Risotto was the first recipe I ever mastered. I was so proud of myself, I could make a recipe without even looking at the directions once. And to this day, it’s my husbands favorite dish that I make, I’m pretty good at it.
And I’ve recently had this fascination with quinoa (you pronounce it Keen-Wa). It’s a pretty amazing little grain, it has protein, fiber, iron, and even has some magical powers. Well, sort of. It is credited with preventing migraines, assisting in rebuilding torn tissues, lowering blood pressure and even promoting fat burning. Pretty much something I want to put in my body on a daily basis.
I make quinoa salads for lunch at least once a week. Chop up whatever vegetables I can find, mix with a 1/2 cup quinoa and some balsamic and I’m set. Even keeps me full for hours.
This dish is a mix of those two loves, risotto and quinoa. To be quite honest, I prefer the rice version, but as far as a quinoa dish goes, this was pretty great. With all of those fabulous attributes that are in quinoa, I might as well call this Magical Risotto.
Quinoa Risotto
3 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbs chopped shallots 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ cups Quinoa, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup dry white wine (like Savignon Blanc) ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
Place the chicken broth in a sauce pan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.
In a pan, toast the dry quinoa, stirring constantly, until you can smell a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes.
In a separate pot, add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until opaque, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell them, about 20 seconds
Stir in the quinoa, cooking until it is completely coated with butter, don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until the pan begins to dry, stirring frequently. About 6 minutes.
Add a ladle full (about 2/3 cups) of broth into the quinoa. Stir frequently until the broth is almost dry, and then add another ladle full and repeat. This process should take about 15-20 minutes. Don’t leave the risotto while it’s cooking, the rice on the bottom of the pan burns easily. If you run out of broth, just use hot water the same way you would broth. If you have made risotto before, just know that the quinoa version will require less broth.
Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the quinoa is cooked), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical quinoa. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to giggle when the plate is shaken.
Do you remember when you were a kid and staying home sick had sort of a romantic, charming allure? Your friends at school would wonder where you were. Maybe there would be rumors of your overall declining health and that you passed out in 31 Flavors the night before.
You would stay home, indulge in as much sleep as you wanted. Watch TV in your jammies, eat ice cream.
You had no idea that when you grew up, that would be called "Vacation."
When you have a baby, there are no such thing as sick days. Your kids pay absolutely no attention to that note your doctor gave you saying you need to rest. Those little Tyrants want sippy cups filled at full capacity, grapes cut into quarters, constant supervision of their destructive tendencies…*Sigh* It’s a good thing we are genetically inclined to adore them or they would be the worst boss ever.
BUT, if you do get sick, make sure and give your immune system the boost it needs. First, and I hate to break it to you after all that Ice Cream talk: Sugar lowers your natural immunities. Stay away it for the first few days.
Garlic, ginger and lemongrass are all known fighters of the everyday cold and flu. I ate disgusting amounts of them the winter I was pregnant with Tater, and I avoided getting sick for the first winter in about 6 years.
Plus, the kick of thai chili in this soup will remind you that you are alive and strong, empty sippy cups and whole grapes beware.
Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
2 tbs Smart Balance Light, butter or margarine
2 tsp chopped thai red chili, seeds removed
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh Lemongrass, chopped
1 tbs thai Galangal ginger, peeled, minced
5 cups, fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 cans light coconut milk
3 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbs lemon juice
8 large basil leaves, chopped into ribbons
16 large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined, tails off (can substitute 1 cup, chopped raw chicken)
(Makes 4 Servings)
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the margarine. Add the chili and the lemon grass and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the ginger. Stir frequently until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal preference.
So I made this resolution to not be so hard on myself.
This is a resolution I made, not for myself as much as for my daughter. And how I model womanhood to her.
I want to show her how to focus more on her successes than her failures.
Hold her strengths closer than she holds her weaknesses.
Our children only learn so much from our words, but our actions, especially those that we think they don’t see, are ingrained in who they are.
I’ve stopped using self deprecating statements, as my vow not to model for her what I so badly want to protect her from.
As I see her tiny body grow more and more into a mirror of my own, I now realize that all the things I say about myself, I am inadvertently saying about this tiny "Me" who is now running around trying to mimic what I do.
It’s cute when she says, "Bacon, Yum!"
Would it be as cute if she looks in the mirror and says, "I’m too fat to wear this"?
I don’t get to pick and choose what she picks up from me. I can just be more aware of my own attitudes and try to shape them into what I want her to pick up. And hope that I do my best to eliminate the mentalities that cause me to say hateful things about myself.
I want to teach her to look back on her mistakes with a postivive filter.
Not to say:
"What was I thinking?"
But instead to try and figure out:
"What was I learning?"
How the heck does this relate to Mac N Cheese soup? Well, most of you have resolutions about weight. Some of you probably even need to lose weight for health reasons. But if you have a daughter, or even a sensitive son, please don’t say:
"I don’t want to be so fat anymore."
Instead:
"I want to be healthier. Run faster, jump higher."
