Let me start by saying: I could eat this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or brinner. Or brunch.
It’s what you might call a “crossover” meal, as anything with a fried egg can be deemed breakfast OR dinner, at least in my book. (And I’m sure many of you, dear readers, agree).
It’s savory. It’s comforting. It’s satisfying. It’s a big bowl of simple ingredients put together to make something truly special—something worth waking up on Sunday morning just to make. (more…)
As the first months of our marriage go by, Doug and I seem to be eating more and more classic Mexican food each week. And it’s not just because Doug has developed what seems to be an endless affinity for the stuff (when we first met 4 years ago, Doug hated Mexican food because he had never had the real deal; now he requests tacos at least once a week). It’s also because I never grow tired of cooking it and sharing it with folks who have never experienced the pleasures of simple, traditional dishes made in homes around Mexico. And recently I got to cook this homey Mexican dish for my longtime friend and neighbor, Matt. (Thanks for stopping by, boy!)
Sopa seca, aka dry soup aka Mexican Noodle Casserole, is something that I’ve mentioned on this blog before. I made it in culinary school once, but this was the first time I’ve had a chance to make it at home, and WOW! I love this version from Saveur. Sopa seca is like the (spicy) Mexican version of noodle soup—it’s filling, comforting, and good for the soul. There’s no meat in it, but you won’t miss it—at least I know we didn’t, and that’s saying something. (more…)
In a house with four children (me + my triplet brother and sisters), my mom was always looking for new ways to 1) feed her children to satiety quickly (we all tend to get VERY grumpy when we need to eat. My sister Paige calls it hangry. Hungry + Angry = Hangry.), and 2) get us all the nutrients we needed to get through our mad rush of daily activities, from swimming to baseball to student council.
As a classic Southern woman in the vein of Paula Deen—minus the Southern drawl—my mom often turned to hearty one-pot casseroles to feed our family of 6. To this day, I still wax nostalgic about my mom’s casseroles, in particular her Broccoli-Cheese Casserole and her Chicken Tetrazzini, which I already updated here. So when I saw a post on Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole on my gal Jessica’s blog, Dishin’ About Nutrition, I knew I had to make my own version!
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has gotten very popular in the past few years, and Doug and I have most definitely jumped on the bandwagon. Quinoa looks like a grain, but it’s actually an ancient tiny seed that the Incas used to eat as a primary form of nutrition. Quinoa, unlike wheat or rice, is a COMPLETE protein, which means not only does it have a lot of protein, but it’s also a balanced source of essential amino acids. And, it’s gluten free! You cook quinoa in the exact same way as rice (2 parts water to 1 part quinoa), except you give it a little rinse first.
Quinoa tastes like a nuttier, more delicious version of rice, at least in my opinion. I like to buy it in bulk bags at Sam’s Club or Costco, but you can most definitely find it in well-stocked supermarkets and specialty markets. I like to substitute it for rice in many recipes, this one included. As a nutritional powerhouse, quinoa supplies many of our needed vitamins and minerals, so it’s great for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. (more…)
As I shopped the mountains of fresh produce at Findlay Market during my weekly visit, I came across cute little baskets filled with a variety of sweet and hot peppers for only $2. Doug and I can never seem to get enough chile in our lives, so I knew the little box of peppers wouldn’t go to waste.
With the last days of winter most definitely upon us (it’s gonna be 60 here in Cincinnati for the rest of the week!), I realized it was time for one last batch of chili, and I really wanted to come up with a new version to try and beat my all-time favorite chili recipe, my Pumpkin-Turkey Chili—and I think I might have done it! (more…)
I didn’t really spend much time at my third-floor apartment this summer. And with Doug’s grill out of commission, I’d been dying to put my grilling skills to good use. Just as I started to think my grilling know-how was getting rusty, I landed at my parents’ house in Kentucky and saw a gleaming new grill staring back at me.
Why had my parents gotten a new grill, you ask? No, it wasn’t because the old one had gotten rusty. Or because my dad felt the need to upgrade to the newest model. Nope, the reason we got a new grill is:
My mom blew up the old one!
