fresh ideas

The other night, I made this new spectacular invention. Super easy and light and tasty. You'll love it, I promise.

Tilapia with arugula pasta
Serves 4
4 tilapia fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper on one side
2 T olive oil
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4~1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
finely grated pecorino romano cheese
3 C baby arugula
1 lb linguine or spaghetti
2 T extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt and cook the pasta to al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve some pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook crushed red pepper flakes and garlic until garlic is straw colored and slightly sticky. Add diced tomatoes and simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Place tilapia fillets--seasoned side up--in the pan and poach until barely cooked through, about 5 minutes.
   
3. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, pecorino romano cheese, lemon juice, and baby arugula. Add a little pasta cooking liquid if it's a little sticky.
4. Serve pasta with a tilapia fillet on the side. Spoon over a little tomato sauce and serve with some more cheese.
   

new plant

My tomato plant is sprouting! Ah! I'm so excited!

my lunch

Whenever I can find good Japanese eggplant, I always buy enough for 2 great dishes. One, I just either slice them and pan fry them or roast them in the oven and then top them with freshly grated ginger root and soy sauce. Super good side dish for any Japanese meal. And the second dish is this perfect pasta. Now, for those of you who don't know the glory of the eggplant (particularly the Japanese eggplant), you need to try this. Go to your local Asian market and they'll probably have some. But if you can't find Japanese eggplant, the good ol' fat American ones will do just fine. Just peel them first or you won't be so happy. And just remember that the Japanese eggplant isn't slimey at all. It's glorious!

Eggplant and pork pasta
serves 5~6
1 lb pasta (I used multi-grain penne here, but I usually make it with spaghetti. Both are great)
1/2 lb ground pork (I like the flavor of the pork, but by all means use other ground meats. I just think pork works the best)
2~3 Japanese eggplant (or 1 American eggplant)
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes. Smash the tomatoes in a small bowl and set aside.
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 small onion, minced
2~4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, and cook pasta to al dente (about 7 minutes if cooking spaghetti and about 9 minutes if cooking penne).
2. In a deep skillet, pour in about 1~2 T olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Slice the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. In another large skillet, pour in about 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat. Place teh eggplant on the skillet and let cook until golden on the bottom side. Flip them over and cook until completely softened and golden on the other side. *make sure they cook completely or they'll be really spongey. When eggplant is cooked right, it's really smooth and buttery.
4. Once the onion mixture is cooked through, add the ground pork and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the pork is cooked through, add the canned tomatoes, and season again with salt and pepper. Let the tomatoes simmer, stirring once in a while to prevent burning, until the sauce has thickened.
5. Toss the pasta and eggplant with the sauce. Sprikle with cheese to serve.

Tomato and onion salad
serves ... 1? (hey, don't judge. I needed a really good filler ;))
1 small vidalia onion, super thinly sliced (I used my madolin slicer)
2~3 tomatoes sliced
1 T olive oil
1 t red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, or any bright hebs would be great, also. But I didn't use any today.

1. Put the sliced onion in a bowl and completey cover with water. Let stand at least 15 minutes, preferably 30. Drain and rinse under cold water. (this takes out the really strong onion-ey flavor, but leaves a really nice crunch!)
   
2. Toss the onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar, and olie oil in a bowl and enjoy!
   

mother's day feast

For Mother's Day, my sweet husband got up early and made me a beautiful breakfast in bed. I thought Just in case any of you wanted to learn how to make some of these things, I would show you so you can treat someone to breakfast in bed, too!

Eggs en Cocotte
makes 4
4 eggs
2 t minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 t freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

4 small ramekins
1 9x13 inch baking pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Fill a kettle or small pot with about 2~3 C water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, crack one egg in each ramekin. Sprinkle each with a little salt and pepper, and divide the parsley and cheese (if using) evenly between each egg.
3. Place the filled ramekins into the 9x13 inch baking pan, leaving plenty of space in between each ramekin and the sides of the baking pan. Once the water has come to a boil and the oven is preheated, place the pan in the oven, and pour the boiling water into the pan, about 1/2 up the sides of the ramekins.
4. Bake for 15~18 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Remember, the eggs keep cooking once you take them out of the oven, so don't leave them in any longer, even if they look a little underdone after 18 minutes.

