Home Skillette

Breakfast bundt.

2012-02-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

Shimmied the applesauce muffin recipe a little. Used vegan margarine and subbed one of the three cups of AP flour with flax seed meal, omitted the raisins altogether. Also, used a bundt pan! I diced some galas, tossed them in light brown sugar and spread them evenly across the bottom of the pan, poured the batter on top and baked for approximately 45 minutes. Let cool, remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar. Voila. BREAKFAST!!!

2012-02-19T11:20:00.001-05:00

Food stuffs I am obsessed with right now:

Meyer lemons
Flax seed meal
Marjoram
Wild rocket
Buckwheat noodles (udon)
Trader Joes sesame oil
Starbucks blonde roast
Kentucky Barn sorghum
Homemade red bean paste
Japanese sweet potatoes

Izzi turns 12!

2012-02-17T08:28:00.001-05:00

She loves the lemon loaf at Starbucks, so I made my version, vegan, with Meyer lemons. It tasted like a glazed lemon donut! And yes, that is a TARDIS, as we are nerdsnerdsnerds. Served with chai. Happy birthday awesome daughter!

This meal brought to you by 808s & Heartbreak.

2012-02-14T21:59:00.004-05:00

spiced panko breaded potato wedges and sesame haricot verts with toasted almonds

The baby and I danced around the kitchen to Kanye while I made this tiny Valentine meal for Miss Izzi and I. We then watched Mary and Max and advanced to ice cream...moose tracks for the girl and black cherry sorbet for moi.

And now for some...Gewurztraminer. Night night.

Take another pizza my heart.

2012-02-14T21:55:00.001-05:00

Valentine pizzas.

Trader Joe's garlic herb raw pizza dough.

Homemade roasted garlic, red pepper and tomato sauce.

Caramelized shallot.

Diced baby zucchini.

Basil, chiffonade.

Thinly sliced farm fresh tomato.

Rocket (arugula.)

Lemon parsley pesto.

For the husband...pastrami (not pictured.)

Oven baked at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Quick post, 1.2

2012-02-11T18:53:00.001-05:00

Gimme Lean meatless burger, elbow macaroni, onions, kosher salt, balsamic, quality canned

diced tomato with basil and oregano. I call this my No-Burger Helper!

Quick update.

2012-02-11T18:49:00.001-05:00

Roasted garlic, red pepper and tomato soup with parsley pistou.

(Also marjoram, as I am obsessed with it now.)

What's in your fridge?

2012-01-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Another episode of Gee-I-Am-Hungry-What-Is-In-The-Fridge-? A soup made of leftovers and toasted ciabatta! This is little Italian-style number, with peas, orzo, italian canned tomatoes, broccoli and chopped parsley. Quick, pretty, filling and tasty....all the important things that make a meal!

This meal brought to you by the music of DeVotchka.

2012-01-10T13:19:00.000-05:00

Music plays a definitive role in my life, whether I am drawing, cooking, painting, driving, dancing with the little ones, or having my third cup of coffee while reading emails. I haven't one sole form or genre that I associate with the most, but the majority of people that know me could tell you I am the girl that likes that circus music. Eh...I just like to be able to feel movement at the core of my soul and create what it is I am set out to create from there. I have been enjoying my Spotify lately, as it offers so much variety. Usually. Also in my realm of inspiration comes southwestern cooking...when I am old and no one can find me, I will be buried under red rock waiting for the prairie falcon to carry my soul to the sun. Just fyi!

On that note...as in the title...today's dish is brought to by the music of DeVotchka. Really wish there was a way I could get to Chicago at the end of this month to see them live, as I have never done so. But I digress...food!

BLACK BEAN CAKES WITH AVOCADO MAYO

Starts with a yellow onion. Halved, oiled and roasted at 350 for about 45 minutes. Makes the home smell amazing. And everyone will be able to breathe! (Just like the west...)

"head honcho"

Once cooled, blend in a food processor along with zest and juice of two limes, clove of garlic, one ripe avocado, cilantro, about a 1/4 cup of vegan mayo, salt and pepper. You want this to be pureed.

"whiskey breath"

Babies love it and will eat the spatula too if you let them!

"sunshine"

Set the divine goodness aside while assembling the bean cake batter.

"such a lovely thing"

For the black beans, I did not measure...I just threw it together. Wash and rinse canned black beans (you can soak and boil your own, I just had these on hand and was huuuuuuungry!) and puree in the same processor (washed, of course.) Add in unbleached AP flour and cornmeal sifted together with ground cumin, cayenne and mexican oregano. You want this to blend until it makes a dough, almost like making a pie crust.

"basso profundo"

You may throw a few extra cilantro leaves in if you so desire. Start heating vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet, using enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Finely dice one side a bell pepper, I used green because that is what I had...red would be even better! Add pepper to dough and mix thoroughly. Roll into a ball and separate into 2 inch balls. Pan fry about 5 minutes on each side. Lightly salt when removing from heat.

"how it ends"

Serve with raw cucumber, corn kernels and your favorite hot sauce and dream of El Zopilote Mojado.

"reprise"

Or enjoy in your own home and blog about stupid shit.

"no one is watching"

Now...go put DeVothka on shuffle!

Tater salad.

2012-01-09T21:35:00.002-05:00

For nearly thirty years, at every christmas there was potato salad. The best potato salad ever courtesy of one Miss Shirley Johnson, aka Mamaw, aka The Greatest Woman Who Ever Lived. It was a three day process and enough was always made to feed an army, or, well...our meager family. (We like to eat, rest, then eat some more!) It was always in the same bowl, a vat if you will, and smoothed over like a mason's mortar. With relish. I never asked her the exact recipe, and am not even sure if it is written down anywhere, but I knew the flavor, still do and wish I could devour it today and ruin this entire vegan thing like a virgin on prom night. Alas, she is gone...but my love for a good potato salad, no matter what time of year it is, remains.