Because, the truth is, unlike a lot of regrets we have in life:
Your weight is fixable.
That is great news, because so many things we have done aren’t. Make a plan, stick to it. Focus on your success, not your failure and give yourself time to make it happen. Because,if you have kids, our resolutions aren’t that different. They are for our kids, modeling how to live. Eat how you want them to eat and they will follow suit.
Mac N Cheese soup is great way to do this. It’s familiar, with just a bit of the high calories stuff. I’m focusing on the strengths of the food to bring it into a high flavor, low calorie food.
I used the Recipe Calorie Calculator on Spark people to find out how many calories are in this. It’s a great tool for homemade food. You can even adjust the ingredients to see how you can get the same amount of food for less calories.
Healthy Soup Recipe: 220 Calorie Mac N Cheese Soup
Ingredients
2 tbs Smart Balance Light (or other low cal margarine spread)
1/3 cup red onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs flour
6 cups of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
3 cups of butternut squash, fresh, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup Macaroni noodles
1/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Makes 4 servings.
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, melt the Smart Balance Light. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic and stir until you can smell them cooking, about 20 seconds. Add the flour and whisk until combined with the butter spread and no flour lumps remain. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the cubes of butternut squash, place the lid on at an angle allowing the steam to vent, boiling until the squash is very soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Using an immersion blender, puree the squash until smooth and creamy. Return to heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the spices, adjusting to your preference. Add to bowls and top with chopped tomatoes.
I’ve had a few people ask me about Wine Week. Specifically, if Don Sebastiani & Son's paid me for these post. Nope. I really do love these wines. Some are even under $10.
They didn’t even ask me to post about the wine. Just sent me an email and asked if they could send me a shipment of wine, with recipes that are perfectly paired to each bottle.
Here is some advice: If someone asks if they can send you wine, asking nothing in return, Say Yes.
I felt so flattered that I was asked, and so excited to have this project to work on. They even included information and advice about pairing wine and food. So I got to learn a few things. OK, a bunch of things.
But, more than anything, it feels like a small step towards my goals that I’ve been working so hard on. Being taken seriously in the world of food, and someday being able to make enough of an income from it that I get to spend more time at home with my little lady.
And, I got to make food like this:
The only thing I changed about the recipe they sent over was the crust. The recipe called for a store bought tortilla, which, I’m sure is fine. But I made these tortillas using all the fat I save every time I cook bacon, and they were so delicious, and really, super easy, I wanted to make them again. Plus, they cost about 16 cents to make.
If you have never made your own tortillas, I promise you, it is so easy. Sounds hard, right? It’s not. At all. Plus, it is SO SO SO much better than the ones you buy at the store, it’s like a completely different food. And it takes about 10 minutes, and then you let them rest for about 20 minutes while you are getting everything else together. You can do that. I swear.
This recipe was paired with Project Paso Red Wine Blend. I really like blends, it’s like they take all the good stuff from each type of wine and mix them all together. This, like the Pepperwood Grove, is a high acid, low tannin wine that is pretty easy to pair with most entrees. It can even go with pork or chicken dishes. This would be a great wine to serve if you are having Fancy Pizza Night. Which you should.
Pizzetta With Bacon Fat Tortilla Crust
Tortillas:
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs bacon fat (can use butter or lard as a substitute)
1/2 cup warm water
Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut into quarters
8-12 oz Smoked Mozzarella
2 tsp chopped walnuts
Makes 8 small pizzas
After cooking bacon in a skillet, save your bacon grease by pouring it through a fine mesh strainer into a container with a tight lid (just pour the next round on the top of the previous) and keeping it in the fridge. This stuff is liquid gold, don’t pour it down the drain.
Combine the flour and bacon fat in a large mixing bowl, working in the fat with your fingers, until completely incorporated.
Dissolve the salt in the water, pour about 1/3 cup of it over the dry ingredients and immediately work it in with a fork.
The dough will be in large clumps rather than a homogeneous mass.
If all the dry ingredients haven’t been dampened, add the rest of the liquid (plus a little more, if necessary).
Scoop the dough onto your floured work surface
and knead until smooth.
It should be medium-stiff consistency — definitely not firm, but not quite as soft as most bread dough either.
Divide the dough into 8 portions and roll each into a ball.
The best way to do this is to cut the dough into two equal portions. Then cut each of those in half, so you now have four. Then cut each of those four in half and you now have eight. Set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at for 20-30 minutes (to make the dough less springy, easier to roll).
While those are resting, prepare the toppings. Roughly chop the caraway seeds and add to a small bowl. Add the oregano, thyme, black pepper and salt, stir to combine.
Slice your cheese into thin slices (you can also grate it).
You can either press your tortillas using a tortilla press lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking, which I used. I rotated the tortilla and pressed it several times
*Make sure your tortillas are VERY thin & flat before cooking. Much thinner than pie dough in order for it cook all the way through.
or you can roll them with a rolling pin using this method:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough into an even 7-inch circle: Flatten a ball of dough, flour it, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a 7-inch circle, lightly flouring the tortilla and work surface from time to time.