Mom, being the great woman that she is, offered to make my friend Rae and I dinner a few months back. She put her beautifully butterflied chicken on the grill, set a brick on it, and closed the lid—completely forgetting to the the dials down from smoking hot to medium low. The long-term smoldering heat of the 500-degree grill blackened the chicken and melted the grill grates, ruining the grill altogether.
Of course, Mom being Mom, she still served us the chicken, suggesting that we just remove the skin before eating. You gotta love her 
Well, this isn’t a post about burnt chicken, but it is a post about the brand-spanking new grill that came out of that culinary meltdown. I went nuts cooking everything I possibly could on during my weekend home a few weeks ago: lemon-scented salmon with basil-walnut pesto; peppers, onions and sausages for Italian dogs; corn on the cob; and last, but not least, these Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella stacks.
Every component of these yummy stacks is done on the grill, and then they’re assembled grill-side for easy entertaining. (more…)
The past couple of weeks have been a little rough. Or a lot, depending on how you look at it. I’m preparing to leave my beloved Chicago and start a new life with Doug in Cincinnati, and what I thought was going to be an easy task turned out to be very a difficult one—apparently it’s really hard to find a suitable place to rent in Cincinnati! And when we finally found two that we wanted, one seller decided to pull his place off the market altogether because he was freaked out about having to move out by October 1st (yeah, what?), and the other one gave the place he told us we could have to someone who offered a $1,000 pet deposit. Well, the saying is true: Money talks. Doug and I were both pretty heartbroken, as the historic home of our (well, mine) dreams in the Mansion Hill/Newport district fell through our fingers. *Sigh*
With Doug in Chicago and the rest of my family in Michigan, I poured my sorrows into jams and jellies and wedding planning at my parent’s home in Kentucky. I ordered in pizza and canned jam until midnight, trying to boil away my frustration. If there’s one good thing that came out of it, it’s that I’ve definitely taken a big step forward toward becoming a jelly-making master.
Over the weekend I made six batches of jam, and I made two more the weekend before, so I’m getting close to having 50 jars in 5 flavors: Blackberry Jelly, Blueberry-Citrus Jam, Peach Jam, Strawberry-Lemon Marmalade, and Black Raspberry Pluot Jelly (made from a Black Raspberry Pluot, not black raspberries and pluots). My wedding favor stock is piling up!
(Yes, I’m that crazy girl who’s making and canning her wedding favors.)
The point of all this is: when the going gets tough, we often turn to food to make us feel better. And since food isn’t as great for our waistlines as it is for our souls (I’ve been trying to keep this in mind with wedding coming up—10 lb to go!), it’s always nice to have a healthy comfort food to turn to in our time of need.
With fall—my favorite season—just around the corner, I’ve been dying to start making soups again, and this Fennel and Zucchini Soup with Warm Tomato Relish fit the bill perfectly for late summer produce. A snap to make, this unique vegetable soup ends up being creamy without the use of any cream whatsoever. The fennel, onions and zucchini melt into each other when they’re pureed, the anise flavor of the fennel mellowing and the onions adding sweetness. The tomatoes and fresh fennel fronds are not only vibrant and colorful, they also give the soup—and your palate—a nice tart zing. (more…)
Caprese salad is my go-to quick weeknight (or weekend) appetizer, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak (we’re finally getting there, kids!). (more…)
First and foremost, let’s get to the winner of my homemade jam giveaway! I chose the winner using the True Random Number Generator on www.random.org. And the winner is …
When I don’t have class three nights a week from 6:30 to 11 p.m. (rough, I know), I like to invite a few of my lady friends over for weeknight dinner parties. I love these dinner parties not only because I get to catch up with my girlfriends, but also because I get to try out (or make up) recipes I wouldn’t get a chance to make otherwise.
After college I spent three tumultuous years in Philadelphia—I partied like a rock star, drank like a fish, and ate like I was living in hog heaven. It was like going to college without the homework, and my friends and I spent many a work morning battling hangovers in our cubicles, slamming cups of below-grade office java to force our eyes open.