Greek Yogurt
Either you could buy one of these, for $5Or make it yourself with one of these for $2You'll need a fine mesh strainer, a deep bowl, and coffee filters. Place three coffee filters in the fine mesh strainer, suspended over the bowl like this:Then pour in your yogurt.Let that sit in the fridge for a few hours, and you'll be amazed at how thick and creamy it is! And it's FAT FREE! (IF you use fat free yogurt, of course) Of course, discard the water that collects in the bottom of the bowl, then you can transfer your new Greek yogurt into a container and keep it in the fridge.

Serve it with fresh fruit and honey, and you'll be so glad you did!

My recipe for Shrimp Scampi can be found here.

Garlic bread
4 T butter, softened
3~5 cloves garlic (to your liking), minced
fresh parsley, minced (optional)
1 loaf of good quality chewy dense bread such as Ciabatta

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Slice the bread to a desired thickness.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and butter. Butter each slice on both sides with a little of the garlic butter. Sprinkle with parsley, if using. Cover the loaf generously with foil, and place in the oven until completely warmed through. Serve warm.
   

i love spring

Remember this little guy?
Well, as of today, he is THIS BIG! And smells amazing! I need to transfer it to a bigger pot and I can't wait until I can use it in a nice big caprese salad!
Don't you just love how things just grow? It's really a miracle. And an even better miracle when you can eat it!

new treat

My amazing sister, Lisa, just sent me another cute children's heathly eating cookbook (just because she's nice and super thoughtful) that I love to read. And I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can improve the sugary cereal for breakfast situation that Blake is in without having to get up at 5 am with him. And this was the perfect solution. (Except there's kind of a lot of butter in this recipe, so I think I'll try to reduce it a little next time) So thanks, Lisa! Your book will not only help Ella in a couple of months, but it's helping Blake out now! And you should try this recipe out, too.

Cereal Fruit Cupcakes
makes 12
7 T butter
1/3 C honey
1-3/4 C rolled oats
1-3/4 C unsweetened crispy rice cereal
1 T white sesame seeds
1 C mixed dried fruit (I used dried cranberries and apples), chopped
1/3 C toasted cashews (or any other type of nut you want)

1. Melt the butter and honey in a small pan over low heat.
2. Mix the rolled oats, crispy rice, sesame seeds, dried fruit, and chopped nuts together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and honey, and stir to combine.
3. Sponn into a muffin pan lined with peper liners and press down well. Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
   

our easter feast

For Easter dinner I made a Garlic Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken with roasted veggies and caramelized green beans on the side. I think I ate too much ... or this food was super rich compared to what we've been eating lately because I feel a little heavy, but it was sure worth it! And it was so easy. Roasted chicken is such an inexpensive and easy way to make something fancy.

Garlic Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables.

1 whole chicken
2 whole lemons, cut into quarters
2 heads of garlic, cut in half height-wise
4 T butter, room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves o garlic, minced very fine
1/2 t dried or 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste

3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces at an angle
3 Russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into eighths
6 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Toss the potatoes, carrots, onions, salt and pepper, and olive oil together in a 9x13 metal baking pan. push them all to the sides to make room for the chicken. Place all of the garlic cloves in the middle to go under the chicken.
2. Pat the chicken dry and place on a cutting board. (I line mine with paper towels to avoid any excess liquid from dripping anywhere) Season the cavity of the chicken with about 1 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Place the lemon quarters and garlic heads into the cavity. Using some kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Tuck the wings under as well.
3. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon zest, minced garlic, and rosemary. Rub all over the top of the bird. Place the chicken in the roasting pan with the vegetables, on top of the garlic cloves. Place in a 425° oven and cook for about 1 hour, until an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) reads 160°.
4. Once the chicken is fully cooked, place it on a platter and cover with some foil. Mash up the garlic that was underneath. Toss the mashed garlic with the rest of the vegetables and place back in the oven for another 5~10 minutes.
   

Garlicky Green Beans
1~2 lbs green beans
3~4 coves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add green beans, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for 10~15 minutes, shaking often, until some beans are caramelized and browned. The beans should still have a slight bite to them, but shouldn't be tender-crisp (this is the one vegetable I like pretty soft).
   

can you call this gardening?

