What's For Dinner?

Lift the Fog

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My grandma loved eggplant.

When I say “loved eggplant” I mean that she loved to eat it, cook it, collect tchotchkes that either were or featured eggplants. In fact, I have one of her eggplants, a beautiful covered dish

Anyone who claimed to not like eggplant would get one line, and one line only: You THINK you don’t like eggplant. But, have you tried MY eggplant? Many times, people who thought they didn’t like eggplant, did indeed like hers. She had this amazing recipe for chopped eggplant that I still need to get, or try to recreate.

What’s my point? Well, I think I’ve inherited her love for eggplant. I like it curried. I like it baked, broiled, grilled, chopped and stir-fried, or roasted on a sandwich. I’m really grateful for this love of eggplant because it enabled me to create tonight’s amazing dish.

Something else you should know: I don’t think I knew what a casserole was until I was about 12 and my mom made (for the first time that I vividly remember) the Neapolitan Casserole that I love. I don’t know that I had a tuna casserole until I made it, and I hadn’t even thought to make one until I really started cooking a few years ago. Now though, I adore casseroles. I love using ONE pan and having a delicious meal come out of the oven about an hour later. They don’t photograph well, but most of the time they taste absolutely amazing.

This whole not eating flour thing has made me really miss pasta, and my love for eggplant (and a couple of friends suggestions) reminded me that I could make a lasagna with sliced eggplant instead of noodles. Originally I was going to do a roll-up kind of thing, but I was too hungry and impatient for all that prep. This prep was simple.

I sliced 3/4 of a medium eggplant into thin-ish slices. They were then quickly baked in a 400* oven (about 10 minutes) until softer and lightly browned, and more importantly, I could see the seeds.

In a bowl, while this was baking, I mixed a 15 oz. container of 2% ricotta cheese with 1 egg and 1/4 c. of mozzarella cheese. A sprinkle of garlic powder (about a tsp) and a sprinkle of oregano (about 1/2 tsp) went in and I stirred it well. Then I started with the layering.

The order was this: eggplant, cheese, leftover sauce from the other night, eggplant, cheese, sauce, plain shredded mozzarella. It baked for about 30 minutes at 400 until it was bubbly, the cheese was melted, and the house smelled good. The final result?

Ok, that doesn’t look all that appetizing. To be honest I couldn’t get a decent picture of one piece of it because it was kind of monochromatic, but I assure you, the flavors of the eggplant, the peppers in the sauce, the garlic in the cheese, and the salty mozzarella melded together for a lasagna-type party!

I was in a lovely mood this afternoon even though my school day was exhausting because it was almost 60 degrees and sunny, and the grass is green, and the sun has that warmth to it that only happens in the spring…

Little remnants of winter still remain, the mounds of snow will likely cause fog in the morning, but the fog in my head seems to be lifting. I’m happier more than I’m sad, and wide awake more than I’m tired which is a sure sign of good things to come!

Technorati Tags: cheese, dinner, eggplant, food, Italian, sauce, simple recipe, vegetarian

13 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, March 10th 2010 | Tags: cheese, dinner, eggplant, food, Italian, sauce, simple recipe, vegetarian
Posted in Italian, simple recipe, vegetarian

Veggies and Clouds

Have I told you all lately how much I love Trader Joe’s? I’ve discovered that on certain days, the fastest route home from work passes right by the Trader Joe’s, so I stop. I stocked up today on raw almond snack packs (the extra plastic for the wrappers is worth it for the portion control!), crunchy almond butter, some frozen veggies, chicken sausages, and some other various random food items to fill in the holes from yesterday’s shopping trip.

I came home all excited to make a recent favorite recipe even better! Ok, better isn’t the right word because well, the tomato sauce with butter and onions is hard to bead, but I felt the need to doctor it up and make it a bit heartier.

The basic recipe, in case you forgot:

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can
5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

I added to the pot one bag of TJ’s “Melange a Trois” tri-colored peppers, and let it simmer all together, stirring occasionally until the peppers started to fall apart and the onion was just about mush. In a separate pan, I sauteed 2 links of TJ’s Sweet Pesto Chicken Sausage with a chopped up zucchini and about 6 sliced mushrooms. Then, I served the sauce and sausage mixture atop a twice-roasted spaghetti squash half. I roasted a spaghetti squash yesterday, and only used half, so today, I threw the remaining half back in the oven and let it kind of caramelize while the sauce cooked. It added a depth of flavor that was really delicious… I’ll have to start double-roasting it all the time now!