This version combines skin-on russets, vegan mayo, garlic, sauteed diced onions and extra firm tofu, minced lemon zest, diced zesty dill pickles, red wine vinegar, Coleman's mustard, salt, sugar and paprika. Not the prettiest thing ever, but it's fer tastin' not gawkin'.

Once again, the husband devoured it all!

My dearest sweet tooth.

2012-01-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

I need sweetness in my life. That is all there is to it and will in fact be my biggest challenge this year. How to bake sugary tasty vegan morsels...these vegan apple currant muffins did just the trick, and the husband responded with,"these are vegan? Gomph, gomph, gomph." A day later and all 18 are GONE. I plan to use this recipe to make all kinds of num nums.

Set oven to 300 degrees. Line muffin tins with 18 cups. Heat 1 1/2 cup of applesauce, preferably homemade, but natural unsweetened store bought works too. Once it starts to bubble, remove from heat and whisk in 2 teaspoons of baking soda and half of a cup of oil. While this mixture is cooling, sift together 3 cups unbleached AP flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon quality cinnamon (Saigon cinnamon!!!), 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 cup of currants.

When the applesauce is cooled, it cools quick, whisk once more and add to the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, mix together just until combined. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 35-45 minutes until tops are golden. These are a very moist muffin and are enjoyed best when warm. Plus your whole house smells like Jesus. Look for more versions of this muffin in the coming months...with pear, shredded carrot or zucchini, walnut, pineapple, filled with orange compote or topped with vegan buttercream...so many damn options!

Two super awesome baby thumbs up.

True grits.

2012-01-09T19:46:00.001-05:00

My first major dish with polenta, as I am not a fan. Though I love all things corn, grits are so damn bland. This was tasty, but still needs a bit of tweaking. The added roasted bulb of garlic helped as well as the sprinkle of cayenne, but I need to do some more recipe researching to find one that truly inspires me. Again, vegan.

Vegan. Rice. Limes.

2012-01-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

So I promised myself three days before the start of the new year that I would go completely vegan. I have been struggling with this for so long now. In my late teens and early twenties it was easy to not want to consume things like fish and cheese and yogurt and SOUR CREAM, but as I am in my mid thirties, I have to fight with my stomach. I have no political stance on the issue, nor do I have a desire to preach about the healthy benefits of veganism. I only want to feel better in my own skin and have a better grasp on control over temptation. Therefore...I bring you fried rice. Healthy right???

It's best to have all your ingredients ready when making fried rice, as it cooks at high heat and will scorch and become a gross bitter mess if not cared for. I have gotten in the habit of steaming a large batch of rice so I will always have some on hand. It's a mom thing I am sure. Okay, so take half of a yellow onion, dice it up all nice and small and saute in a wok or large pot in about two tablespoons of oil, preferably half canola half sesame. As the onion starts to cook and become clear toss in two minced cloves of garlic, careful not to overcook/burn. Add enough quality soy sauce to cover the bottom of the pan, and as much Sriracha to suit your taste buds. Cook about a minute and add about two cups of cooked long grain white rice. Up the heat a bit and stir together with onion mixture. Add the juice of one lime and one peeled, seeded and diced cucumber.

You will need to constantly stir the rice to keep from sticking and to also get that nice crunch without turning the whole dish into garbage. You may need to add a bit more oil, cook with the cucumber about another minute or two, then add chopped cilantro and scallions. Once the rice hits the plate, squeeze another lime, salt and soy it up to taste. Enjoy! It's quick, easy and super nommy...but actually difficult to eat with chopsticks! This was all made while the 1 year had her evening bottle. If I can do it, so can you.Word.

Enjoy my yuppy retro pics and listen to 80's new wave.

A Very Green New Year.

2012-01-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

So my good friend Veg-Mommy threw a really amazing kid-friendly NYE party last night, and being the woman I am, I had to make some sort of food or I just wouldn't be happy with myself. It was a finger-food, snacky event...so what else but salsa would please everyone? I have made salsa verde before, but kept everything fresh and raw. I knew if I simmered the veggies in lime and tequilla, more flavor would be absorbed and enjoyed by the guests, and, well...me.

As usual, I didn't follow a recipe, but knew what I wanted to taste and what I had in the fridge, plus a small trip to the grocer for a few extra ingredients. I sauteed over medium diced green and yellow bell peppers, only needing half of each, in a tablespoon of olive oil, juice of 1 lime and about 1/4 of a cup of tequilla. I used generic, since (1)I despise the stuff and never buy top shelf and (2)the alcohol was just going to burn off anyway. I added diced onions when the peppers start to soften. As soon as the onion was clear, in went one large minced clove of garlic and it simmered for about 1-2 minutes. This mix went into a medium bowl. In the same pan as the peppers, I sauteed over medium low 6-7 husked, cleaned and chopped tomatillos. Then the juice of one lime, pinch of sugar, ground cumin, salt and pepper (to taste.)

I added tomatillos to pepper mixture and allowed to chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I peeled, seeded and finely diced one cucumber. Luckily I already had roasted jalapenos on hand, so I finely diced and seeded one of those and chopped some fresh cilantro. Once the chilled mixture was ready, the remaining ingredients, along with some corn kernels, fresh if possible and yet another lime all joined the fantastic conglomeration! I always use my favorite hot sauce, about a tablespoon, for a bit of a zing. Mixed, salted to taste and chilled for three hours. Feel free to add diced avocado to yours, mine were still little rocks. This salsa is better the next day and with a good latin pale ale. Enjoy!

Cold weather food.

2011-12-16T22:12:00.001-05:00

What? It's cold weather and everyone is feeling under it?
Have some chicken noodle soup loaded with beer and things will be just fine.

Blue Moon Chicken Noodle

Homemade chicken stock, shredded chicken, one pound organic Trader Joe's carrots, whole yellow onion, sprig of rosemary, pound of haricot verts, four cloves of garlic, cup of green peas, salt and pepper, bottle of Blue Moon, rotini and topped with yummy Gorgonzola. Serve with a crusty chunk of baguette to soak up all the drippings!

