes: I cut this recipe in half since it's meant to serve 10. That means I have half peppers and half beans, so I make sure to plan other things through the week to use these up. I already used the other half of the peppers on that pizza over the weekend.

Easy Weekend Eats

With all the holiday hubbub we hadn't done it in awhile, but this weekend we returned to one of our favorite fast dinner fixes- pizza. Hopefully someday I'll get the knack of bread dough. But until that day I just cheat and use the Pillsbury kind. Maybe I'll check the freezer section at Central Market next time I'm there for something a bit snazzier. Anyway, the Pillsbury dough is what makes this dinner so darn fast. Josh is in charge of greasing the cookie sheet and pressing the dough out, while I get all our toppings ready to go. We always have green olives- always. I love green pepper, and if I have any surplus onion sitting around I'll use that too. Lately we've been crazy about pepperoni, not a big surprise, but sometimes we do chicken or go without meat altogether. Once I've got all our individual topping preferences laid out on each of our pizza halves I top the whole thing with a layer of raw spinach leaves, a sprinkling of feta, and finish it off with mozzarella. It's only 6 minutes in the oven once the toppings are added and we're ready to chow down. Josh likes to top his slices with Parmesan before chomping them up. I prefer the occasional dash of red pepper flakes. A tasty dinner, perfect for easy relaxed movie nights. And we get to make it together, which I definitely consider a bonus.

Anniversary and New Resolutions

Well, it has officially been one year since I started posting on this blog. I did technically start it in September of '06, but then did nothing with it till I made it one of my 2007 resolutions to actually use it. And here we are! One year, over 100 posts, and lots of calories later. I posted yesterday on some of my favorite recipes over the past year, so no need to continue reminiscing. Let's look forward. Here are some of my food & blog related resolutions for the new year.

• Participate in more blog events. I can't remember the last blog event I took part in, which is a little sad. I need to get a little more involved in the community again. Not that I was ever totally immersed in it, but it does me some good to take on the challenge laid out by these events.
• Cross one thing off my to-cook list each month. I have a very long to-cook list. Some of the stuff on there has been on there for months and months. I need to make some of these things so that the list can continue to be refreshed, instead of just growing longer.
• Cook two recipes from each of my cookbooks. I don't have that many cookbooks, but I still have made very few recipes from the ones I do have. Over the next year I need to make at least two recipes from each cookbook. If I can't manage to do that then I need to rethink whether I even want the book on my shelf.
• Push myself to be more adventurous with ingredients. A lot of foods scare me. A lot. If I haven't had it before, chances are I'm afraid of cooking with it. I need to get over that and broaden my horizons. I know this place is called Small Time Cooks, but that doesn't mean I need to stick to all my biases.
• Explore vegan cooking and recipes. My friend LeAnn recently went vegan again. She had been vegan before, but then laxed and let me feed her some cheese. But she's back to enforcing the law and I like having her and Rob over for dinner, so I better figure out what I can feed her over the next year.
  
• Organize my kitchen and make it someplace I like to be. I do like my kitchen, but it's so darn tiny. It could use a little reorganizing. It could use some freshening up. And the cheaper I can do this, the better.
• Cook more over the weekends. Currently I cook through the week and take a bit of a break over the weekends. Cooking more through the whole week would help us save money and calories. And give me more fodder for this little space.
• Improve my food photography skills. Learning how to better use my new camera and more about photography is a resolution in general for me this year, but I want to extend that particularly into the area of food photography. I left a video shoot last weekend with several can lights, so I need to play around with them soon too.
• Explore the local farmer's markets. Besides the one in my father-in-law's backyard. But better utilize that one too. ;)

Thanks to everyone who stops by my tiny corner of the blogging world. I appreciate everyone's comments, suggestions, and criticisms. Here's to a new year spent in the kitchen!

Kitchen Memories

Stealing the idea from Everybody Likes Sandwiches, here is a retrospective of my favorite recipes from each month in 2007.

January- Baked Eggplant Parmesan
















February- Trout Ceviche










March- Espresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies










April- Wild Canary Cake

















May- Homemade Chili

















June- Aunt Minnie's Peanut Butter Cookies









July- It's a tie between Baked Black Bean Flautas and Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins


















August- Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions










September- Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad










October- Rosemary Meatballs









November- Pumpkin Bread









December- Christmas Breakfast