After dinner, for some strange reason, I had the desire to bake. I’m NOT a great baker, as I’ve said many times before, but sometimes I like doing it. It also gives me an excuse to use my stand mixer! Today I felt like meringues. Well, to be honest, I wanted lemon meringue pie, but since I didn’t have the stuff to make lemon curd, I settled for making some coconut meringue cookies.

I looked up a few recipes, and got the general idea of how it’s done, and then decided to just wing it. I needed sugar free, I wanted coconut, I had eggs… so I went for it.

Coconut Cloud Cookies

Makes about 16

Ingredients

5 egg whites, brought to room temperature

4 packets Splenda (feel free to substitute with 1/4 c. sugar)

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

Make sure your bowl, beaters, and any surfaces are completely oil free. Pre-heat the oven to 200*. Add the egg whites to a mixer bowl and beat on medium heat until soft peaks form. Add the Splenda (or sugar) slowly, and beat until whites hold firm peaks. Fold in the coconut, and then either pipe or spoon onto a parchment lined (or not) baking pan, and bake until lightly browned, dry and move easily off the pan.

These hit that spot… you know, the “I want something sweet but not that sweet” spot. And they’re crunchy. And not terrible for me!

I got another anonymous question today after tweeting about how yesterday’s post must’ve been boring. It wasn’t so much a question as yet another rude statement about how my blog “used to be great” and now is “boring” and all I do is sell stuff you could get at “bed bath and beyond.” So please, lovely readers, be honest with me… have I gotten boring? Am I stale in my “old age”? What do you want to see more of? Less of?

In a non Bed Bath & Beyond area, there’s an incredibly great deal coming on Wednesday morning from the EnviTote people… they want to hook you up, so if you’ve been wanting an EnviTote but holding off? Wednesday is your day! Trust me… the rest of the info will come tomorrow!

Technorati Tags: Baking, cookies, OpenSky, pasta, simple recipe, twitter, vegetables, vegetarian

19 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, March 8th 2010 | Tags: Baking, cookies, OpenSky, pasta, simple recipe, twitter, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in Baking, chicken/turkey, simple recipe, vegetarian

Chicago Style

What a random food day I had today… I mean, I ate weird stuff at weird times and then topped it off with a somewhat weird dinner. Breakfast was leftover roast chicken, then a couple hours later a lovely green monster with spinach, milk, nut butter, flax, mango, blueberries, and chia seeds. I went and spent my Valentine’s Day gift certificate from Adam today on a glorious manicure and pedicure…the toes are red and the fingers are purple!

Lunch was late (like 3 p.m.) when Adam and I decided to go to a local hot dog stand for some Chicago-style dogs. We had hot dogs from this place as a “midnight snack” at our wedding, and haven’t had them since, so we thought “what the heck” and went for it.

Now, do any of you know what goes on a standard Chicago hot dog? And, more importantly, what doesn’t?

These ingredients are what are traditionally included on a Chicago dog, and can be added or eliminated to the diner’s taste. HOWEVER, there is NEVER ketchup on a Chicago hot dog. Ever. Why are Chicago hot dogs so “doctored up”? Well, back in the depression era, hot dogs were a convenient and inexpensive way for people to have a complete meal in a time where fresh produce was limited. Because of the variety of vegetables on the dog, it’s said to be “dragged through the garden.” There, your Chicago history lesson for the day.