If you have a grill pan, I would highly recommend using it, if not you can use a heavy skillet heated over medium to medium-high heat. Brush the tortilla with olive oil and Lay the tortilla on the hot grill pan.
After 30 to 45 seconds, when there are browned splotches underneath, flip it over. You will know it is time to flip when the edges look dry and lighter in color. Brush again with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning mix. Top with the cheese, then the olives and walnuts. Cook until the cheese has melted. Repeat for all tortillas.
Risotto is the first recipe that I ever mastered. To this day, I count this among my favorite comfort food, downing giant bowls whenever the opportunity arises.
The classic recipe is made with white wine, but the substitution of a citrusy, medium-bodied craft beer only adds to the profile of flavors. I used another California beer: Telegraph California Ale, although this recipe would lend itself very well to the Telegraph White Ale.
Craft Ale Risotto
4 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbs chopped shallots
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ cups arborio rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz Telegraph Ale
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
Place the chicken broth in a sauce pan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.
In a separate pot, add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until transparent, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell them, about 20 seconds
Stir in the rice and the oil, cooking until the rice is completely coated with oil and it smells slightly nutty, don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.
Add the beer and cook until the pan begins to dry, stirring frequently. About 6 minutes.
Add a ladle full (about 2/3 cups) of broth into the rice. Stir frequently until the broth is almost dry, and then add another ladle full and repeat. This process should take about 20 minutes. Don’t leave the risotto while it’s cooking, the rice on the bottom of the pan burns easily. (if you run out of broth, just use hot water the same way you would broth)
Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the rice is cooked and not crunchy), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical rice. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to jiggle when the plate is shaken.
Today we are jumping into Rule Two: Tannins Need Fat. Just to recap, a tannin is that astringent component in red wine that give it structure. This is what can cause that bitter, pucker feeling in the back of your throat. This component needs fat for balance, but not necessarily a meat fat. If you are a vegetarian, try this wine with a goat cheese ravioli in a buttery sauce with dried cranberries and fresh basil.
Todays wine is B Side Cabernet Sauvignon. Anyone who grew up with a childhood soundtracked by cassette tapes with naturally have an infinity for anything named "B Side." Those amazing songs that came on that back of that hit single where always the ones I fell in love with and the reasons I wore out the tapes. And the reason the kid in me will always think that iTunes is sad.
B Side Cab however, is more of the hit single that you end up falling in love with. This was my favorite of all the wines from Don Sebastiani & Sons. A bold Cabernet with a bit of earth and fruit, exactly the kind of wine I seek out. I made this my Christmas dinner wine, and altered the paired recipe to make it more Holiday Meal appropriate. The earthiness of the wild rice, as well as the fat of the steak and the goat cheese was complimented nicely by the earthiness and tannins in this wine. I liked that this is a wine that you can serve with a prime rib or with a burger. That’s my kind of wine.
Here is the original paired recipe:
Printable version of the original recipe: b side recipe
The recipe that I made kept the idea of a wrap but made a roulade. Also, store bought mayonnaise freaks me out. I truly hate it. I replaced that creamy, dairy agent with goat cheese, so much more fabulous than mayo. I also replaced cabage with shaved Brussels sprouts, but kept the dressing the same. If you have any filling left over, add it to 1 cup of chopped spinach for a fantastic side salad.
Flank Steak, Goat Cheese & Wild Rice Roulades
1.5 lb Flank Steak
3 large Brussels srpouts
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup wild rice, cooked according to package directions
2 oz goat cheese
2 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 350.
Place your flank steak on a flat surface and pound to an even, 1/2 inch thickness using a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.
Using a large cheese grater, shave the Brussels sprouts until you have about 1/2 a cup.
In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, balsamic, Worcestershire sauce, garlic. Add the cooked rice, Brussels sprouts and goat cheese and stir to combine. Place the filling down the center of the flank steak in one long log. Roll the steak and secure tightly with kitchen twine.
In a heavy, oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Place the roulade, seam side down and sear until brown. Turn the roulade and sear on all sides until brown. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Move to a cutting board and slice into 6-8 slices.
It was amazing. And now it’s time to detox. But I still want warm and yummy comfort food, I’m not ready for cold vegetables and health food yet.
This awkward week, between Christmas and New Years, when the world is still in transition, I am using to step down from holiday excess and transition into my New Years Healthy Eating. This week will be yummy, warm and comforting. Less sugar and fat than last week, but still more that I will allow myself next week.
Sort of a Nicotine Patch for fat and sugar.
This is the perfect recipe for that. It takes some time over all, but your active time is pretty short.
Its impressive, full of flavor, east to make, inexpensive, and low on calories. Plus the leftovers make great sandwiches.
This is also a great recipe for a get together, keep it in mind for your next diner party.
To get caught up on the step by step How To of roasting a chicken (if you have never done it), check out my How To Roast A Chicken post.
