Here I Dreamt I Was a Vegetarian

For six years, I have claimed myself a vegetarian, although monthly I would indulge in turkey bacon, and at Thanksgiving I would splurge on some white meat (but no gravy). I cannot, in good conscience, use that phrase as a self-descriptor anymore. First, I fell in love with crab cakes. Then, I began to overindulge in the turkey. What was left after that? Chicken breasts, smothered in barbeque sauce and Big Black Dick and grilled to perfection with the yummy slightly charred, caramelized bits. Then it was over. Halibut and tilapia soon followed, until I was eating meat weekly. This is how it happens. I was so surprised, and I'm still a little ashamed.

But not too ashamed to enjoy chicken quesadillas. I didn't get any purdy pictures (I didn't remember to take them, and taking pictures of un-plated leftovers in tupperware does neither the food nor the cook justice). To see the chicken quesadilla in its spelendor, here is what you need:

1 grilled chicken breast, rubbed/marinated in the style of your choosing and diced
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup cooked corn
1 orange pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 diced tomato
1 jalapeno pepper
2 cups grated MoJack cheese
Tortillas
Sour cream

To create the filling, combine cooked beans and corn with the peppers, cilantro, onion, and tomato. Place 1 tortilla in a pan heated at medium-low to medium heat. Place enough cheese on the tortilla to cover, and sprinkle liberally with the filling and chicken. Cover with another tortilla, and press firmly to get them to stick together. When the bottom tortilla begins to brown, and the cheese melts, flip (using a spatula underneath, and your hand on top). Cook until cheese is thoroughly melted, and both tortillas are slightly browned. Move quesadilla to a plate, let cool for a minute or two, and cut with a pizza cutter. Serve with sour cream. Yum!

Pre-Food: Two more weeks later

The tomatoes are getting a little out of control already and the cucumbers and peas will need a trellis very soon. I'm going to have to (again) boycott my boycott of Home Depot to buy wood to make them. The chives didn't happen - I think I may have planted them too deep - but the green onions are motorin' along. See the wee pepper plant in the front right of the rear garden? That thing continues to be tiny. Granted, it is supposed to produce mini bell peppers, but this is ridiculous.

Dal: Good Eats Style

Courtesy of Alton Brown, this is a super easy and cheap lentil soup, so you can go to Whole Foods and buy that expensive Greek yogurt for the top.
What you'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise (which I couldn't find, so I used just plain ol' black pepper instead)


P.S. That's parsley from my garden. A mosquito bit me in the middle of my forehead on my way out to get it. Finally, I can do my best Brak from This Island Earth impression.

I found the good Italian food in Madison

At the recommendation of a friend who read this post from last year, I have indeed found the most delish Italian food in Madison, and last night I spent part of my 30th birthday there, eating this:
Eggplant caponata. Yum. Tomato sauce, eggplant (obviously), underappreciated celery, olives, garlic, pine nuts, onions, capers and yum. It's served cold and spread over bread and it's muy tasty.

P.S. Yes, I took my camera along to the restaurant and took clandestine pics of my food. I'm not ashamed.

This blog should be called Kitchen Lushery

More drinks involving simple syrup. Mojitos! P.S. I miss you, Flatiron. The catnip does not go in the drink. At least not the first one. If you're making one for the cat, however, feel free to toss a few in!

Tom Collins Mystery Solved!

It was the simple syrup. Thanks to Cocktails on the Fly, we have a fantastic new recipe for a Tom Collins:

• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Equal amount simple syrup as lemon juice
• 2 shots gin
• splash of club soda

She garnishes with a cucumber. I prefer an orange, because I don't like to feel that I'm drinking a salad.

I love June

Pre-Food: Two weeks later

Everything is up, and the tomatoes and peppers keep wanting to flower. The beans and peas have already been thinned. Pay no attention to the clover. That's to distract the bunnies.

I am not sure about the basil, and their tricksy peat pots they came in. You just put the whole thing in the ground! The middle one is suffering.

Tom Collins Help!

I tried to make a Tom Collins last night, and I failed. I used this very common recipe (at least it's common on the internets):

1 oz. sour mix
2 oz. gin
3 oz. club soda
ice
maraschino cherry
orange wedge

It was totally not right. It wasn't sweet enough - too much club soda? Some recipes call for sugar or a simple syrup. and that set my mojitos right. Perhaps that's the way to go?

Best.Dinner.Ever

Last night, we finally had a moment to celebrate all the things we have to celebrate: our anniversary, grad school being over, a new job, going back to school, quitting old jobs. We spent the day napping and playing tennis and eating ice cream. For dinner, we had crab cakes, celery soup, and roasted potatoes. For dessert, fresh little strawberries and cream. The best part was that we moved the table into the backyard (no patio or patio furniture) and enjoyed a beautiful early summer night. It was truly gorgeous. To wit:


This is the most fun dinner to prepare, too. The soup can (should) be made the night before:

Celery Soup
10 stalks celery, 1/2 inch dice
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
8 cloves garlic
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
Veggie or chicken broth or water
1/2 cup milk
----------------------------------------
2 additional stalks celery 1/4 inch dice
1 Tbsp butter

Melt butter in pot and add onions and garlic. Sweat for 5-7 minutes. Add celery, potatoes, and broth/water to cover. Add dill, parsley, and celery leaves. Boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree solids until smooth. Add milk until smooth and thick. In a separate small pan, sautee the 2 additional celery stalks in 1 T. butter until brown. Add to soup and serve, garnished with dill and parsley.

Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs roaster potatoes (I love to add blue and pink ones to make it look purdy)
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and soak in salt water for 15 minutes. Drain and dry potatoes on a towel. Place in shallow dish, add garlic cloves whole and unpeeled. Cover with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes. (Keep an eye on the taters. When the little guys get overdone, they are exceptionally gross.)

Maryland Crab Cakes

1 lb jumbo lump crab
2/3 cup breadcrumbs or panko
1/3 cup finely diced red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced green onions or scallions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp Old Bay
1 egg and 1 egg white
2 Tbsp mayonnaise

Poke through crab meat, and remove any stray shells. Break into slightly smaller pieces. In separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, red pepper, green onions, parsley, and Old Bay. Stir until mixed. Add crab and stir again. Stir in egg, egg white, and mayonnaise until well combined. Form into patties (this should make 12-15 of them) and chill for two hours before frying. Fry in peanut oil, and serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

More Hungry Animals

In my impatiens, this little guy is waiting for worms from mom:












And the beans have sprouted!