My hot dog this afternoon had onions, relish, mustard, and sport peppers on it, and it was FAN FREAKING TASTIC. I could’ve eaten a few more, but limited myself to one. What it did do though, was leave me wanting more vegetables. We hit up the produce market and stocked up, and a few hours later, I was chopping and roasting and spiralizing! I won a spiralizer from Sophia’s giveaway, and let’s just say, I’m quite obsessed. I forgot to take a picture of my spiralized zucchini, but I got a picture of the carrot I shredded the other day

Tonight, I sauteed together some mushrooms, an orange bell pepper, some garlic, and spinach, roasted a spaghetti squash, spiralized some zucchini and started assembling. I wanted to use some of this sauce from Bertolli and FoodBuzz’s Tastemaker Program

The bottom of my large bowl was filled with spiralized zucchini and spaghetti squash, then topped with my mushroom/pepper/spinach mixture, then the whole thing was topped with some of this creamy sauce. While it wasn’t something I’d normally buy, the flavor was very nostalgically tomato. Adam likened it to a gourmet and creamy version of the sauce on Spaghetti-Os. My bowl, while not pretty, was delicious. Thanks Bertolli and FoodBuzz!

Tonight, Adam and I are two of probably 10 people not watching the Oscars, so we’re enjoying cartoon reruns and dark chocolate. Tomorrow’s a busy day, as its the beginning of a new term, so I get to meet 120 new kids tomorrow throughout the day.

Have a great Monday!

Technorati Tags: Chicago dining, dinner, food, fun, vegetables, vegetarian

10 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, March 7th 2010 | Tags: Chicago dining, dinner, food, fun, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in vegetarian

A Gin(a)ious

Sometimes, I’ll be reading a food blog (you know, one of the hundreds I subscribe to) and I’ll see some random food combination or recipe and think “Really? What the heck was she thinking?” And it’s always the girls, right Matt? The guys always do “normal” combos, and us girls? Sometimes, I just don’t know…

Then sometimes, there’s something I think is weird the first time I see it, and then it sticks in my brain. It’s like a peanut butter smear that just won’t go away. I ponder, and think, and revisit posts dozens of times… and then I ask the author for specifics about that recipe or combo. And then I think on it some more. And then I find myself in the aisle of the grocery store that happens to have 90% of the ingredients I need, and I decide to go for it.

And you’re thinking now “Whattheheckisshetalkingaboutnow?” Yeah, I can read your mind from here OOOOoooooOOOOHhhhhhhhh….

I’m talking about Gina’s raw cauliflower sushi rice. I saw it months ago when she was in culinary school at 108 Degrees, and it stuck in my head. I know it’s not her recipe per se, but she’s the one I associate with it. I asked her today if there was a recipe or to just go with the ingredients til they taste right, she said to go by taste, and so I went. Mostly because well, with this whole “not eating grains or many carbs” Paleo diet thing, the thing I miss the most is definitely sushi.

In my food processor went a small head of raw cauliflower, which I pulsed until it vaguely resembled rice. Then I transferred it to a bowl and seasoned it with about 1/4 c. rice vinegar, one packet of Splenda (SHAMEFUL ha right), salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder. Then I tried my hand for the first time at rolling my own sushi rolls.

Not bad for my first time, eh? Adam and I got all these sushi sets as engagement presents (seriously, 3 of them) and they’ve just been sitting there, so I figured I’d break them out. These lovely raw rolls are filled with avocado, organic Persian cucumber sticks, and some (definitely not raw) canned crabmeat.

Gina my dear, you are a freaking genius. Absolutely GENIUS! Do you all get the title now??

I ate 2 rolls like the one pictured, then stirred the leftover ingredients together into a salad of sorts with a bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. I have this feeling that I’ll be buying a lot more cauliflower now, and Adam, I apologize… you do have to sleep in the same room as me…

I purchased something new to eat with my sushi, and since I don’t have very many “this is my hand holding something I ate today” photos, I figured I’d start with my lovely Japanese wasabi paste. It was $2 and the hottest wasabi I’ve ever had!

And I’m finishing my meal off with a piece of this remarkable $1 Polish dark chocolate I get from our ethnic market. It’s better than any non-gourmet dark chocolate I’ve ever had, and better than most gourmet ones too!

I’m making some turkey burgers for Adam and for lunch tomorrow, so my cooking isn’t over yet… and I’m taking the first step of tackling Mount Clothesmore in our second bedroom tomorrow. I’ve been putting it off for 3 years and I just have to DO it. Please reassure me I don’t need the stuff I haven’t worn since I moved??

