Dinner with My Parents

I spent this past weekend at my parent's house. Every summer around this time my mom and I can tomatoes. After all the fun we had when my mom slept over our house for the Doctor Who season finale we decided it would be fun if I stayed over there for a canning weekend. I went over Saturday and we had a lovely dinner, including shrimp in anchovy butter:


... as an appetizer while we had drinks on the deck. For dinner we had a beet and goat cheese salad:


... as well as some corn on the cob:


... and sliders on mini rolls:


My plate, with a little of everything:


It was a great weekend! I can't wait to do it again in two weeks. This year, instead of a marathon canning session that breaks our backs we decided to can over the course of a few weekends. It's easier and a lot more fun!

Window Cat

SP took this photo of our cat this weekend:


His new favorite spot is sitting in front of the slider, kind of wrapped up in the bottom part of the curtain. Whenever I get home from work that's where he is.

Skillet Beef Stroganoff

I had originally planned to make this dish on Thursday, but SP wasn't feeling well so we opted for the comfort of takeout Chinese food instead. We were disappointed about putting off Pizza Friday, but since I'd already defrosted the ground beef I had to change plans. The result was well worth it - this was an outstanding meal.


I saw this recipe on a recent episode of ATK and had been itching to make it ever since. Not only were the flavors outstanding, the creaminess was perfect and the best part - it was a one-pot meal, which made for easy cleanup. SP loved it so much he asked for seconds and had to restrain himself from thirds. This will be my go-to recipe from now on.

The only modification I made was using ground beef instead of the sirloin because that's what we had on hand (not to mention I'm not a fan of chunks of steak in pasta dishes). It worked beautifully and actually cut the cooking time by 30 minutes because I didn't have to simmer the beef until it was tender.

Skillet Beef Stroganoff
America's Test Kitchen Easy Skillet Suppers

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips, pounded and cut thin across the grain (I used ground beef)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 pound wide egg noodles (3 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of beef until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to medium bowl and repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and remaining beef. (I just browned all the ground beef in a skillet and then removed to a bowl).

2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Cook mushrooms, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds, then add both broths and the brandy, and return beef and accumulated juices to pan. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until beef is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. (Once I added the ground beef I continued right on to the next step).

3. Stir noodles into beef mixture, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Second Anniversary

I feel like such a bad blogger these days. The second anniversary of my blog was August 4 and I didn't even acknowledge it. In fact, I didn't realize it even WAS the second anniversary until a week later and even then I never got around to posting about it. So here we are, two weeks later, and I'm finally writing about it.

It's been a crazy, but amazing two years as a food blogger. I've made some awesome friends and discovered a ton of blogs I wouldn't have known about had it not been for my own blogging. And two years later I'm still enjoying taking photos of my food and sharing my recipes with the world.

My goal for the coming year is to somehow get more of the people who read my blog (more than 100 visitors a day, thankyouverymuch) to leave me comments. I also hope to improve my photgraphy, possibly with a new camera or even some kind of staging area or light box for natural light during the dark, cold days of winter.

I hope you've enjoyed what I've been doing over the past two years! Here's to another year of good food!

PS. Updates (with actual pictures of food) are coming soon! Stay tuned.

Chicken Fajitas and Spanish Rice

Last night I made chicken fajitas with all the fixings:


... including chicken cooked with a little lemon and lime juice (not grilled, unfortunately...SP got home too late and we're low on charcoal):


... slow-cooked peppers and onions:


... guacamole:


... shredded cheddar cheese:


... and chopped tomatoes:


I also made the Spanish rice recipe I got from Melissa:


Even though the chicken wasn't grilled, this was still a fantastic meal.

Fried Chicken Dinner

SP asked for some kind of fried chicken so I made it for dinner last night.


I used boneless chicken breasts that I dredged in flour, egg and bread crumbs. We also had corn fritters, mashed potatoes, and the biscuits SP made.

