Quick and Easy Lunch at Home
Best Scrambled Eggs
2 organic free-range eggs
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1-2 tsp soft cheese (I admit that I used laughing cow garlic and herb - it's a low budget week)
Heat a pan over low heat. Spray with cooking spray or lightly oil with oil of your choice. Scramble 2 eggs and cook until about 3/4 done. Add cheese in small pieces, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
Serve with a crescent roll (spread with the rest of the cheese) or other small roll or biscuit, and baby arugula dressed with salt, pepper and balsamic.
Happy lunching!
Soundtrack
Chess in Concert - You'll see this one show up a lot - I feel like they finally got the book right, the 2 female leads are both belters, Idina is singing the role of Florence (my dream role), and while I have some issues with Josh Groban as The Russian, he's not offensive like Patti Lupone in Evita is. Plus, the love of my life, Adam Pascal, is playing The American, and he's PERFECT!
Links for You
Why Chess in Concert? - A message from Tim Rice
Idina Menzel
The Incredible Edible Egg
The Laughing Cow
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Too Hot to Cook...
It's terribly hot and humid, so I'm trying to avoid any cooking beyond boiling water. Also, going away this weekend, so I'm trying to use up leftovers. And I had friends in town last weekend. So my apologies.
BUT, I do have some restaurant recommendations, since I had friends in from out of town.
Two favorites that I can recommend heartily were on the agenda this past weekend.
First, dinner at Addis Red Sea.
Addis Red Sea has two locations, one in the South End and one in Porter Square. We'd previously only been to the South End location (across from the BCA) but visited the close to home Porter location this Friday night.
I only get veggie dishes, but everything I've ever tried there is good...collards, lentils, potatoes and carrots, you name it, it's yummy. Their injera is spectacular. Jen got beef and Sandy got chicken and they also enjoyed their dishes.
And the coffee is to DIE for. Any coffee lovers, you must try their Ethiopian coffee. It's the only coffee that I can drink without any cream or milk, because it isn't bitter at all. And it's amazing, and comes in tiny cups that make it feel like a ritual.
And of course, brunch at Centre Street Cafe.
When we left JP, the hardest thing was leaving the restaurants that we loved (though it was probably good for our wallets).
Centre Street Cafe has local artwork on the walls, local veggies in the food, a specials menu that rocks the weekend, and a set of regular dishes that always satisfy. My standby is the Potatoes Santa Cruz, which marries home fries with fresh veggies, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo. Their stratas and omelets are made with whatever is fresh and local, their waffles and french toast come buried in fruit, and there's not a bad item on the menu.
And one leftover-loving recipe to tide you over until it's cool enough to really cook:
Ricotta-Pesto Pasta
Pasta
Pesto
Ricotta
Salt
Pepper
Pine Nuts
Cook 1/2 box of small to medium pasta in a shape of your choice until al dente. In a medium sized bowl, mix about 1/2 to 1 cup ricotta (left over from last week's ziti) with an equal or slightly lesser amount of pesto (fresh or storebought - I had a little of both, so I mixed and matched). Add pasta and fold until blended. Add salt, pepper and pine nuts to taste.
No soundtrack today, since I avoided the kitchen while the water boiled, but here are some links.
Links
Addis Red Sea
Centre Street Cafe
BUT, I do have some restaurant recommendations, since I had friends in from out of town.
Two favorites that I can recommend heartily were on the agenda this past weekend.
First, dinner at Addis Red Sea.
Addis Red Sea has two locations, one in the South End and one in Porter Square. We'd previously only been to the South End location (across from the BCA) but visited the close to home Porter location this Friday night.
I only get veggie dishes, but everything I've ever tried there is good...collards, lentils, potatoes and carrots, you name it, it's yummy. Their injera is spectacular. Jen got beef and Sandy got chicken and they also enjoyed their dishes.
And the coffee is to DIE for. Any coffee lovers, you must try their Ethiopian coffee. It's the only coffee that I can drink without any cream or milk, because it isn't bitter at all. And it's amazing, and comes in tiny cups that make it feel like a ritual.
And of course, brunch at Centre Street Cafe.
When we left JP, the hardest thing was leaving the restaurants that we loved (though it was probably good for our wallets).
Centre Street Cafe has local artwork on the walls, local veggies in the food, a specials menu that rocks the weekend, and a set of regular dishes that always satisfy. My standby is the Potatoes Santa Cruz, which marries home fries with fresh veggies, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo. Their stratas and omelets are made with whatever is fresh and local, their waffles and french toast come buried in fruit, and there's not a bad item on the menu.