A couple of reminders for you:

Don’t forget to vote in the Cuteiversary Contest! Check out the entries on the last Cute Food Saturday post, then vote in the poll on the right hand side of the blog.
Go shopping! The 50% off sale on the oil and vinegar set only lasts until next Wednesday!
Enter Ashley’s Blogiversary contest!

Have a great Thursday all!

Technorati Tags: Asian, dinner, friends, fun, sushi, vegetarian

32 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, March 3rd 2010 | Tags: Asian, dinner, friends, fun, sushi, vegetarian
Posted in Asian, friends, vegetarian

Conquering Fears

Ever since I was in high school, I’ve had a fear of Indian food. I wish I could say it was inexplicable, but that’s not the case at all. My reasoning is quite shameful, actually, and I hesitated sharing it with you all on my blog… but heck, I shared my weight stats with you, so why not a shameful thing from my past?

See, where I went to high school (Niles North, GO VIKINGS!) was an extremely diverse place. When I say extremely, I mean EXTREMELY. There were over 45 languages spoken, and opening the pages of our yearbook was like looking at the United Nations. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have this diversity in my life until I went to college in a very white-bread town.

Anyway, back to why Indian food scared me. There were these groups of Indian boys at my high school… not the put-together, fairly Americanized Indian boys, but recently emigrated and fairly socially awkward Indian boys. These boys, no matter what year they were in school, walked in straight lines across the hallway and frequently reeked of day-old Indian food and lack of deodorant. (I told you this was shameful). I was terrified that if I ate Indian food, I would also smell of this B.O. and old curry… I know, it’s terrible and closed-minded of me, and once I met Adam, he convinced me to “just try it.” Try it I did, and I now LOVE the stuff! I can’t believe I lived my life without chicken tikka, naan, roti, dal… sigh…

More recently, thanks to the lovely Gina and Rose, I’ve been encouraged to try more adventurous dishes like Channa Masala and Baigan Bharta. I’ve recently fallen in love with Gina’s favorite, baigan bharta, and my habit has been getting expensive. I scoured the internet for the most authentic recipe I could find, and found one that fit the bill…and then, in typical Mara form, I mucked with it. What I got was a deliciously spicy, amazingly delicious, decadently creamy dish that will certainly help me save with my eating out bills!

Baigan Bharta from a former Indian Food-o-phobe

(Inspired by this recipe from AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 c. peas

1 tsp. whole cumin seeds

2 tsp. garlic paste

2 tsp. ginger paste

1 jalapeño pepper, diced (de-ribbed and de-seeded if you want less spice)

2 Tbsp. oil (I used olive)

4 oz. plain yogurt

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

juice of half a lemon

salt to taste

1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place your eggplant on a cookie sheet, poke with a fork for ventilation, and roast until skin is dark and eggplant is tender, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool until handleable. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan (I used a 2.5 qt) with the oil. Add the cumin seeds and onion, and cook until onions are translucent. Then, add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, jalapeño, curry, garam masala, and stir well, allowing to cook a few minutes. Then, halve the eggplant and scrape the flesh into the pot, breaking it up with your stirring spoon. Add the peas and yogurt, cover and cook on HIGH HEAT for about 10 minutes. Stir well, then cook covered another 10 minutes. This allows the veggies to caramelize a bit. Uncover and simmer on LOW heat for 5 minutes, then add the lemon juice. Stir well, and serve, topping with the cilantro.

Please enjoy some obsessive photos I took of this dish:

Enough of that… I just love my camera and new editing software so much! There were 9 other photos I chose not to share.

A few things to note: The yogurt is completely and totally optional. I added it because it was my first time making this dish, but next time, I may halve the amount, or omit it altogether. Also, my curry powder was a bit “off”. I think the main reasons are that a) it’s a bit old and b) it’s from Target. I need a more authentic and less sweet-tasting curry powder for the next time I make this. The whole cumin seeds were found in the Mexican spice section for a whopping $0.99 for a fairly large bag. And, most importantly, I don’t stink!

Luckily, by graduation, those Indian boys had discovered deodorant and cologne, and no longer graced my nostrils with the smell of something I hoped I’d never smell like… and now, years later, I can appreciate the labor of love that went into the food that caused that smell, and I feel terribly guilty for ever thinking the way I did!