Sliders, Beet Salad and Caprese Salad

We enjoyed last weekend's dinner so much we decided to have it again this weekend. SP cooked up some more sliders:


I also made another beet, goat cheese and arugula salad:


I also chopped up some of the tomatoes from my garden to make a caprese salad:


... with fresh basil and some cubes of mozzarella.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

We wanted a hearty breakfast this morning, so I decided to make sausage gravy. This time SP made the biscuits from scratch and they were amazing.


I tried a new recipe that someone on my cooking board recommended. I made a few modifications, as outlined below. It was fantastic, though. SP's problem with the sausage gravy I've made in the past is that the flavors weren't very complex. The maple syrup provided a little sweetness, which was immediately followed by the heat of the hot sauce. This is definitely my go-to recipe from now on.

2 Dudes Dirty Sausage Gravy
(with modifications)

1 tablespoon butter
1 log package sausage (I always use Jimmy Dean)
2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1 teaspoon hot sauce, Tabasco (I used 4 shakes, maybe 1/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used maybe 1/2 a tablespoon)
1/3 cup maple syrup (I used a little less than 1/4 cup)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a large, high-sided skillet melt the butter and brown the sausage for about 5 minutes. Add the milk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer, add the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup. Simmer for 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The gravy gets better the longer it sits because the flavors have a chance to meld. When ready to serve, just turn the heat back on and allow to bubble for a few minutes.

White Pizza

SP asked for white pizza, so of course I obliged:


I had some issues rolling out the dough and keeping it circular as I spread the toppings on, but it still tasted fantastic once it was baked.


For the toppings I mixed fresh chopped basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley and dried oregano with two small cloves of grated garlic, grated Pecorino cheese, fresh ground pepper and about a cup of ricotta cheese. I drizzled a little olive oil on the dough then spread on the ricotta mixture. I topped it with shredded mozzarella cheese and baked it at 550 degrees for about 15 minutes until the cheese and crust browned.

Grilled Pork Chops and Corn Fritters

On Thursday I picked up some corn at the farmer's market near my office so we could have corn fritters with our grilled pork chops:


The thing I love about a charcoal grill is that you don't need to do anything crazy with the meat to give it flavor. All I did with these chops was season them with salt and pepper. The charcoal provided the rest of the amazing flavor. These stayed nice and juicy because they were bone-in.


I've been waiting to make these corn fritters since we fell in love with them last summer. They are addictive.

Tilapia with Herb Butter

On Wednesday I made myself some tilapia and broccoli for dinner:


To prepare the tilapia I seasoned it with salt and pepper and cooked it quickly in a tiny bit of oil. I also made an herb butter using rosemary, thyme and basil to melt over the fish. Lemon juice was squeezed over the fish right before serving. The broccoli was simply steamed.

Saturday Dinner

On Saturday our friend C came over for dinner. I'm proud to say almost everything I made came from either the farmer's market or my garden. It was an incredibly flavorful yet simple meal. It's so true what they say about good ingredients: with good ingredients you don't need to make complicated dishes.

I had picked up another bunch of beets at the farmer's market near my office so I made another beet, goat cheese and arugula salad:


I also got 5 ears of corn so I could make my grilled corn, tomato and avocado salad:


... which was fantastic, as always. SP told me he could eat this salad every day during the summer and C even asked for the recipe and took some home with him. I'd also gotten pickles from the pickle vendor at the market near my office:


These were half sours that went beautifully with the sliders:


Here are the last four coming off the grill (charcoal, of course) and our friend C lending a helping hand:


SP did a fantastic job cooking these mini burgers. He'd asked for sliders so I picked up some dinner rolls at the Amish bakery and ground beef from the butcher. Since the burgers were so small he got the fire very hot so they'd get a good sear on the outside while still staying medium-rare and juicy inside:


The thing I love about the meat from the Amish butcher is that it doesn't need any seasoning. The flavor of the beef really shines through, complimented nicely by a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese.


My plate, with two sliders, some beet salad, corn salad and a pickle:


Close-up shot of the beet salad:


I do love beets and goat cheese together. The arugula was from the farmer's market as well and was super peppery and spicy. I made the corn salad using avocados, cilantro and lime from the farmer's market and tomatoes from my garden:


I had my sliders with a little ketchup and mayo:


The rolls were soft, buttery and light - just perfect for the mini burgers. We all licked our plates clean and went back for seconds and thirds. By the time we finished eating we were so stuffed we didn't have room for the pumpkin gems C had picked up from the Amish bakery.