Take that, Little Debbie.

2011-12-15T13:07:00.002-05:00

So Miss Alice's 1st birthday was yesterday. It was a day of woe, not only because she is no longer an infant...but also because my oldest, Isobel, suffered her second seizure this year the day before, and yesterday the poor thing laid in bed with four different medications running through her system. But, such as life...we are going to celebrate Alice's glorious occasion on Sunday instead. TREAD ON!!! (More sweets-inspired posts to come...)

These little nummies are my version of oatmeal creme pies. I like to add california and golden raisins, plus dried cranberries in my oatmeal cookies...sometimes pepitas, but since these were for a 1 year old...I decided to omit the things that might block her breathing. Go figure!!! The filling is a light cream cheese frosting with a tad bit of food coloring for my little tidbit.

The force is strong.

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's rare that I link a blog unrelated to food, but this is one that is close to my heart. My oldest daughter suffered(s) from epilepsy, and for the four years before her seizures were controlled, I was in a constant state of "why?" No answers, no help, nothing. My daughter was suffering every day and there was not a thing I could do to make it better. I am grateful that she has overcome (with medical assistance) something so detrimental to her daily life, but will never forget that worry...that fear that what was causing these seizures could have been something more life threatening.

This family lives through this every second of every day. http://princessleahdiaries.blogspot.com/

Bits and pieces. Double dose.

2011-12-10T23:54:00.002-05:00

(ABOVE)1. A very special dinner. Orange and rosemary whole roasted chicken, bacon and Gorgonzola smashed potatoes, tequila lime cranberry compote and Worcestershire glazed haricot verts. 2.Izzy channels Saturday Night Fever. 3. Alice loves her new toy. 4. Admiring big sis. 5. Holiday socks. 6. Izzy goes for the legs. 7. All wrapped up. 8. An 11-year-old's handmade goods help decorate the tree. 9. Man love food.

(BELOW) 1.Vintage Russian ornament. 2. Night fever, night fever. 3. My ladies and moi. 4. A baby and her glorious lights. 5. Full dad. 6. A pile o'taters (this means something.) 7. The finishing touch. 8. Gleaming.

9. Izzy has become our first christmas morning victim.

A light breakfast.

2011-12-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

Israeli couscous, sweet potato, peas on a bed of rocket topped with a fried egg and Siracha.

The sweet potato and peas were sauteed in olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin seed, cinnamon and cayenne.

Savory, fresh, light and filling without bloating!

Something for me, something for baby.

For making whoopie....

2011-12-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Banana Whoopie Pie with Nutella Ganache

adapted from Desserts for Breakfast

Careful, man..there's a beverage here.

2011-12-02T23:33:00.001-05:00

So....make a simple syrup of lemon, lime zest, lime and lavender. Let cool, add ice and two cups of water. Drink up!!!

Add gin to stay warm inside.

(BOMBAY SAPPHIRE IF YOU PLEASE.)

Home (Skillette) Fries.

2011-12-02T23:22:00.000-05:00

Sweet Potato Pie.

2011-11-25T12:19:00.002-05:00

Martha's crust and Paula's fillin'. Lots of Saigon cinnamon and fresh grated nutmeg.

Sweet Potato City.

2011-11-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

Around here, we eat sweet potatoes on a daily basis. It's not just a Thanksgiving moocher, but a seriously delicious root veggie that shines in almost every dish it's put in. No marshmallows allowed. Whether it be sweet or savory, even spicy-this lovely orange tuber sits high on her pedestal in this house.

This morning called for sweet. I am out of butter,

almost out of milk and running low on just about everything...hello, end of the week and a house full of hungry children. Even after four hours of sleep and no coffee to be found, I felt the need to burst out of bed and bake. It's getting cold, and the best way to warm

up the kitchen is through the oven. Don't worry, I

brewed a pot of orange spice black tea to cover for

the lack of the usual.

I decided to make this. I ended up substituting plain yogurt for the milk and used golden raisins instead of dates, omitting the nuts all together for the baby-plus Izzy doesn't care for them anyway. It took about 10 minutes longer to fully bake, but it was oh-so-moist.

It beats banana bread by a long shot. A recipe I

am saving, and next time grating some carrot

into the batter for a little extra texture.

We could have eaten the whole loaf.

DIY Louisville.

2011-11-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

The lovely ladies at DIY Louisville graciously asked if I would write a Thanksgiving-themed recipe post for their super amazing blog...of course I responded with a HELL YES!!! These women are pioneering something great and I am honored to be able to share a little bit of me with this city.

LOOK!!!

Vegan asian noodles.

2011-11-16T13:23:00.001-05:00

A little different than the previous vegan somen noodles post, and this time with slight instruction! Saute chopped red and orange peppers together with zucchini. Add soy and sweet chili sauce. Mix and throw in the diced extra firm tofu. Simmer in the sauces for about 5-7 minutes. Add scallions and more of either or both sauces. Mix in al dente somen noodles. Throw in cilantro and almond slivers at the very end and enjoy immediately.

Home.

2011-11-16T13:16:00.002-05:00

Catfish fillets, soaked in milk and malt vinegar, breaded and deep fried.

Homemade tarter made with mayo, lemon, finely chopped scallions and sweet pickles.

Russets, boiled and mashed with unsalted butter, plain yogurt, fresh rosemary, scallions, salt and pepper.

Simple southern corn pudding.

Now I am hungry again.

Taters & turnips at their best.

2011-11-05T11:15:00.001-04:00

Cold night=hot soup. Two servings each with chunks of garlic bread...

