Back in the Game

My goodness has it been a long time since I last wrote a post! I'm pretty sure my audience is basically zero at the moment, but I digress...

I'm finishing up my Spring semester of senior year at college - Eeep! Where has time gone? 

Anyhow, I figured that I would ease back into posting with a simple snack I had the other day: goat cheese with pesto, olive oil, and black pepper; local golden tomatoes; melba toasts.

No Meal-Plan

At the end of my sophomore year of college, I decided that I would "liberate" myself from the chains of  the much despised meal-plan. The idea was that I would grocery shop either weekly or biweekly, and for the most part prepare all my meals myself. Now halfway through my junior year, I can reflect on the semester past and say this:

I definitely made the right choice. 

Yes, cooking from scratch does take some time (though not eons like one might think) and there was an adjustment period; but I see these things as small potatoes. The time I spend cooking is one of the few precious moments during the day where I can escape from the insanity and immense pressures of the academic world.

For a split second, my sole focus and responsibility is the approximately 6' X 6' area immediately around me - consisting of the stove, some pots and pans, produce, seasonings, and my knives and cutting board. The rhythm of knife making contact with cutting board as I chop a carrot or dice an onion is strangely soothing. Flicking a few water droplets into a pan and hearing the telltale "I'm ready" sizzle as water makes contact with oil. Garlic permeating the air only seconds after being tossed into the pan. A sprinkle of this, a dash of that - oh, and I can't forget a bit this too! In that moment, all is good and right with my world.

Below is the first meal I created after classes had officially begun - sometime in late August or early September 2013. It features a Chinese sausage and vegetable stir-fry, golden cherry tomatoes, and cilantro-lime-Thai basil rice. 

Baked Egg in Avocado

Yes, you read that right. 

I baked an egg in an avocado.

This is something that I had seen several times across various food blogs, and was always curious as to what it would taste like. Well, I finally tried the concoction out for myself sometime back in July.

The verdict? - Not bad at all!

I used my handy toaster-oven to complete the job, as baking a single, lonesome avocado half in a standard-sized over seemed ridiculous to me. Overall, I really enjoyed making and eating this dish. It's something that I can see as a nice filling snack on a rainy day, or perhaps as an appetizer. The prep work was all of 2 minutes - slice open avocado and remove pit, scoop a portion of flesh from one half, crack egg, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, bake for ~5-10 minutes at 375 °F, and enjoy hot out of the oven with a wedge of lemon. The only issue was that, for my taste at least, the egg was overcooked. Next time, I think I'll only leave the avocado in there for maybe 5 minutes and see how things turn out. 

Ingredients: (makes 2 servings)

• 1 avocado (ensure that it's ripe)
• 2 eggs
• Lemon
• Sea salt (or regular salt is fine too)
• Black pepper, freshly cracked

*Other Materials Needed: spoon, sharp knife, baking dish or foil-lined baking sheet

Directions:

1. If using a standard oven, preheat to 375 °F. (otherwise, skip this step)
2. With a nice sharp knife, split the avocado down the middle and remove the pit.
3. Scoop out some flesh from each half of the avocado. (set aside for other use or make into immediate snack)
4. Crack 1 egg into each partially-hollowed avocado half.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake for ~5-10 minutes, or until egg is done to one's liking.
7. Enjoy with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Yum.

Had this for dinner a few nights ago. Delicious. 

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

There has definitely been a lack of posts as of late - 8 months I believe. I have been cooking on a fairly regular basis since my last post, but either: been too lazy to take pictures of my creations; or haven't had the time to type up an entry. The end of spring semester and pretty much the entirety of this [fall] semester have been hectic to say the least. But now both are over and done with, and I finally have time to just breath and relax. For the next four weeks I will be home for winter break, and I plan on using my time efficiently to enjoy life - boy, has it been a while since I've had the chance to do that! 