Tandoori Roast Chicken
Marinade:
1/2 cup sweet smoked paprika (not bittersweet. Can use a combination of sweet and smoked)
1 large oven bag (does not need to be turkey sized)
4-6 cups of water
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients, stir with a fork until well combined. Add the yogurt and stir again until completed combined. Add the thawed chicken to the oven bag and pour the yogurt over top.
Move the bag around with your hands until the chicken is coated. Tie the top of the bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible.
Place in the refridgerator and chill for 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 425.
Remove chicken from oven bag and place on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. Brush the entire chicken with a pastry brush to evenly distribute the marinade, making sure the entire bird is well coated.
Pour warm water into the bottom of the pan (avoiding the chicken) until about 2 inches of water is standing at the bottom. Make sure the water does not touch the chicken.
Bake at 425 for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Cover with aluminum foil if the chicken starts to blacken. Allow to rest before carving.
I get asked a lot of questions as a food blogger. Some are about food. Some are about blogging. Some are more personal. But one of the most common questions I get asked is, "How do you stay so skinny when you cook so much food?!"
First, it’s hard. Really.
Work, being a mom, a wife, a blogger. AND trying to stay in shape is a lot of work.
A lot.
Here are some of the rules that I use to a balance food blog and skinny jeans:
1. I don’t eat fast food. It is a really rare occasion when I do, and never, ever, ever for dinner. More of a road trip occasion, or an I’m running late so I’m going to grab the one sandwich under 400 calories at Quiznos occasion. And no chips, and an unsweetened iced tea.
2. I always eat breakfast. Once in a while I have fatty things, like that french toast I still can’t stop thinking about. But 5 out of 7 days, its 2 slices of reduced calorie whole wheat toast (or whole wheat english muffin) with 1/2 tbs peanut butter each. For breakfast, you want the trifecta: low cal, high protein, good carbs.
3. I read ALL the labels of everything I put in my mouth. And just assume that you will have more than the serving size. For instance: most cereal puts a "serving size" of 3/4 a cup. Really? That’s less than my cup of coffee. You will probably have more like 2 cups. So that cereal that you think is only 175 calories. It’s probably more like 430. Thats like eating a burger. But at least the burger is worth it. Bottom line, if you are counting calories, measuring your food is a BIG part of that.
4. Snack well. I like to get the most food possible for the least amount of calories. It’s like a game. But I don’t eat a lot of processed foods, and even when I did, those 100 calorie packs aren’t really a calorie bargin. I want 2, and if I’m going to eat 200 calories, I’d rather have a snickers. This is one of my go to snacks: 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced, drizzled with lemon juice, sprinkled with salt and chili powder. It’s like 15 calories. I also do that to radish slices. Crispy and salty. Like chips, but good for you.
5. Know your weaknesses. I know I like to cook big breakfast on the weekend, and eat more for dinner when I get to cook for other people. So on the weekdays, I eat a low dairy, high plant, low fat diet. Such as: Salads with low-cal dressing (or just balsamic vinegar) or even my favorite salsa instead of dressing, non-dairy soups, roasted veggies with skinless chicken.
6. Know your calories. I have the Lose It app on my phone (it’s free) and I try to stay under 1,600 calories a day during the week. Give up calories where you can, but don’t feel like you have "earned" an extra slice of pie. That just ruins all the work you did. The truth is, unless you are an Olympic swimmer who burns 14,000 calories a day, you will never reach your goal weight with exercise alone. Never. You have to get your eating in check. Can you indulge? Sure, once in a while, but make sure you make up for it but eating lots of plants. Don’t starve yourself, it makes your body store everything as fat. So you are hungry and still gaining. That sucks. Think of calories like you think of money. You only have so many (probably around 1,700 a day if you’re a girl) to spend before you go "into debt" (meaning: gain weight). Is that mediocre lunch really worth half of your calorie budget? Do you like that White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks 600X more than a regular cup of coffee? Because that’s how many more calories are in it (a venti White Chocolate Mocha, with whip has 620 calories, a plain cup of coffee has about 5 calories). Spend where it counts, cut when it doesn’t.
7. Find the WHY. I have a Masters Degree in Psychology. Did you know that? It’s true. The mental part is hard. Probably harder than being hungry, is being unmotivated. Write a list of WHY you want to stay (or get) in shape and post it everywhere, and keep updating it. And talk yourself down when you do want to grab for that bad stuff. Oh, and don’t keep in the house, it just makes it that much more difficult for yourself.
(pretty much my WHY for everything good in my life)
8. Replacement behaviors. This is an important part of therapizing yourself. Find your bad habits and replace them with good ones. For me: 3pm candy jar. My coworkers all have them, and I do as well. Instead of wandering around chatting with the intention of snacking, I walked my office building for 15 minutes, stairs and all. Now, my candy jar is filled with candy I don’t like and I’m not even tempted to eat, just for those people who come to visit with the intention of snacking.