Six russet potatoes and two small turnips boiled in lightly salted water. Sauteed onions, peppers and garlic with fresh rosemary in half of a stick of unsalted butter. Root veggies hand blended. Milk, sour cream, salt and pepper added. Sauteed veggies folded in. A bit of Worcester, Siracha, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar brought out all of the flavors. Seasoned to taste. Simmered on lowlowlow for about 20 minutes. Made a relish...finely diced a green tomato and fresh parsley. Added salt and lemon juice.

Now you!!! Serve ladles full of soup with a couple of teaspoons of tomato relish. Have an expensive beer in tow!

Stay warm all night!

Bits and pieces.

2011-11-05T11:03:00.002-04:00

1. My ex-mother-in-law still brings me lots of herbs from her garden/green house, as well as her plethora of tomatoes. Pictured is fresh basil, rosemary and thyme and a lovely tomato. Garlic brought to you by Kroger. Jerusalem artichoke noodles brought to you by Whole Foods.

2. Aromatic veggies...garden fresh zucchini, banana, bell and Anaheim peppers sauteeing with onions, garlic and peas in sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and marsala cooking wine with a bit of salt, pepper and the herbs mentioned above.

3. Kitchen Closed Sunday.

4. After adding 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and half of a stick of butter, slowly melting both completely, about half of a cup of canned diced tomatoes in sauce was gently added to make a creamy tomato sauce for le' noodles to absorb. Zest and juice of half a lemon jumped in at the end for a nice mouth watering bite.

5. The completed dish, with a sprinkle of thyme and some roughly chopped tomato.

6. Food for the little one...Miss Alice is having carrots, zucchini and parsley, which she, her pajamas and the white blanket she was sitting on enjoyed thoroughly.

7. The best Kentucky bourbon to compliment our tasty meal. Who needs wine?

Johnny B Good.

2011-11-02T08:20:00.001-04:00

Yeah, I know I said I would update more frequently, but as it may, I am overloaded with projects-including husband and babies-that keep me pretty busy. Though it's not for lack of cooking, as I am always in the kitchen, but finding time to blog about it glorious meals gets farther and farther away. October kept me busy with teaching, art shows and poster submissions. Luckily I have a couple weeks break before the holidays bombard me with gift ideas for everyone. We have so many food-based holidays ahead of us! Hooray!

Today's feature is another fantastic breakfast dish. Johnnycakes with cinnamon apples. Apples are f'ing everywhere! These are made with Jonathans (in honor of my husband.) They are peeled, cored and simmered in a pot with unsalted butter, Kentucky sorghum, brown sugar, Saigon cinnamon, and Kentucky bourbon until soft, but not mushy. I topped the Johnnycakes (cornmeal pancakes) with the apples and a bit of lime zest for a little zing.

Vegans tastes better.

2011-09-26T22:35:00.001-04:00

Vegan apple and acorn squash butter

Vegan butternut squash and almond soup

Vegan spicy somen noodles

BREAKFAST PORN.

2011-09-26T22:26:00.001-04:00

Mega french toast. I love me some challah. I love me some goat cheese. On a recent holiday with the fam, we stopped in Columbus at Trader Joe's, since we are still awaiting the opening of ours here in Louisville. Since we were doing our usual hide-in-the-cabin routine, we needed food. I must say TJ's has some pretty dang amazing challah-perfect texture and sweetness. Not to mention, ahem...blueberry and vanilla goat cheese. Thus, breakfast.

Another version of my favorite egg sandwich. It's contents were meh...fake crab and scallions...but plopped together on a pretzel roll with some garlic mayo, my kitchen moved out of the ghetto to a deluxe apartment in the sky.

I have a new friend. She reminds me of how I used to be such a devout vegan...trying new flavors and foods. It all started with oatmeal. Only then, I just used soymilk. Today I have almond milk, chopped pistachios, dried cranberries and local sorghum. A little more grown up, but still reminiscent of cold winter mornings watching Garfield.

Dear Father.

2011-09-08T11:31:00.000-04:00

It's been a month since my last confession. In this time I have put my oldest daughter in middle school, quit my soul-sucking job and created a new life in this old house.

To my dismay, I have not been able to photograph many delicious meals, nor blog about it. But alas, after several our-fathers and several hail-marys, I willwillwill bring peace back into my life and find more time to updates this soggy-bottom cooking journal.

Here are two dishes that kept my family's spirits up and their belly's full.

roast pork loin with spicy peach compote

watercress pureed potatoes

balsamic tomato and watermelon salad

creamy roasted yellow pepper, potato and leek soup

OMG-rittos.

2011-08-12T10:09:00.000-04:00

No time for a real post, but enough time to tempt you with pictures. And yes...that is from scratch verde sauce.

Summer cupcakes.

2011-07-30T11:24:00.000-04:00

So I haven't been able to update in a while. The husband and I are attempting to buy our first house, the oldest is about to be a dreaded middle schooler (we are watching and reading Diary of A Wimpy Kid 'round the clock!) and I am working on getting some art prints made for misspinnydesign.com.

As far as the food goes, my sweet toof' has been acting up. Here is another batch of cupcakes inspired by summer time and made for the man's 29th birthday.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes...

It's just your basic vanilla cupcake, with root beer added instead of vanilla. They were also dipped in a root beer simple syrup when I took them out of the oven. I made a root beer buttercream frosting for the "float". Topped with a cherry, sprinkles and decorated with little straws...I had fun and so did every one that ate them!

Fuzzy Navel Cupcakes.

2011-07-05T22:35:00.000-04:00

I love being able to turn these guys...

into twenty-four of these...

How???

Well,

after poaching whole peaches in boiling water to remove the skins, I cut the half the batch of the little beauties into wedges and macerated them in peach schnapps for several hours. The other half got a rough chop and dumped into equal parts orange juice and brown sugar to make a peach puree for the centers of the cakes. I let that mixture cook on a low setting for about an hour, with a tiny bit of lavender for a subtle floral aroma. The cakes themselves are a sour cream batter with orange extract instead of vanilla and the zest of three fresh navel oranges folded in. When the peach and orange juice syrup was cool enough, I removed the fruit and pureed it in the blender until nice and smooth. When the cakes were ready, I cored each one and filled them with the puree (while snacking on the excess of course!) The icing is a simple cream cheese icing with peach schnapps and a bit of the leftover syrup. Each cakes got a drunken peach wedge and some pretty little sprinkles.