I’ll share the chili recipe I promised tomorrow… I just had to share this with you tonight! There’s fun OpenSky stuff too! Get excited!

Last but not least, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZZ!!!!!!

Technorati Tags: Indian, vegetables, vegetarian

29 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, March 1st 2010 | Tags: Indian, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in vegetarian

Simple Genius

I’m a skeptic when it comes to super simple recipes.

Wait, what do you mean I don’t have to open 5 spice jars and chiffonade a bundle of basil? You mean I don’t have to chop a dozen onions, grate a pound of carrots, and roast something for two hours? The resounding answer is YES.

Sometimes a good recipe takes 3 ingredients and a little bit of time, like what I made tonight. I saw this on HEAB’s blog today, and immediately clicked the link and discovered I only needed one thing to make this for dinner. What is this glorious thing? A simple tomato sauce as posted by Smitten Kitchen and adapted from Marcela Hazan. When I saw Marcela’s name attached to this recipe, I knew it had to be good. She’s never let me down!

The recipe:

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can
5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

That’s it. I served mine atop half a roasted spaghetti squash, scooped out, and some sauteed mushrooms with a link of leftover sausage from last night. Please excuse the multitude of photos, as I was having fun with the new camera!

This was comfort food at its finest, and would’ve been great eaten with a spoon rather than on anything. There’s something delicate and yet still rich about this sauce, and I really can’t put my finger on it, but Julia Child was right: there’s something about butter!

Don’t forget to enter to win the amazing Organic Coconut Peanut Butter with a comment on yesterday’s post! Winner will be announced tomorrow night.

I wanted, also, to thank you all for your compliments on my openness and honesty with my “Ask Me Anything” questions. While there may be times I’ll post something cheery when I’m feeling anything but, 99% of the time, what you get on here is all me. I’m lucky enough to have truly supportive readers, and I’m grateful every day that I don’t have to field cruel comments… but if that day ever comes, you can rest assured that those commenters will be taken care of. Years of teaching have helped me grow a much thicker skin than I ever thought I’d have! So thank you all for reading, commenting, and supporting this little blog of mine.

Technorati Tags: dinner, giveaway, Italian, pasta, sauce, simple recipe, thank you, vegetarian

20 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, February 18th 2010 | Tags: dinner, giveaway, Italian, pasta, sauce, simple recipe, thank you, vegetarian
Posted in Italian, giveaway, simple recipe, vegetarian

Do You Fondue?

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all had a wonderful day, whether attached or not… After being surprised with a mani/pedi from one of my favorite spas, Adam and I spent a relaxing day at the public library and doing our taxes, and then got going on tonight’s special romantic meal.

It’s such a stereotype: the newlywed couple spends their first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife over a lovely slow meal of fondue… and it’s a stereotype Adam and I were thrilled to indulge in!

When we were first together (Winter 2004-2005), I used to make us pots of cheese fondue for dinner. We’d go through a good 2 loaves of French bread, and probably 2 lbs. of cheese over the course of a night. Things have certainly changed, though my fondue recipe hasn’t! We so rarely indulge in food such as cheese fondue, so we figured Valentine’s Day was the perfect opportunity.

Adam cut up some fluffy French bread:

and a crisp Fuji apple:

as I stood at the stove and made my favorite cheddar-beer fondue. I asked around about what I should make, Cheddar or Swiss fondue, and while the response was overwhelming towards Swiss cheese, I just couldn’t do it. The intent of staying in on V-Day was to save money… and spending $30 on enough cheese and liquor for white cheese fondue defeated that purpose! Instead, I went with Cheddar. For those of you without a fondue pot, never fear! A small sauce pot and hot plate work just fine. In fact, this is the first fondue set I’ve ever had!

The process and recipe is easy, as taught to me by my mom:

Ingredients

14 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 12 oz. bottle dark beer (I used Negro Modelo)

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. olive oil

flour for dusting

Directions

Grate 14 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese. Dust lightly with flour. Set aside. Heat the olive oil and garlic in your fondue pot (or other pot). Add mustard and stir well until lightly browned. Add the bottle of beer and cook until reduced by about 1/4. Whisk in handfuls of the floured cheese, stirring until fully melted. Add handful by handful until all the cheese is added and the fondue is thick. Simmer on low heat a few minutes. Transfer to your fondue burner (or hot plate) and enjoy!