And one leftover-loving recipe to tide you over until it's cool enough to really cook:
Ricotta-Pesto Pasta
Pasta
Pesto
Ricotta
Salt
Pepper
Pine Nuts
Cook 1/2 box of small to medium pasta in a shape of your choice until al dente. In a medium sized bowl, mix about 1/2 to 1 cup ricotta (left over from last week's ziti) with an equal or slightly lesser amount of pesto (fresh or storebought - I had a little of both, so I mixed and matched). Add pasta and fold until blended. Add salt, pepper and pine nuts to taste.
No soundtrack today, since I avoided the kitchen while the water boiled, but here are some links.
Links
Addis Red Sea
Centre Street Cafe
Monday, August 10, 2009
Dinner With Friends - the Leftovers Edition
From Tomato Salad and Cheddar-Pepper Toasts comes Panzanella!
Tear up the crunchy bread into smaller chunks and toss into your tomato salad...voila, you have panzanella for the next evening's meal!
From Berries, Pound Cake and Whipped Cream comes Trifle!
We didn't leave any berries behind, so I defrosted some frozen strawberries. Layer bite sized pieces of pound cake with berries and cream in a bowl, and let sit. Add liqueur if you so choose. Trifle for dessert anytime!
Tear up the crunchy bread into smaller chunks and toss into your tomato salad...voila, you have panzanella for the next evening's meal!
From Berries, Pound Cake and Whipped Cream comes Trifle!
We didn't leave any berries behind, so I defrosted some frozen strawberries. Layer bite sized pieces of pound cake with berries and cream in a bowl, and let sit. Add liqueur if you so choose. Trifle for dessert anytime!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Dinner with Friends
Charles Square Farmers Market 12:15 pm
I usually pass by this one on the way to or from work, but this was my first time shopping here. It's small, but I got what I needed.
several varieties of heirloom tomatoes
1 box raspberries
1 box blackberries
1 round of black pepper and cheddar bread (I'm way excited about this one)
1 yellow squash
1 cucumber
1 bag salad mix
Since I'm hosting my friend, plus Jen and one of her friends, I'm excited to post my first dinner party entry.
Salad Course:
1 onion (preferably red, but I happened to have a yellow one)
1 cucumber
vinegar (your choice, I used some pomegranate red wine vinegar)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano
Seed and roughly chop 4-6 tomatoes of various colors. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and chop into halfmoons. Thinly slice onion. Toss in a bowl. Add salt, freshly ground pepper, oregano and vinegar. Toss again. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again. Cover and chill. The longer it sits before dinner, the better it will be.
Entree
More garlic toast/bread
Baked Ziti 2 ways
1 box ziti with lines
1 container part skim ricotta
shredded parmesan
garlic powder
onion powder
frozen spinach
salt
pepper
shredded mozzarella or italian-blend cheeses
tomato sauce (preferably homemade - my recipe follows)
1st way:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In a bowl, mix about 1/2 container ricotta, handful of parmesan, and salt, pepper and spices to taste. Mix with 1/2 of the pasta and several ladlefuls of sauce. Put into baking dish and cover top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until top is bubbly and dish is heated through.
2nd way:
See above, but add a handful of thawed and drained frozen spinach to the cheese mixture.
For both, serve with extra sauce on the side, or meat sauce, or meatballs and sausage in sauce...the options are endless...and someday I'm sure you'll get my turkey meatball recipe here!
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Crushed Tomatoes (with or without basil)
onions
garlic
red pepper flake
oregano
basil
fresh basil
olive oil
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in large pan. Add 1/2 chopped onion per can of tomatoes - sometimes I make a little, sometimes I make a lot. Add 2 cloves of crushed, chopped garlic per can of tomatoes. Add salt, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and dried basil to taste. Once heated through and bubbling, add some torn or chopped fresh basil. Can be used immediately or frozen.
Dessert
Pound Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream
1 pound cake
berries
heavy cream
sugar
vanilla
I admit to buying pound cake...it's August, and I don't want to bake.
Earlier in the day, mix berries (whatever you have - I used half a box of blueberries, and the boxes of raspberries and blackberries I got today) and a few teaspoons of sugar. Set aside for a few hours.
I used frozen pound cake - it will need an hour to an hour an a half to thaw unless you want to thaw in the microwave (I didn't)
Beat 1 pint of heavy cream with electric mixer until it starts to thicken. Add 1 capful of vanilla extract (or you could use almond, orange, lemon, etc) and a few tablespoons of sugar. Beat until desired frothiness. Do not overmix, or it will become a soupy mess! Still yummy, but not thick and wonderful.
Spoon berries and cream over pound cake. Yum!