Gomph.

"...so nice they named it twice..."

2011-07-03T10:16:00.004-04:00

I love couscous. I have my husband loving now as well. I like a food you can undeniably do so many different things with, have a new dish every time! And it is so quick. You can make it ahead of time when the baby is asleep, store it in the fridge until it's ready to serve and add something a little extra if you wish, before the crying starts!

Here I made ahead of time a couscous salad with olive oil, arugula, mint, finely shredded carrot, feta and lemon. When it was time to eat, I had just enough time to quickly skillet up a nice piece of salmon-with grilled onions and lemon-break into chunks and mix in some halved grape tomatoes. Easy peasy, and gone in an instant. I do believe I got some omegas that evening.

Don't forget those few little drops of Siracha!

More breakfast.

2011-07-03T10:02:00.002-04:00

Cream cheese and blueberry stuffed sourdough french toast with brown sugar bacon. Pretty self explanatory. And seriously good.

Taters.

2011-06-28T18:05:00.004-04:00

Since I have been growing these loverly green leaves of heaven since the beginning of May, I have been able to experiment so much with something that is usually reserved for a measly field greens salad. My eating schedule is nonexistent, unfortunately, being that I have a full time job and two children. I eat when I can...like this...it was 9 in the pm and I realized I hadn't had a bite of food (which sorry to say was a White Castle and chocolate shake) since noon. And though this is fine for most people, my body does not work that way. Plus, I have been ridiculously sick with some sort of upper respiratory demon infestation for almost four days now and really needed something nutritious made with my own two hands.

Once again, I checked the dwindling cupboards and threw together this little meal with a big heart. I cubed red potatoes, tossed them with olive oil and a mixture of my favorite dried herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. They roasted in the 425 degree oven until browned. While they were making the house smell something awesome, I sauteed red peppers and sweet onions. I grabbed a handful of the arugula I clipped and washed earlier that day and splayed it around the plate awaiting the taters and veg. I made a little sour cream goddess mixture for the dressing and topped with some crumbled feta. It could have used some bacon...but this was pretty damn good without.

Really love your peaches....

2011-06-28T11:10:00.008-04:00

Hello peach season....

If it's not apparent already, I love breakfast. Growing up I didn't get to indulge much, so I must be catching up now. So, so many peaches everywhere...and so cheap! This was a quick omelet I threw together the other morning when I wanted to get a little sweet in my savory. Local eggs, grilled red peppers, diced peaches, home grown arugula, blue cheese sour cream....served with a toasted english muffin with local honey and fresh cup of organic coffee. Good good morning.

Muffins!

2011-06-24T10:21:00.003-04:00

Super moist yogurt muffins with strawberries. I used two different containers of yogurt and shimmied my original recipe to fit the amount I had. Luckily I didn't skew it. Unfortunately I forgot to flour my strawberries, so they sank...but still a tasty bite for breakfast! Seen here drizzled with local Kentucky honey.

...and summer breakfast!!!

2011-06-13T12:05:00.001-04:00

God, I love fresh blueberries.

On this lovely almost summer morning I threw together some stone fruit and blueberries in the oven with a nice crumble for about 45 minutes. Once out, I topped each portion with a dollop of greek yogurt.
Serve with an excellent cup of coffee.

So very tasty.

Summer salad.

2011-06-12T20:37:00.001-04:00

Three posts in one night.

2011-06-06T23:13:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when I don't update in a while. Three in one night...

So this afternoon I needed a sandwich. NEEDED A SANDWICH.

So I made a garlic avocado mayo.

Then I spread that divinity upon some lightly toasted pretzel bread from Whole Foods.

And headed to my rocket/arugula patch. Nothing better than fresh greens. Well, there is...but this ain't bad.

Dressed her up with roasted turkey and shredded gran queso.

She didn't last very long. You should go eat now.

Thai Me Up.

2011-06-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

What could I eat every night? Let me show you...

Thai sticky rice, ground beef lop, and eggplant dipping sauce. Here's how to make this amazing f'ing meal....

First, are you familiar with the type of rice this requires??? You are looking for Thai sweet rice or "glutinous" rice. This must be soaked for at least four hours. You can find a pictorial here. About an hour or so before you plan to eat, drizzle oil over quartered Thai eggplants, yellow onion, and whole garlic cloves-the proportions are up to you, depending on your tastes-in a roasting pan (or wrap in foil.) If using an oven, a good temp is 450-a grill will get you the best results, though. Roast for about 30-40 minutes. While roasting, throw a couple tablespoons of whole cumin seeds, jasmine rice and a couple of roasted Thai chilis in a dry skillet. Toast over medium heat until the rice is browned and your home smells amazing. Once completely toasted, remove from pan and add about a tablespoon of oil. Throw in one large or two small diced shallots. Saute until clear, then add two to three chopped garlic cloves. Stir, then add a pound of quality ground beef. While the beef is cooking, pound the toasted rice, cumin and chilis in a mortar and pestle, though not too fine, as you want a good crunch contrast in the beef. Once the beef is thoroughly cooked, add the mortared mixture and remove from heat. Check the oven roasted veggies, as they will probably be done by now. Remove them and let cool. Grab some limes, fish sauce and cilantro!!! You will need all of these items for BOTH of these dishes. Go ahead and start steaming the rice. Place the cooked beef into an oven-safe dish with as much lime juice, fish and cilantro as you wish. Give a good toss and sit in the cooling oven to keep warm. Dump the oven roasted veggies into a blender with a chili or two, lime juice, cilantro and fish sauce. Blend, blend and blend until a nice thick paste-or thin sauce (however you prefer)-is before you. Once the rice is steamed, remove the beef from the oven and spoon your sauce into a dipping container. There you have it. Just remember to not let anything too wet to get all over your rice-or it will be sticky no more!!! You may substitute mint in the dipping sauce instead of cilantro if you wish.