Originally, this was going to be a two-course fondue meal with a meat/seafood cooked in broth course… but we got too full! (Don’t forget to SpringPad the fondue recipe!)

We finished off the carbo-loading meal with decadent chocolate lava cakes from Jenn! She was kind enough to get us a kit with ramekins and the mix as a wedding gift, and we’ve been saving it since! I had every intent of doing the double dessert thing I spoke of yesterday in Cute Food Saturday, but we both wanted chocolate… so chocolate we had!

These were supposed to be inverted onto a plate and served out of the ramekin… but this is what happened when I did one of them:

Big gooey chocolatey mess… with a curved divot in it from where the ramekin fell. It was still amazingly decadent and delicious, and I now feel like I have a brick in my stomach. I think I’m going to have some tea while we watch a movie… there’s cool stuff coming to our house this week that I’m SUPER excited for, but I’ll save the surprises. You may have noticed the OpenSky picture in my sidebar…that picture will bring you RIGHT to my shop, where you can buy all sorts of amazing kitchen goodies. Check them out!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Technorati Tags: Baking, cheese, dessert, family recipe, fondue, holiday, simple, simple recipe, vegetarian

17 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, February 14th 2010 | Tags: Baking, cheese, dessert, family recipe, fondue, holiday, simple, simple recipe, vegetarian
Posted in Baking, family recipe, simple recipe, vegetarian

Just Call Me HEAB…

Apparently, this is what happens. First come the combinations with the squash and coconut milk. Then come almond flour pancakes for breakfast, then comes this:

What the heck is that? Apparently I’m taking after HEABy! Well, the toppings are obvious: homemade guacamole and sour cream. Under that, there’s some chili-lime chicken. Then, a little cheddar cheese. All of this is sitting on a warm spinach, mushroom, and tomato salsa. Where the heck did this idea come from??? Honestly, I have no idea. I really have no recipe for any of this stuff, but more of a procedure for each of the parts.

Part 1: Guacamole Mash 3-4 avocados in a bowl, add 1/4 c. chopped red onion, one chopped jalapeño, one chopped tomato, some cilantro (I used a bit of dried because the fresh stuff got gross), a little garlic powder, and the juice of two limes. Stir well, and add the pits of the avocados to prevent browning.

Part 2: Chili-Lime Chicken Chop 3 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Add the juice of 3 limes, about 1 Tbsp. chili powder, a bit of garlic powder, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Then stir in one coarsely chopped jalapeño and allow to marinate about 20 minutes. Add chicken to a hot pan, lightly sear all sides, then add 1/2 c. water, lower the heat, and cover. Cook 10 minutes.

Part 3: Warm Mushroom Spinach Salsa Heat another frying pan. Add a bit of olive oil, then about 6 or 7 small white mushrooms, sliced. Cook a few minutes, then add 2 diced roma tomatoes. Cook a couple minutes until juices are released from the mushrooms. Add 2 big handfuls of spinach. Cook until wilted, then add hot sauce to your taste. Stir well and serve.

I liked the layering action happening in this bowl, but of course my favorite part was the guacamole. I could’ve eaten the entire 3-avocado bowl of it, but I want to try to save some for you know, another meal.

Thank you all so much for the compliments on the new ‘do! I’m loving it, and its definitely taking some getting used to. I actually walked past a mirror today and didn’t recognize myself.

I got another anonymous question today! Someone asked:

Are you still following Weight Watchers?

In a word: no. Last spring, I found myself getting obsessive about counting Points, far too emotionally attached to the number on the scale, and would end up crying most Saturday mornings after my meetings. I’d been stuck at the same weight for a long time (almost 3 years). In June or so, we decided to not re-up our Weight Watchers membership and save the $80 a month. Between then and now, I’ve gained back about 15 or 20 lbs depending on the day, and I’m not ok with it. This is why the eats have been looking a bit different.