Soundtrack
I put the iPod on shuffle, so these are some of the selected tracks from today's cooking. I chose the most singable :)
Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler - a classic
Untouchable Face - ani difranco - the ideal song to rock out in the kitchen and get out any anger
hero takes a fall - The Bangles - 80's chicks rocking with guitars - what's not to love
mr. right now - The Nields - the weird but lovable groove of the full band
kick start - Lisa Loeb - this is from cake AND pie, the album that followed my beloved firecracker
summer rain - belinda carlisle - solo or with the Go Go's, you can't go wrong with Belinda
here comes the rain again - eurythmics - again, classic
ode to a would be lover - debbie gibson - you'll hear more about my love of debbie gibson later
good night sweet girl - ghost of the robot - james marsters is the lead singer :)
No links today...I have guests!
I usually pass by this one on the way to or from work, but this was my first time shopping here. It's small, but I got what I needed.
several varieties of heirloom tomatoes
1 box raspberries
1 box blackberries
1 round of black pepper and cheddar bread (I'm way excited about this one)
1 yellow squash
1 cucumber
1 bag salad mix
Since I'm hosting my friend, plus Jen and one of her friends, I'm excited to post my first dinner party entry.
Salad Course:
- The aforementioned black pepper and cheddar bread (some fresh and some as garlic toast)
- Green Salad courtesy of the fresh bag of salad mix
- Fresh Tomato Salad
1 onion (preferably red, but I happened to have a yellow one)
1 cucumber
vinegar (your choice, I used some pomegranate red wine vinegar)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano
Seed and roughly chop 4-6 tomatoes of various colors. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and chop into halfmoons. Thinly slice onion. Toss in a bowl. Add salt, freshly ground pepper, oregano and vinegar. Toss again. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again. Cover and chill. The longer it sits before dinner, the better it will be.
Entree
More garlic toast/bread
Baked Ziti 2 ways
1 box ziti with lines
1 container part skim ricotta
shredded parmesan
garlic powder
onion powder
frozen spinach
salt
pepper
shredded mozzarella or italian-blend cheeses
tomato sauce (preferably homemade - my recipe follows)
1st way:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In a bowl, mix about 1/2 container ricotta, handful of parmesan, and salt, pepper and spices to taste. Mix with 1/2 of the pasta and several ladlefuls of sauce. Put into baking dish and cover top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until top is bubbly and dish is heated through.
2nd way:
See above, but add a handful of thawed and drained frozen spinach to the cheese mixture.
For both, serve with extra sauce on the side, or meat sauce, or meatballs and sausage in sauce...the options are endless...and someday I'm sure you'll get my turkey meatball recipe here!
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Crushed Tomatoes (with or without basil)
onions
garlic
red pepper flake
oregano
basil
fresh basil
olive oil
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in large pan. Add 1/2 chopped onion per can of tomatoes - sometimes I make a little, sometimes I make a lot. Add 2 cloves of crushed, chopped garlic per can of tomatoes. Add salt, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and dried basil to taste. Once heated through and bubbling, add some torn or chopped fresh basil. Can be used immediately or frozen.
Dessert
Pound Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream
1 pound cake
berries
heavy cream
sugar
vanilla
I admit to buying pound cake...it's August, and I don't want to bake.
Earlier in the day, mix berries (whatever you have - I used half a box of blueberries, and the boxes of raspberries and blackberries I got today) and a few teaspoons of sugar. Set aside for a few hours.
I used frozen pound cake - it will need an hour to an hour an a half to thaw unless you want to thaw in the microwave (I didn't)
Beat 1 pint of heavy cream with electric mixer until it starts to thicken. Add 1 capful of vanilla extract (or you could use almond, orange, lemon, etc) and a few tablespoons of sugar. Beat until desired frothiness. Do not overmix, or it will become a soupy mess! Still yummy, but not thick and wonderful.
Spoon berries and cream over pound cake. Yum!
Soundtrack
I put the iPod on shuffle, so these are some of the selected tracks from today's cooking. I chose the most singable :)
Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler - a classic
Untouchable Face - ani difranco - the ideal song to rock out in the kitchen and get out any anger
hero takes a fall - The Bangles - 80's chicks rocking with guitars - what's not to love
mr. right now - The Nields - the weird but lovable groove of the full band
kick start - Lisa Loeb - this is from cake AND pie, the album that followed my beloved firecracker
summer rain - belinda carlisle - solo or with the Go Go's, you can't go wrong with Belinda
here comes the rain again - eurythmics - again, classic
ode to a would be lover - debbie gibson - you'll hear more about my love of debbie gibson later
good night sweet girl - ghost of the robot - james marsters is the lead singer :)
No links today...I have guests!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