A quick one while he's away...

2011-06-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

As my man is not a fan of Mediterranean cuisine, I have to make small little salads for myself. This quick little guy I took to work to prevent me from hitting up one of the many fast food scoundrels tempting me on a nightly basis.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, tahini, lemon juice, mint and flat leaf parsley...so let's have a smile for an old engine driver.

Thai beef salad.

2011-05-01T14:05:00.001-04:00

So we had a potluck at work for earth day...one of the dishes I brought was this. It was a huge hit.

Inspired by a chicken dish my ex mother-in-law used to make, but I used ground beef and hot ground pork instead. I sauteed each meat separately in onions and garlic. When cooled, I combined everything and squeezed four limes over it all. Of course it wouldn't be complete without cilantro and scallions! I threw in some jasmine rice and tomatoes for balance and texture...and just plain yumminess.

Viet~nom!

2011-04-27T18:22:00.001-04:00

Yeah. I made a vietnamese inspired surf and turf soup on a whim. I found the rest of my shrimp stock leftover from the etouffee and simmered some julienned carrots, garlic and celery. Along with the veggies, I added chilies, fish sauce, salt and pepper. After letting that simmer for a good hour, I then made meatballs with ground pork and siracha and let them bathe in the broth for about twenty minutes. I threw in some Israeli couscous and let cook ten minutes longer. Cilantro finished it off perfectly.

Fishy fishy.

2011-04-20T21:18:00.001-04:00

Super yummy panko fried catfish tacos with halved grape tomatoes, caramelized onions and a cilantro lime sour cream.

A Healthy Tween Breakfast

2011-04-15T08:29:00.000-04:00

Toss the Danimals, Yoplait or what have you. All that stuff is chock full of unnecessary food coloring, very little actual fruit and is texture-wise disgusting. My daughter grew out of the whole yogurt cup thing a while back anyway, but I wanted to find a way to keep it incorporated in her diet for it's extreme nutritional advantages. Not to mention the fresh fruit for her healthy brain functions.

I like to spend those extra coins on organic bananas, since they are so cheap anyhow. Along with those sliced, I added some plump juicy mangoes-her favorite. Greek Gods brand yogurt really is the best in my opinion-almost like a melty ice cream without the frothiness. Nothing would make it even better than a drizzle of organic honey. It's quick and easy and gives a mom confidence that her children are sent to school with a healthy morning behind them!

Easy P-Easy Pasta.

2011-04-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post about the food I make for my 11-year old. She has never been much of a picky eater. As long as there isn't leafy greens involved, she will pretty much eat anything. Her favorite foods include butternut squash, sushi, salmon and a plethora of fresh fruit. Of course, she also likes to indulge in sugary goodness (see toffee post), but for the most part she has always been a good eater.

She also loves...spaghetti. But she prefers the sauce to be free of tomatoes, onions, peppers-anything with too much texture. If she had her way, though, there would have been an enormous meatball right in the center. So here is a cheap and easy dish perfect for any tween.

Angel hair. Sauce consisting of tomato paste, water and Italian dressing and topped with fresh parmesan. Voila. Happy kiddo!

...more please!

2011-04-13T12:22:00.000-04:00

FIRST TOFFEE EVER!!!

Here you see my first toffee. Not my first attempt, per say...but my first that turned out the way it was supposed to. I just followed the equal parts butter and sugar, with a dash of salt recipe. Cooked over medium to 285. Once it was slightly cooled, I sprinkled on some sunflower kernels and dried cranberries and pressed them slightly into the candy. After a few minutes, it was nice and hard (that's what she said?) I cracked the candy into pieces. I then melted some coating chocolate and drizzled away. As that was cooling, I dashed a bit of table salt here and there.

Completely. F'ing. Addictive.

Now that I have the recipe down, expect to see different varieties I have in store...

Heavenly pizza.

2011-04-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, pizza is one of my very favorite foods. I know it sounds childish and mundane, but I find myself eating it, whether it be ordered or homemade, almost every week. It's a weakness, a comfort when all else fails to bring me peace! Plus, the family loves it as well.

I made the following a couple of weeks ago, but have only had time to blog about it now. With working on things over at misspinnydesign, taking care of a very sick kiddo, weaning another kiddo and managing my staff at the bookstore...I haven't had much time to tell the world of my foodventures. I still find the time to cook and bake, just not always get a picture and opportunity to share. So, here ya go.

I started with focaccia. Sorry to say, I did not bake it myself...one day when I have an ample kitchen this will be a different story. I hacked off the top, as it had diced olives atop-and gross! I made my own pizza sauce with tomato paste, a marinara I had made prior, a bit a of italian dressing, fresh garlic, chilis, with some dried oregano, basil and rosemary. I like a lot of sauce, an American trait I can't deny. I topped the sauce with pepperoni, thinly sliced romas and potatoes, and caramelized onions. Cheeses that gave us maximum decadence were mozzarella, provolone, fontina and freshly grated parmesan. On the top rack, I baked this bad boy in the oven at 425 for about 10-15 minutes. After it came out, with the cheeses all golden and melty, I threw on some crumbled bacon and cilantro. The house smelled divine! It was then cut in fourths and devoured immediately.

It sincerely was one of the best pizzas I have ever made, definitely the perfect thing for that cold spring day.

Vat o'tabouli!

2011-04-09T16:32:00.000-04:00

I tend to like more parsley to bulgur than most recipes call for. Plus I add a crap ton of lemon and garlic to mine. I like the earthy flavor of the bulgur, but it can be a bit overpowering. The only thing missing was the mint, but it was tasty and made me feel all clean and healthy.