With the support of my good friend at work as well as our favorite Almond Butter Lover, I’m following the plan touted by Mark’s Daily Apple and others known as the Paleo diet. It’s a higher protein, high vegetables, low-dairy, no-grain, and as-natural-as-possible eating plan. I’ve been following it for almost a week, and am feeling better than I have in quite some time! I’m hoping that eventually, I’ll actually start losing weight again. I always scoffed at the “low carb” eating plans, but I’m starting to think it may be a good thing for me. I’m less hungry now than I was when I was eating tons of grains and starches. Feeling good is almost enough… but I’d like to lose some weight again too without being obsessed about numbers in any way.

Who’s got another one for me??

Don’t forget to vote for Jenn and Bobby in the Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest!

Finally Friday tomorrow!!!!

Technorati Tags: ask me, chicken, dinner, fun, Mexican, simple recipe, vegetarian, weight loss

11 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, February 4th 2010 | Tags: ask me, chicken, dinner, fun, Mexican, simple recipe, vegetarian, weight loss
Posted in Mexican/Latin, chicken/turkey, simple recipe, vegetarian, weight loss

Cow and a Garden

Operation eat more veggies is in full effect! I managed to eat 2 cups of spinach in my eggs this morning, the veggies in my chili this afternoon, and tonight’s dinner was a virtual cavalcade of vegetables.

It was another one of those days where I had no idea what was going to be for dinner because, well, my mind kept changing every few minutes. At 10 a.m, I emailed my friend saying “I’m having steak and roasted brussels sprouts!” Then, when I talked to Adam after work, it was going to be a burger and salads. Then it was going to be steak and salad, then, I went rogue.

I went to our local produce market and just started grabbing stuff: Chinese eggplant, spaghetti squash, baby portabella mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, ground beef, coconut milk… and I still had no idea what I was going to make. On the very short ride home, I decided it was a burger night, but I wanted a new and unique veggie dish to go along with it. New and unique it was!

First I made burgers with:

ground beef
garlic powder
1 egg
parsley flakes
salt & pepper

Then, I started chopping. The Chinese eggplant got peeled and cut into chunks. The red pepper got diced, the mushrooms got sliced, and the spaghetti squash went into the oven to roast at 325 for an hour. When the squash was done, it got dumped into a bowl. Then the recipe started:

Coconut Garden

1 Chinese eggplant, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

6 mini portabella mushrooms (or half a big one) cut into small pieces

1 red pepper, diced

1 small spaghetti squash, roasted and scooped

1 lb raw baby spinach

1/4 c. coconut milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 Tbsp. oil of your choice

S&P to taste

Directions

Heat a large wok, and once hot, add oil. Add the eggplant first and cook a few minutes. When lightly browned, add in the red peppers, then the mushrooms, and allow them to cook until they’ve released their juices. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in squash strings, stir a few times to combine, then lower the heat. Add the coconut milk and curry powder, and stir well. Serve.

I call this Cow and a Garden because, well, I had a burger and a garden full of veggies in a CaliBowl.

This was fantastic, filling, satisfying, and beautiful. The textures of the vegetables mixed so well together, and that little bit of coconut milk was just the treat I wanted. One of the best things? Adam won’t eat it! There’s mushrooms, peppers, AND eggplant, which he hates… more for me! I can’t wait until lunch tomorrow!

I finally got my first anonymous question from my “Ask Me” page! Did you even know it was there? What do you want to know about me? There has to be something…

My first and only question so far:

I love you and Adam together. How did you know he was the one?

Well, Adam and I met in the winter of 2004, and not long after that he had a minor surgery that ended up with complications that left him on disability for almost three months. What does this have to do with anything? I knew that Adam and I had something great going pretty much from day one. He called the morning after our first date, and the rest is history. He had this minor surgery on a Wednesday afternoon, and stayed overnight in the hospital until Thursday. After work Thursday, I headed straight for his house to visit and take care of him (I’d taken Friday off work), and a few hours into me being there, Adam started developing spinal headaches as a side effect from the spinal anesthetic from his surgery. Next thing I knew, I was calling an ambulance to take him to the hospital, and spent the evening in the ER. When he was waiting for the doctor to come in and see him, I looked at him and realized that the worst thing I could imagine was losing him… and that’s when I knew