9. Just have one. If you really want to try a new recipe for cupcakes, pie, cookies, thats OK. Try and plan to make them when you can give the rest away. For me, most of the fun of cooking is having a recipe in my head and trying to figure out how to make it work in the kitchen. But most of my food, the sugary, high fat stuff, is given away. Take it to the office, or to a friends house, or let your husband take it to his office. Find a charity, like a women’s shelter, that might want it. Or throw it out. It sucks to waste food, but is it really doing any good taunting you from the fridge? Or, you can make a half or a quarter of the original recipe using an online site like Half Recipe.
10. Move a lot. Even though exercise doesn’t burn as many calories as we would like, it’s still important to move. For me, it’s spin class. Because it’s the most amount of calories I can burn in the least amount of time. If I really push myself, do everything that spin guy is yelling at me to do, I can burn nearly 700 calories in an hour. Thats a lot. Do that 3 times a week and thats 30 lbs a year. Find something that you will actually do, and do it. A lot. Spoil yourself with dance class, then treat yourself to shrimp cocktail (fairly low cal treat).
11. Water is essential. Get a water bottle and carry it around like a security blanket. First, it flushes out your body. Second, the human thirst reflex is so weak, it is often mistaken for hunger. Drink a lot of water and you will eat less and glow more.
Now onto the recipe. This makes 2 large entree sized portions, at about 330 calories each, or 4 side salad portions at about 165. If you want a little more, you can add 3oz grilled skinless chicken.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
1 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh kale, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 large roasted red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbs shallots, minced
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp raw honey (sub agave for vegan)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Boil the sweet potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water until fork tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon, allow to drain. I did a guest post of Eating Rules about the proper way to cook quinoa, if you are interested.
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, sweet potatoes, sage, kale, cranberries, and red pepper. In a small bowl, add the shallots, balsamic, honey, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Drizzle over the quinoa salad, tossing to coat.
Legal Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionsinst. The ideas presented here are just what works for me.
Beer Brined Turkey will give you the juiciest, tastiest bird you’ve ever had! This recipe also tells you how to also get a crispy skin. You’ll never make it another way again!
Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday because gratefulness is such an underrated personality trait. I wish people admired that quality in others like they admire shoes and jewelry and waist size.
"She is SO grateful! I wish I had that."
We should start the day that like. Before we ever get out of bed, list the things you are thankful for.
If you aren’t feelin' in a Thankful kinda mood right now, this’ll do it:
I’ve know quite a few survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. Most of whom are in their 90’s now. I know a man who was in Auschwitz concentration camp and went to the gas chamber. Twice. Both times, something was broken, and the entire chamber full of terrified, naked, sobbing Jewish men, women and children where told to go back to their cells. To this day, when something goes wrong, a toilet breaks, his phone service is down, his car needs work, he will always say, "Thank God for things that break! Broken pipes saved my life!" Nothing like a concentration camp story to put your life in perspective, right?!
No matter what you are facing, what is wrong, or what is hard to deal with. Take some time to think about what is right in your world. Hold the good closer than you hold the bad. I have so much to be thankful for, and I hope a day never comes that I stop thinking that.
Every Thursday, not just the 4th Thursday in November, we should take some time and to list the things we are thankful for, no matter how long or short that list is.
Oh, yeah, food. That’s why you’re here. These little guys are pretty fantastic. Plus, you don’t just have to limit them to your leftover candied yams, fill these with what ever you have. Other great empanada combos:
Turkey (chopped), mashed potatoes & gravy
Stuffing & cranberry sauce
Mac & Cheese
But, even if you didn’t make yams, or you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and want to make these, I’ll give you an easy candied yam mash recipe that will be perfect for the filling.
Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas: Candied Yams
For The Dough:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
10 tbs butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/3 cup ice water
For the Filling:
2 cups leftover candied yams, Mashed
OR
2 large yams, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 stick butter (4 tbs), chopped into cubes
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup pecans
Topping:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
Put 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt in a food processor, pulse for a second to combine. Add the butter and process until combined. Add the remaining flour and process again. Move to a bowl. In a small bowl, beat the egg and water together until well combined then add the egg/water to the dough with a wooden spoon. If you add the water and egg with the food processor, your dough will turn out crispy and cracker like.
Form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400.
If you are using leftovers you can skip this next paragraph.
Place your chopped yams in a large loaf pan, sprinkle the top with cubes of butter. Drizzle with the maple syrup and then top with the brown sugar.
Bake, uncovered at 400 for about 40 minutes or until the yams are fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit. Drain off most of the liquid (leaving about 2 tbs in the bottom of the pan). Mash with a potato masher until mixture until creamy, add the pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and stir.
Once your dough is chilled, roll it out to an even thickness on a flowered surface. Cut out 4 inch circles. I don’t have a 4 inch circle cutter, so I used a margarita glass.
Brush the edges of each circle with water. Put about 2 tbs of filling in the middle, leaving the sides clear. Fold the circle over and press the edges together well to make a secure seal. Put three small slits on the top of the empanadas to allow steam to escape. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray (or covered with parchment paper). Brush the top with maple syrup, sprinkle with a small amount of salt.