Here's the recipe for the corn salad. I realized the other day that I never posted my modified version.

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

5 ears corn, shucked
2 avocados, cut into cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, zested and squeezed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste

Grill the corn until starting to brown in spots. Allow to cool slightly then remove the kernels from the cob with a knife. Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. Add the dressing ingredients and gently toss to mix. Add more lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Green Olive Chicken and Couscous

The September 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray had a recipe for Green Olive Chicken and Couscous that looked easy and yummy. SP is a huge fan of couscous so I knew he'd be a fan.


I love one-pot meals like this. It was so simple to make and the flavors were excellent. It was definitely a winner, though.

Scallop and Calamari Scampi

I hate when my photos get this weird orange tinge. This was dinner on Sunday - Scallop and Calamari Scampi over angel hair:


I seared the seafood before making the sauce and the whole house smelled fantastic. Even our neighbors asked what we were cooking when we saw them later. We had all the windows open since the weather was so gorgeous on Sunday and they must have smelled the scallops and garlic wafting through their backyard.

Cat Photos

On Sunday I was baking and cleaning downstairs when I looked over to the cat's new favorite sleeping spot and saw this:




I couldn't resist taking some photos. I love when he sleeps in strange positions.

Peanut Butter, Banana and Nutella Muffins

We had a few ripe bananas that needed to be used up, along with a container of Finetti (similar to Nutella), so I thought I'd try making the Peanut Butter, Banana and Nutella muffins I'd attempted back in May.


Remembering our issues with these from last time, I increased the amount of peanut butter to a full cup (up from 1/2 a cup) and was much more generous with the Nutella. In fact I was so generous that I ran out and the last 4 muffins had chocolate chips in the center instead. These are much better, moister, with more peanut butter flavor.

Breakfast Sandwich

Saturday morning my mom asked for one of my famous breakfast sandwiches for breakfast.


I made hers and mine the same way - toasted, buttered English muffin, bacon, scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese. SP had the same sandwich on a Bolo (a Portuguese muffin, similar to an English muffin but sweeter).

Cupcakes

In honor of the Doctor Who season finale (which was shown in two episodes over two weeks) my mom came over to watch the shows with us and spent the night. As a special treat we went out after dinner both Fridays for ice cream. I'm not a huge fan of sweets, but I do love cake and cupcakes. The new ice cream parlor in town had cupcakes during our most recent visit, so I gave them a try.


My first complaint is the variety. I know they're an ice cream parlor and not a bakery, but I hate that cupcakes come in vanilla cake with vanilla icing or chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Am I the only one who likes to mix flavors? I got one of each (vanilla cake with vanilla icing and coconut and chocolate cake with chocolate icing).

My review: the cake was dry and crumbly and the icing didn't have much flavor. Overall a huge disappointment. I only ate half of each on Friday and wasn't wowed enough to want to finish the other halves (although I did, on Sunday). These were nothing like our new favorite place for cupcakes, Velvet Sky.

Pizza Friday

Friday was the season finale of Doctor Who. My mom came over to watch the final episode, so I made two different kinds of pizza for dinner:


My mom loves plain pizza so I made a quick sauce and did one pie with just sauce, cheese and some torn basil. For the other pizza I did mushrooms and pepperoni:


Not very British, I know, but it's what she asked for.

Tilapia with Corn Gravy and Chive Mashed Potatoes

I was looking through recent issues of Everyday with Rachael Ray when I came across this recipe for fish with a corn gravy. I decided to give it a try with tilapia because that's what we had in the freezer.


The end result was pretty good, but I think we're both off the corn chowder-type dishes for awhile. The gravy would have been better with the requisite bacon, but I couldn't find any in the fridge. Turns out it was hidden underneath something. Bummer. The mashed potatoes were quite good, as was the fish, but the corn gravy reminded us too much of that fateful Crab and Corn Chowda Mac.