Heart Attack Pasta

2011-04-07T21:56:00.001-04:00

Add bacon and butter!

cold night=pot pie

2011-03-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

What does a woman do for her family when (1) it turns cold once more (2) the fridge is becoming bare (3) everyone wants something super tasty???

Homemade veggie pot pie!!! Seasoned potatoes, celery, carrots, corn, peas and a creamy gravy stuffed between two buttery crusts...keeps us warm and full on this chilled March night.

First full day of spring...

2011-03-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

It's time to get busy. There has been so much I have wanted to get done since the man, girl and the pregnant me moved into this house last summer. I have cleaned and purged and purchased new appliances, bookshelves and gadgets. Still, not finished. Now that we have about four months left I am seeing myself near completion and ready to start over in yet another new place with the new baby addition. Since today is the first full day of spring, and hello......80 degrees.....I have taken it upon myself to do everything I can while little miss is having a good nap! (This, she rarely does.) I am throwing out old clothes, because realistically, after baby #2 I am certain to not fit into that halter ever again! I have started the dresser project that has been sitting around since October. I finally dyed my hair-with it's two inch partially gray roots. I am headed to Target and Lowes for new frames and pots for the greens I want to grow-I HAVE FULL SUN! But in between all of that, I made myself this.....

Lemon and garlic roasted chicken breast with a sour aioli and cilantro

Happy Spring everybody!

Fishie fishie.

2011-03-21T10:16:00.000-04:00

After my first week back to work, I thought I seriously needed a reward for not losing my mind. What better reward than a huge cut of tuna served with homemade apple chutney??? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Warm weather...where are you?

2011-03-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

My oldest daughter' favorite thing to eat is chicken legs. Loves. Them. She prefers fried chicken legs, but I like to grill 'em with some barbecue sauce. Therefore, I made a root beer barbecue sauce to topped the runnin' gear with some roasted red sweet potatoes and baby turnips. The chicken and root veg I broiled in the oven with a portion of the sauce, then finished in a hot pan to sear in the flavor. (Or course, I slathered on more sauce afterward because I am gluttonous.) I served them with blanched asparagus with grated fontina. Oh, winter....take a freaking hike!

Spinach soup recipe.

2011-03-21T10:01:00.000-04:00

So I pretty much never really follow any sort of recipe for anything, less baking...and even then I add things the recipe doesn't call for just to see how it will turn out! Nevertheless, here is the basic run down for the spinach soup I made for work the other day.

about 2 lbs of spinach
1/2 stick of butter
fresh garlic, chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
salt pepper
chicken stock
about a half cup of cream

Saute the celery in the butter until almost clear, add garlic. Before the garlic starts to brown, add all the spinach, salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir until completely wilted. Let cool. Blend spinach mix with desired amount of chicken stock. Slowly add the cream. Return to heat and let simmer about 10 minutes.

This soup gets better the longer it sits. I ate on it for three days! Serve with a honkin' piece of crusty bread of choice.

Super green spinach soup!

2011-03-16T18:45:00.001-04:00

I made some awesome spinach to bring to work with me tonight. Nom!
Recipe to comte later.

French toast, grilled cheese style.

2011-03-09T12:54:00.001-05:00

Between pancakes and waffles, I choose french toast. Seen here with layered with gruyere and fresh basil, with a little pat of butter and homemade basil infused syrup. This would also be good with either bacon or prosciutto for a salty accompaniment.

More, please.

Fat Tuesday, Louisville style.

2011-03-09T12:01:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so I don't do the whole Mardi Gras thing, even though I dearly love New Orleans. It's like how I feel about the Derby here in Louisville. Thank you for bringing in revenue, but go home now. Nevertheless, I wanted to try my hand at making some beautiful NOLA food stuffs. Everyone makes gumbo and jambalaya. I set out to make something a little trickier (and tastier!) Follow me on my trip through my Big Easy kitchen.

It started with ripened campari tomatoes. Washed, halved, drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne and slowly roasted in the oven for a good two hours. Or until my house smelled like I had died and gone to farm fresh heaven. I let them cool a good while whilst I made a hearty broth of...

Fresh shrimp tails and shells, lemon slices, some celery stalks, thyme, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns.

Cayenne, salt, and pepper coated the shrimp as they rested in the fridge to await their final destination.

I threw these babies in the blender for a few quick pulses, then added them with some Worcestershire and hot sauce to a gravy of cayenne, paprika, garlic, oregano, thyme, sauteed onions, celery and sweet peppers, and the homemade shrimp stock. After simmering for a good 20-25 minutes, I tossed in the well coated shrimp and some chopped scallions and let cook for about 10 more minutes, until the little shellfish were super happy.

Served over Louisiana boiled rice. Gomph!

Parmesan herb biscuits with watercress butter.

2011-03-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

Not sure if it's the southern woman in me or what, but I have such an obsession with biscuits...it's quite ridiculous. Mostly I bake them to use as a spoon for the molasses and butter I usually mix together. Biscuits are not restricted to breakfast in this house. I have started to play around with more savory aspects to the normal buttery version I love- Cheddar, sunflower seed, bacon.

For this recipe, however, I kept it simple to highlight the spread I really wanted to try. I used shortening instead of my usual butter for the dough, along with oregano, basil and garlic powder (actual garlic I think would have become bitter and overpowered the entire biscuit.) After rolling them out, I brushed on a bit of melted butter and topped with shredded fresh parmesan reggiano. I cut into the dough triangles, resembling scones. That lovely dollop of nummy green goodness is the watercress spread that I couldn't wait to make earlier in the day! It's incredibly simple, but OHSOGOOD, and can be used for anything. I have tuna in the freezer I want to spread it on later this week. Basically, the watercress-washed and separated from the bigger stems-I sauteed in pan with unsalted butter to soften. I then pureed the cooled cooked leaves in the processor with a bit of heavy cream and a pinch of salt to bring out the natural flavor of he watercress. This action pulls the moisture from the greens, so I drained that and chilled the remainder. That's it. I can't wait to spread this on everything!