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Technorati Tags: beef, burger, food, simple recipe, vegetables, vegetarian

13 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, February 1st 2010 | Tags: beef, burger, food, simple recipe, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in beef, simple recipe, vegetarian

Butternut In An OpenSky

*Have you entered to win a $50 shopping spree from iHerb.com yet? What are you waiting for? The lovely folks at iHerb have offered $5 your first purchase when you use the code SIF006*

When I started cooking a few years ago, there were quite a few things that I never thought I’d be able to make. Among those things are: homemade black molé, tamales, tortillas, pasta, and gnocchi. See, I love all those things, and I’m a complete snob when it comes to those things, they have to be fantastic. I just never thought I’d have the skill necessary to make any of them!

I made tortillas last year at one point, and while they were ok, they were definitely not anything to be proud of. I’ve yet to conquer the other dishes, that is, until tonight. Yesterday at the grocery store, butternut squashes were inexpensive, so I got a nice big one (TWSS?) I had every intent of roasting it and using the flesh for something, but I didn’t know what yet. Then, Adam showed me a new game he got on his Nintendo DSi called Personal Trainer: Cooking. It’s not a new game, but new to us.

Anyway, we looked up squash recipes, and low and behold, since the game is from Japan, all the squash recipes featured kabocha (so I thought of a few of you). Since kabocha is sweeter than a butternut squash, I figured that any of those recipes would work for the big butternut sitting on our counter. One in particular caught my eye: squash gnocchi. I had my mind made up. That’s what I’d make tonight.

Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone and cook the recipe as dictated by the nice little chef guy in the game, I had to muck with it. What I did end up with though were sweet, garlicky, peppery, doughy little dumplings which I tossed with sauteed spinach and mushrooms and topped with some parmesan cheese.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash (about 2.5 lbs)

3 c. whole wheat flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

fresh ground pepper

salt

Heat oven to 375*. Cut the squash vertically, clean out seeds and fibers, and roast on a baking pan for about 45 minutes to an hour. When done, allow to cool slightly and scoop the flesh into a large bowl (I used my KA Mixer with the dough hook to do this). Allow to cool 15 minutes. Mix in garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub the thyme between your fingers to break apart, then add to the mixture, stirring gently. Gradually add in the whole wheat flour until the dough comes together and is no longer sticky. At this point, bring a large pot of water to boil. Take handfuls of the dough in lightly floured hands and roll into a log on a lightly floured surface. Cut into bite sized pieces, then drop them into the boiling water. When they float, remove them with a slotted spoon to a colander.

Now, to be completely honest, I think I overworked the dough. It was a bit chewy for my taste, but the flavor was fantastic! I do realize that it’s not that daunting to make gnocchi! I’m totally trying regular potato ones soon.

Now, for the big news. I alluded to this on Twitter earlier, and being the newlywed that I am, everyone assumed my “big news” was that I’m pregnant. MOST DEFINITELY NOT! I do however have an exciting announcement!

Last week, you may have noticed that I focused on many of the gadgets, appliances, and cool things I have going on in our kitchen…heck, I even called it “gadget week”! There was a reason behind this besides just showing off the cool stuff we have. I have decided that, along with many of my blogger friends, I’m opening an OpenSky shop! See, I was always one of those people who said “I wish I could make that but I’m missing (insert gadget or ingredient here)”. I’m hoping that my shop can be the place where you find the elusive gadgets, ingredients, and fun stuff to make your kitchen complete! Right now, I only have 11 items up, but I’ll be adding as I find new ones. I’m looking forward to working with OpenSky…they seem to be the COOLEST company! You can find my shop under What’s For Dinner on OpenSky. I hope to “see” you all there. Feel free to let me know if there are items you’d like to see, and I’ll do my best to get them on there. Happy shopping!

Technorati Tags: cheese, dinner, giveaway, gourmet, Italian, pasta, recipe, simple recipe, vegetables, vegetarian

10 Comments

Mara @ What's For Dinner?, January 25th 2010 | Tags: cheese, dinner, giveaway, gourmet, Italian, pasta, recipe, simple recipe, vegetables, vegetarian
Posted in Italian, contest/giveaway, giveaway, simple recipe, vegetarian

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