Bake at 400 for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Eat, smile, be thankful.
Take a second to like Domestic Fits Facebook Page to receive info about new post in your feed.
My favorite thing about fall is homemade soup. I love a soup that takes all day, it’s like an art. But, since I am a very busy working mom, as I assume quite a few of you are too, I also need a really delicious soup that I can make after work. I invented this soup because I adore clam chowder, but I’m not a huge fan of the clams that you buy at the grocery store. Crab, in all it’s delicious splendor, was a fine substitution. I added the avocados because I live Southern California, a very avocado heavy place. If you ever make it out west, make it a mission of yours to stop by a farmers market (we get to have them year round in these parts) and have one for yourself.
Avocado Crab Chowder
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (I used Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Corn Kernels)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp chili pepper sauce (Such as Tapatillo or Tabasco)
2 6oz cans crab meat (lump or claw meat if you can find it), drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 large avocados, chopped
In a large pot, melt the better over medium/high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and allow to boil until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, Old Bay, and chili powder, stir to combine. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth, and then pour in the cream, stir to combine. Return to heat, add the corn, and allow to boil until thickened, stirring frequently,about 5 minutes. Add the chili pepper sauce, crab meat, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Pour into serving bowls, garnish with avocado.
I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa salads ever since I did a guest post for Eating Rules. The post was about the amazingness of quinoa and how to make it the right way, as in not mushy. Andrew, of Eating Rules, posed a challenge to the world at large to give up processed food for one month, and somewhere around 3,000 people have accepted. Could you do it? Could you give up all processed foods for an entire month? You can start small, maybe one week, or maybe one meal per week for a month. How about "Unprocessed Wednesday Night Dinners" for the rest of the year. What is unprocessed? That been quite the discussion, for more information read this. But the short answer is, don’t eat food that has ingredients you don’t (or couldn’t) have in your kitchen. Skip the boxed, frozen, prepackaged, canned and chemical laden foods. Keep the journey from the farm to your table as short as possible. Cook with real, whole vegetables, fresh meats, grains that aren’t labeled "Instant" or "Success" or "Minute" but just: rice or quinoa. Make biscuits from scratch, roast a whole chicken, steam some vegetables, or grill some meat. You can do it. And the less processed foods your family eats, the healthier you’ll all be. For some inspiration to ditch the 37 ingredient bags of food, check out this family who did it and chronicled the highs and the lows.
Strawberry, Goat Cheese and Quinoa Salad
1 cup of quinoa, cooked
1 cup Strawberries, hulled and chopped
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup chopped arugula
1 tbs basil, chopped
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs red onions, minced
2 tbs honey
In a bowl add the quinoa, strawberries, goat cheese, basil, arugula and toss combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, salt, onions and honey. Drizzle the balsamic mixture over the quinoa/strawberry mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
(Makes 2 large salads, or 4 small side dish salads.)
This is the ultimate comfort food, combining three great comfort food players: Beer, Cheese, Warm Soup. Add to that a flaky pastry crust and you pretty much have pot pie perfection. I use Mission Street Blonde Ale for this, from the Mission Brewery out of San Diego.
A really beautiful blend with the mild cheddar I used. It cooks really well, leaving a mild lemony flavor with traces of wheat. The hops are subtle and blend well with the rest of the recipe.
Beer cheese has started to climb out of frat boy myths into actual culinary acceptance of the past decade. This recipe isn’t a traditional Beer Cheese recipe, but the idea is captured and transformed into a hearty soup and a filling entrée. A great recipe to have in your beer cooking arsenal.
Beer Cheese Chicken Pot Pie
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
5 tbs butter cold, cut into cubes
1/4 cup shortening
2 tbs vodka
2 tbs cold water
For the Filling:
1 tbs olive oil
½ cup sliced leeks (white and very light green portion only)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
5 strips of bacon, chopped
3 cups mushrooms, chopped
3 cups raw chicken, cut into cubes
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/3 cup Mission Street Blonde Ale
¼ cup flour
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup peas
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
¼ cup melted butter
1. Combine 1 cups of flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, pulse a few times until its combined. Add the butter and the shortening and process until it forms a ball around the blade, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining flour and process until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Move to a bowl and add the water and the vodka, combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Form the dough into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, about two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 400.
6. In a pan over medium, high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the leeks and the garlic, sauté until leeks are soft.
7. Add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes.
8. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and darkened.
9. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
10. In a separate bowl, add 2/3 cup of broth and the flour, stir until combined. Pour mixture into the pan through a small mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
11. Add the beer to the pan and stir to combine. Add the peas, corn, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and is well combined with the broth.
12. Pour into small, portion sized, oven safe ceramic dishes. Makes about 4.
I just realized the perfection of Chicken Pot Pie. Like a creamy soup, with any veggies you want and a beautiful homemade crust on top. I can tell you for sure: This will not be my last pot pie post of the fall.