A couple of years ago I discovered that the $1 section at Target has little planters, so I bought one and ... it was definitely $1 quality since it didn't even sprout. My mom bought one, though, and had the hugest basil plant and I was super jealous. Anyway, this year I decided to give the mini green house plants a try, and my basil is sprouting! I have successfully planted a seed that grew! So I can't wait until I can start trimming basil leaves off of this little guy and eat lots and lots of tomatoes and basil this Summer. Mmmmm!

on the spot

A while back I bought a pack of whole wheat oven ready lasagne noodles on sale at Target, and haven't known what to use them for. I don't make lasagne too often since it's a pretty hefty meal, and I didn't want to mess with a classic. And since using whole wheat noodles means the meal is healthy, I thought I'd try to stick to a theme and make a healthier lasagne. And since I've been on a spinach kick, I decided that's where I was going to start. I made a simple bechamel sauce with the spinach and layered with leftover homemade pizza sauce I had in the freezer. And I shredded up a rotisserie chicken, and it was really good. You have to try it! Of course go ahead and use normal oven ready lasagne noodles if you cant find whole wheat ones. But just so you know, I didn't even notice a difference in texture. I was really pleased.

Creamy Spinach Lasagne
1-9x13 inch pan
1 pack whole wheat oven ready lasagne noodles
3 C 1 % milk (or feel free to use full fat or 2% just don't use skim!)
3 T flour
1/2 onion, minced
9 0z spinach leaves
1-1/2 C homemade pizza sauce or other tomato sauce
2 T butter
1/4 t or less of finely grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 C mozzarella cheese
1/2 C finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and cook the onions until soft and translucent but not browned. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook the flour for about 30 seconds to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add milk, about 1/2 C at a time, whisking continuously until it's all encorporated and smooth. Stir in the nutmeg.
2. Add spinach and gently fold into the bechamel until all of the spinach is wilted.
3. In a 9x13 baking dish, put about 1/4 ~ 1/2 C red sauce in the bottom and place 3 noodles. Then Top with white sauce, mozzarella cheese, and about 1/3 C chicken. Place 3 more noodle sheets, top with red sauce. Repeat layers until you run out of noodles. Add the parmesan or pecorino romano cheese on top.
4. Cover and bake at 375° for 40 minutes, remove the foil and turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned. Take out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
   

mmmmm

Last week we went to the Cheesecake Factory with our friends, Kerstin and Jared. And I've been dreaming in cheesecake for a week. And so has Kerstin. So we decided we needed to make our own. I have a recipe I'd been meaning to try from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook, that Blake gave me as a wedding gift. So, we decided it was worth the risk to try. And oh my gosh am I sure glad we made it. Seriously, it was incredible. My only complaint would be the crust. I thought it was a little too soft, not enough crunch, and maybe slightly too sweet. And I might even be so bold as to say it wouldn't hurt to have a whole vanilla bean in the the sour cream topping and the filling instead of 1/2 bean in each. But other than that, it really was pretty perfect.

Thanks to my amazing sister Lisa (yet again) for sending me some vanilla beans. I finally had something I feel was worthwhile enough to use my precious beans for.

Very Vanilla Cheesecake
from The Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook
Crust:
1-1/2 C graham cracker crumbs (from 10-5 x 2.5 inch graham crackers)
1/3 C sugar
4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
pinch of kosher salt

Filling:
4 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1-1/2 t pure vanilla extract
contents of 1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 t kosher salt
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 C sugar

Topping:
3 C sour cream
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla extract
contents of 1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 t kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9 inch spring form pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.
2. To make the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly into the bottom and one third of the way u the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool, about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 325°.
3. To make the filling:Combine the eggs, vanilla extract, contents of 1/2 vanilla bean, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue beating until light and creamy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg mixture in three additions, scraping the sides after each addition. Do not overbeat; it too much air is incorporated, the cheesecake will crack. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the cheesecake is just barely set in the center (it will still jiggle a little), 45~55 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, lightly beat the sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, contents of 1/2 of a vanilla bean, and kosher salt about 1 minutse on low speed until incorporated. Remove cheesecake from the oven. Spread the topping over the cheesecake and bake for 5 minutes. Trasnfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight before serving.
   

quick breakfast

Last night we had a sinful dessert (you'll see in the next post) so I decided it was time for a healthy start to our day. So I made a simple frittata and had some whole grain toast on the side, and we were happy. What a great day.