5 ingredient breakfast.

2011-03-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

Rice, coconut milk, fresh grated ginger, brown sugar and salted sunflower kernals.

Baconator.

2011-03-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

Everything has bacon on it now. It's amazing how something so awfully terrible for you has become such a fad. I don't care. I am old and cannot rebel this one. A number of bakeries now have the ever so lovely maple bacon donuts. Unfortunately with early morning bakery hours, my late ass can never make it there before they close. And honestly, this seems more like a late night treat than a first light breakfast item-especially if you feel the need to add a bit of the booze to them.

That being said, I concocted my own maple bacon cupcakes. I use the King Arthur cake recipe, but used maple syrup instead of vanilla and almond extract. I also decided on the Greek Gods honey flavored yogurt instead of plain. That stuff is divine, literally. For the frosting, a simple cream cheese, but with a "couple" tablespoons of bourbon and about a 1/4 cup of syrup again. I cooked the bacon in the oven, half with brown sugar to candy. I couldn't fight the urge to keep trying the frosting with the crumbled bacon bits before the cakes were done! That childhood licking-the-beaters thing never went away!

Nom.

Egg Sammich.

2011-02-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

...and of course Wednesdays are filled with Top Chef marathons that last up until the new episode. This means I can't just fill my stomach with Pop Tarts for breakfast, and I lovelovelove Pop Tarts. A very simple, but oh so tasty egg sandwich hovered in my brain. Off to the kitchen!

Garlic & oregano toasted hoagie roll....

Sweet mini pepper, thinly sliced honey ham and eggs topped with campari tomatoes.

A little romaine and cilantro....

Voila!

Gone in 60 seconds...

Mark it 8, dude.

2011-02-19T10:07:00.001-05:00

The oldest lady went to her dad's this weekend to celebrate her birthday. It's just me, the man and the little lady. I really wanted to bring back the feeling of Friday nights. It occurred to me that they left a while back! Movie night it became! I am still not in the mood for horror flicks. This happened to me when the oldest was born. We still haven't seen the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch it with a two month old. We decided on the Coen Brothers classic, The Big Lebowski. But first...SNACKS! I still had an avocado left from earlier this week when I mussed up the chicken soup the man loves so much and couldn't put it's green buttery goodness to work. Also living in the fridge was half a container of lovely campari tomatoes, almost an entire bunch of cilantro awaiting over-ripeness, a new mega container of sour cream (I am an addict from waaaaaaaaaaaay back) and several limes in the fruit basket that were beggin' for a good squeezin'. Plus, two pounds of tortilla strips that need to be eaten before they turn into flattened bits o' cardboard. What else to make but a trio of salsas....

I knew I wanted to make a spicy tomato strawberry, a creamy avocado and a sweet pepper black bean dip...

Oh yeah....a blender makes an appearance!

I sauteed sweet peppers and tomatillos in olive oil, salt and pepper. Into the blender they went with black beans, garlic, lime, dried oregano, a little Chalula and fresh cilantro.

Blender cleaned, and ready for strawberries, camparis and two thai chilis, which I pulsed a few times. I like a bit of chunk in my salsa, and I didn't want to overpulverize the strawberries. I added organic white corn kernels, lime, salt, pepper, scallions and a few cilantro leaves for garnish.

Blender cleaned yet again...the creamy rendition of the night's salsa variety consisted of (1) avocado (2) sour cream (3) lime (4) cilantro....YUM!!!

All together we have the delectable dippin' trinity!!!

Time for the Dude, Walter and Donnie....

Miss Lady Girl had her own food to chomp on for the night! An awesome green bean courtesy of Under the Nile.

I'd say, a happy Friday night indeed!!!

Breakfast!

2011-02-19T09:25:00.000-05:00

The Costco saga continues!!! I bought two ten pound bags of flour and a massive amount of dried cranberries...thus urging my post pregnancy ass to bake more than I should. Meh. Anyhow, my belly craved scones! I did my best to balance the carb overload with some protein. That's good, right???? (mmmm......butter.)

Cranberry scones & spinach scrambled eggs with what else??? GOAT CHEESE!

Angus bhurgher.

2011-02-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yesterday, on the way home from my 400th trip to Target since I was 5 months pregnant I seriously wanted a big ass Angus 3rd pounder, loaded with bacon and cheese and full-bodied indigestion. I don't know what it is about being on the road that makes me crave such evil. I pressed on, forced myself to keep driving towards home. I was certain there was something better for me, that I could make on my own, and feel so much more positive afterward.

As stated before, I am Costco mad. I knew I had a ton of fresh organic spinach and a package of tandoori naan in my kitchen. This is what I conjured.

Spinach Bhaji, topped with goat cheese..

And yes, it was amazing.

Maybe...

2011-02-12T18:01:00.000-05:00

Post number one...

So my second daughter is two months old already, and how is it that I will be 34 on Tuesday? This is me trying like hell to get on a happy peaceful path towards the rest of my life, and show my daughters that we must believe in who we truly are.

I am forever thinking about food. Now that I have a Costco card, recipes are haunting me even more so. Most women dream about spending their extra money on shoes or the spa...I venture towards what and how much new produce I can try!

My mother's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and even though she got to spend it with Tigger and Pooh in Orlando, I thought I would surprise her when she got home with something homemade. This is not a first, as I have always made something for her, whether it be an illustration, portrait, homemade books or a simple poem. This time I brought together lots of fresh flavors and pour them into four different soups. I sent the husband out to get some mason jars and delivered my mother (1) creamy gazpacho (2) parsnip and butternut squash bisque (3) curried carrot and sweet potato puree and (4) chilled avocado soup.

In these pictures:

numbers 2 and 1

Happy Birthday Mom!