I used another Kerrygold cheese. There are at least two reasons that I love Kerrygold. First, I will always have a place in my heat for Ireland, and Irish people. The first real trip I ever took was to Ireland. I was just out of college and had spend the past 6 months working two jobs, and finishing up my classes, just to buy a plane ticket to Europe and enough money to see me though a few weeks. I landed in Ireland on a drizzely morning, jet lagged and confused. I had no idea where to go, or how to get there. Before I really knew what was happening, I was being dragged though the streets of Dublin by a charming Irishman who was taking me to a youth hostel at the foot of the Guinness brewery. With a smile and a cheerful welcome, he was on his way, leaving me to realized that this kind stranger had walked at least a mile in the wrong direction just to make sure I found a bed for the evening.
OK, so that really has nothing to do with the cheese, but I was able to meet quite a few Irish people and fall in love with them. And Kerrygold is more of a co-op than a corporation and relies on independent Irish dairy farms to source their produces. Second (third?) if you look at the ingredients they are beautifully simple. Milk, cream, salt, all things that I know and can pronounce.
I used Red Leicester, which is a beautiful mild cheddar. Reminds me of the people I met in Ireland, beautiful, honest, full of flavor.
Mushroom Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
5 tbs butter cold, cut into cubes
1/4 cup shortening
2 tbs vodka
2 tbs cold water
For the Filling:
1 tbs olive oil
½ cup sliced leeks (white and very light green portion only)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 cups mushrooms, chopped
3 cups raw chicken, cut into small cubes
2/3 cup broth, plus additional 1 1/3 cup, divided
¼ cup flour
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup peas
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
¼ cup melted butter
1. Combine 1 cups of flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor, pulse a few times until its combined. Add the butter and the shortening and process until it forms a ball around the blade, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining flour and process until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Move to a bowl and add the water and the vodka, combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Form the dough into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, about two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 400.
6. In a pan over medium, high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the leeks and the garlic, sauté until leeks are soft.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and darkened.
8. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
9. In a separate bowl, add 2/3 cup of broth and the flour, stir until combined. Pour mixture into the pan through a small mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
10. Add the remaining broth to the pan and stir to combine. Add the peas, corn, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and is well combined with the broth.
12. Pour into small, portion sized, oven safe ceramic dishes. Makes about 4.
13. Once the dough has chilled, place disk on a very well floured surface, add flour to the top of the disk as well. Roll out into an even thickness.
14. Cut out circles that will cover the dishes with at least a one inch overhang on each side.
15. To prevent sticking, spray the rim of the baking dish with cooking spray.
16. Top each dish with the dough circle, cutting a slit to vent at the top. Then brush the dough with melted butter.
17. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before serving.
There is nothing new about braising with beer. In fact, it should be the standard. Beer, as with all alcohol, is a natural meat tenderizer but it’s the flavors of the beer that make for braise meat that has a truly special taste. Craft brews are known for more intense flavor profiles and will always produce a vastly superior product when cooking than a macro brew. Craft beer is truly that, a craft. I have had a soft spot for Rogue brewery for years. Rogue is beer lovers beer, and dedicated to the art of the craft. Actual real life people making really good beer. If you live on the West Coast, this Portland Oregon brewery’s beer is probably at your local grocery store. It’s one of the few great craft beers that I have a very easy time getting my hands on.
What does braising mean? What a good question. Braising just means to sear meat at a very high heat and then cook it slowly at a low heat until cooked through. I used another amazing craft beer for this recipe. Rogue’s Chipolte Ale:
3.5lbPork buttIt’s acctually the pigs shoulder, and sometimes called that. The actual butt is called Ham.
6clovesof garlicpeeled
1/4cupolive oil
3cupsChipotle aleor smoked porter (I used Rogue’s Chipotle Ale)
Instructions
In a small bowl stir together the salt, brown sugar onion powder, chili powder, cumin, pepper, smoked paprika and mustard powder together until combined, set aside.
Take out your pork and stab 6, 2 inch deep holes fairly evenly spaced through the meat. Push a clove of garlic into each hole until no longer visible.
Rub the entire surface of the meat with the spice mixture, using it all.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until very hot. Sear all surfaces of the meat, even the sides, until browned. The entire process will probably take about 10-15 minutes.Pour the beer over the meat, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the meat over about every 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
Once the meat is finished, remove from the pot and allow to cool. Use two forks to shred into pieces. Return to the braising liquid and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and discard the liquid.
I used this meat in three ways, on italian bread as a delicious sandwich, over rice and beans, and in a burrito. Other ideas for pulled pork include:
Pulled pork nachos
Pulled pork sliders
Pulled pork tacos
Pulled pork enchiladas
Pulled pork flatbread pizza
Pulled pork hand pies
Seriously, you could go all Bubba Gump about this and it would be endless. There is no shortage of uses for Pulled Pork.