Simple breakfast frittata
serves 2
4 eggs
3~4 T low-fat milk
one small handful of greens (I like spinach or parsley)
1/4 C finely grated pecorino romano cheese
canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat broiler. Using a fork, gently mix together the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper together.
2. In a small skillet, heat the oil to medium heat until shimmering. Add the eggs, and with a silicone spatula, pull in the sides once in a while. Add spinach and continue.
   
3. Once the eggs are set on the bottom but will runny on top, sprinkle the cheese and place the skillet under the broiler for 3~5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned and bubbly.
4. Pull out of the oven and let rest for a couple of minutes. Release from the skillet and cut into wedges to serve.
   

discovery

Have you discovered Rachel's Yogurt? Love it. You have to try it. I found an ad for it on someone's blog, and I was hooked. I was so sad that the grapefruit lychee flavor was sold out today at Target. Can't wait to try that one. But I had plum honey lavendar today, and it was amazing. Perfect end to my dinner.

regular dinner

This is one of our favorite dinners so I'm surprised I've never posted it before. It's really simple and it's a nice change from the usual pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread for the side. The flavors remind me of Chicken Marsala from Buca Di Beppo. Mmmm.

Braised Chicken with mushrooms and creamy polenta
serves 4
braised chicken and mushrooms
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz each)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 T olive oil
1 lb white button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 C dry white wine
1 C reduce-sodium chicken broth
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken; cook until lightly broned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the hot skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/2 t salt. Cover; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Pour the wine into the skillet; cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 minutes. Add the stock and 3 T of parsley; cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover; simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the cutlets and and polenta topped with mushrooms and a drizzle of cooking liquid. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.

soft polenta
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3/4 C yellow cornmeal or polenta (not quick-cooking)
1/4 C finely grated cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or Cheddar)
1 T butter
2 C milk (you can also make it with 4 C water and omit the milk, if you want)

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 C water, 2 C milk, 1-1/4 t salt, and 1/8 t pepper to a boil over high heat. Whisking constantly, very gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking until snooth before adding more.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the cheese and butter until smooth. Serve immediately.
   

Sunday Dinner

For dinner tonight I decided to make something new. And since chicken and asparagus were both on sale at Meijer this week, I decided to do something with them. I searched through my cookbooks and found a recipe for "garlic marinated chicken" that had grilled chicken, asparagus, and potatoes. I already had some rosemary balsamic vinaigrette that I had made earlier in the week, so I decided to use that as the marinade instead. I added 1 head of garlic (I know what you're thinking, but I was in the mood for GARLIC, and it was really good, I promise), minced, and it was perfect. And the whole meal took me about 20~25 minutes, excluding marinating time. And the potatoes were perfectly the crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, the asparagus was nice and tender but not overcooked, and the chicken was not tough at all! I kept having to check to make sure it was cooked all the way through because it was so tender. And don't worry, it was totally cooked through. Anyway, you have to try this out at home. Most ingredients are really affordable, and the rest were on sale. But you can replace the fresh rosemary for dried (just use about 1/4 t instead of the 1T), and you can totally use a cheaper vegetable like broccoli instead of the asparagus. Like I said, I was just lucky because it was on sale. And feel free to use yukon gold or russet potatoes instead of the baby potatoes. Just make sure and cut them into bite-sized pieces so they will cook quickly.

Garlic Marinated Chicken Dinner
Serve 2~4 (depending on how hungry you are;))

and that is, in fact, steam rising from the potatoes. mmmmmmmm.

2 medium sized chicken breasts, cut into 2 equal pieces horizontally, and pounded flat to make them even and thin.
1 lb aparagus
1 lb small red potatoes

coarse salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
olive oil

Rosemary garlic vinaigrette:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt,
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a deep dish, place the chicken breasts , trying not to overlap them. Pour in about 1/2 C of the vinaigrette over them, turn them over to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cut the potatoes in half, or if they are small ones leave them whole. Place them in a 9x13 baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper, and toss to coat. Place them in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
3. Snap the bottom off of the asparagus and peel the skin off of the last inch or so. Cut on the bias every 1.5~2 inches. Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil, and minced garlic. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven with the potatoes during the last 10 minutes.
4. On a large skillet heated to medium high, pour about 1 T oil. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken breasts on the skillet after shaking off the excess marinade. Don't move them around. Once the bottom is browned, flip them over and cook through (but don't over cook them).
5. Arrange them all on a large platter and let everyone serve themselves.