My favorite thing about pulled pork is that it takes a long time. You didn’t read that wrong, I LIKE that it takes hours. Probably because I tend to over-committ myself, double book myself, take on too much, then feel guilty that I am not able to give 100% to everything and I need to remember to slow down. I work full time, I have this blog that I love more that anyone will know, I write for Honest Cooking, and for the Glendale Examiner, AND I am a mom. When I have decided to make a recipe like pulled pork I HAVE to stay home, play in the backyard with Tater, ignore my phone and listen to excessive amounts of Led Zeppelin. I need to make pulled pork more often.
What does braising mean? What a good question. Braising just means to sear meat at a very high heat and then cook it slowly at a low heat until cooked through. I used another amazing craft beer for this recipe. Rouge’s Chipolte Ale:
I have had a soft spot for Rouge brewery for years. Rouge is beer lovers beer, and dedicated to the art of the craft. Actual real life people making really good beer. If you live on the West Coast, this Portland Oregon brewery’s beer is probably at your local grocery store. It’s one of the few great craft beers that I have a fairly easy time getting my hands on. In fact, the very first time I decided to cook with beer (I made a chocolate beer cake), I used Rouge’s Chocolate Stout. I do believe that I owe Rouge for my fascination with cooking with beer.
Thank you Rouge, you’re Pulled Pork thank you card is in the mail.
I used this meat in three ways, on italian bread as a delicious sandwich, over rice and beans, and in a burrito. Other ideas for pulled pork include:
Pulled pork nachos
Pulled pork sliders
Pulled pork tacos
Pulled pork enchiladas
Pulled pork flatbread pizza
Pulled pork hand pies
Seriously, you could go all Bubba Gump about this and it would be endless. There is no shortage of uses for Pulled Pork.
My message of the day is this:
Slow down, eat good SLOW food, Drink great beer and don’t forget to play in the back yard with your daughter while listening to Over The Hills an Far Away (OK, maybe that last one was just for me).
I could eat pie every day. I love it. It’s my First Love when it comes to desserts and cooking in general. I could have an All Pies blog ("Pie Fits"??) and be perfectly happy. When I was a kid, I didn’t want birthday cake (gasp!!!) I wanted birthday pie. Usually Apple. Not enough people eat savory pie and I want to change that. Hand pies, empanadas and anything else small, savory and portable, should be right there among the sandwich masses. This recipe is easy, and the dough is based off a pie dough, but with a few alterations to make it more like an empanada, and it really is easy and quick. Also, a prefect lunch to pack for a picnic or a hike.
Get moving, eat pie.
Mushroom Pork Hand Pies
For The Dough:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
10 tbs butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/3 cup ice water
For The Filling:
2 tbs olive oil (plus more as needed)
1/4 cup onioins, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup ground pork (you can sub turkey or chicken as well)
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
For The Top of Dough:
1/4 cup melted butter
pinch of salt
Put 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt in a food processor, pulse for a second to combine. Add the butter and process until combined. Add the remaining flour and process again. Move to a bowl. In a small bowl, beat the egg and water together until well combined then add the egg/water to the dough with a wooden spoon. If you add the water and egg with the food processor, your dough will turn out crispy and cracker like.
Form into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft, adding a little more oil if the pan gets dry. Add the remaining filling ingredients and cook until warm and combined, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
Once the dough is chilled, roll out on a flat surface and cut into sections that are 6 inches by 8 inches. Add 1/4 cup of the filling to one end of the strip, keeping at least an inch between the filling and the edges.
Fold the empty half over the filling and press the edges until secure.
Transfer to a baking sheet (sprayed with cooking spray or covered with parchment paper to prevent sticking).
Repeat until all the dough and filling are used. Brush the tops of the pies with melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt.
Should make between 8 and 10 pies.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Galettes are such an amazing food. Like a tart or a pizza, only much more elegant and easier to make. This dough came out so beautifully, with a buttery flakiness that could be eaten all on its own. There is a very good chance that this Fall will be filled with galettes, sweet and savory.
Fig and Goat Cheese Galette
CRUST
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1/3 cup ice cold water
FILLING
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 figs, sliced
1 tbs raw honey
2 tbs minced red onions
1/2 cup arugula
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 oz prosciutto, chopped.
1 tbs melted butter
In a food processor, combine 1 1/3 cup flour, salt, sugar and butter, process until well combined. Add the remaining flour and process again until combined. Transfer to a bowl and add the water with a wooden spoon (don’t add the water while the dough is in the food processor or your dough will be brittle and cracker-like). If the dough isn’t moist enough, you can add more water, a tsp at a time until the consistency is right. Form dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 375.
Once the dough is chilled, roll into a "rustic" circle. The great thing about a Galette is that an odd shape looks charming, don’t worry about making it too perfect. Transfer to a baking sheet or a pizza stone covered with parchment paper. Spread the ricotta in the middle, leaving about 2-3 inches on all sides bare. Top with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the figs, honey and onions, toss to coat. Add the figs to the top of the ricotta, then add the arugula, goat cheese and prosciutto.
Fold the edges into the middle
Brush the crust with melted butter and bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. I added additional arugula and goat cheese to the top before serving, but this is completely optional.