I made this creation last night for dinner. When I started out, I had no intentions of making chili, much less a vegetarian/vegan version. The original plan was to make quinoa with a few vegetables mixed in and to have that alongside something else. However, when the quinoa was a few minutes shy of being done, I had the idea to add some canned tomatoes (stewed to be exact) to the mix. I started out with perhaps a quarter of a small, 14.5 oz. can but then chose to pour the whole thing in. Then I somehow thought to add a bit of cumin, and before I knew it, I had quinoa that tasted like chili! This is basically how I start out making regular, non-vegetarian chili - of course some variety of ground meat (generally 85/15 beef) would be used in place of the quinoa. I don't have any pictures at the moment - didn't take any right after making it or just now when I had some of the leftovers - but I still have plenty in the fridge, so I will update this post with pictures when I have them.

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

(makes 3-4 small to medium servings, or 2-3 regular sized servings)

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup broth (or water)
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small (14.5 oz.) canned tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil*
• 1-2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1-2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 2 tsp. sugar*
• salt & pepper to taste

Begin cooking quinoa according to package instructions. Generally speaking, it should be 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid (like rice), cook on high for ~1 min. until mixture boils, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for another 10 min. or so. I also added the olive oil along with the broth/water. The olive oil (or any oil) can be omitted if you'd like; I chose to use it because I like the flavor it adds to the dish.

When the quinoa is about halfway done, add the vegetables and garlic. Feel free to use as much or as little - and also any type of vegetable(s) - as you wish; I included carrots and red bell pepper because that's what I had on hand. Incorporate the can of tomatoes and also the seasonings (cumin, red chili flakes, salt, pepper). I just eyeballed the cumin and red chili flakes by first pouring some into my palm before dumping it into the pot. After doing this and taking a taste, I felt that the chili was on the bitter side (perhaps too much cumin? - I think I managed to add more than a tablespoon), so I added a small amount of sugar to counter that. 

Allow the chili to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 min. or so to allow flavors to incorporate and develop. Serve and enjoy alone or with a starch such as pasta, rice, or bread. 

This chili can be made into a soup by adding more liquid to the mix. 

*When making this, I used chicken broth that I had sitting in the freezer, so what I made was technically neither vegetarian, much less vegan. But that chicken broth can easily be replaced with water or vegetable broth, which would make the dish vegan.

Tastes Like Chicken

All I can say is this: yum! Below is a picture of the remnants of my dinner - seasoned steak fries and "gator bites" from a local eatery called Bayou Hot Wings. I placed my order and received the golden crispy pieces of amazing within ten minutes time.

Delicious.

Now if only I had some more...  

Potato Soup

I made this little concoction a few weeks ago.  What went into that bowl of deliciousness before you is a straight forward mixture of onions, garlic, celery, potatoes, chicken broth (or stock), bay leaf, salt & pepper, and olive oil.  Oh, and if you want, a splash of milk or cream! (I didn't use any).  I don't have the exact measurements of what I used - in fact, I never measure ingredients when I cook, but the process is fairly simple.

From Scratch

So I've officially made my first from-scratch dish while at college.  What did I make?

Hm... Let's see...

Well, it involved a whole-lotta tomatoes!

So what was it?  Soup?  Salsa?  Something else?

..................

Tomato sauce!

*doh* I just realized that I never took a picture of the finished product (as in arranged nicely on a plate).  There were also green beans in a lemon-butter sauce and a salad of micro greens (arugula and mustard greens) with a tomato/honey mustard dressing, neither of which I have pictures of.  Oh well.  All I can say is "please imagine some pictures of the aforementioned items."

Ingredients:

    (Sauce)

• 5 cups fresh (or canned) tomatoes
• 1/3 fresh basil (julienned)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (or more/less to taste) red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 box pasta (any kind)

-----X-----

    (Beans)

• 1/2 lb. green beans 
• 2-3 tbsp. (or thereabouts) butter
• 2 tsp. thyme
• juice of 1 small-medium lemon
• salt to taste   

-----X-----

    (Salad)

• 2 1/2 cups assorted micro greens (any kind)
• 1/4 tomatoes (*fresh) - diced or minced
• dressing of choice

Directions:

    (Sauce)

1. Bring oil to temperature (high heat) in a good sized soup pot or sauce pan.
2. Cut tomatoes (if using fresh) into thin slices.  Add them to the hot oil.
3. Let tomatoes sauté on their own for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to look like the beginning of a chunky tomato soup - whichever comes first.
4. Add salt, red chili flakes, thyme, and basil.  Mix well.
5. Reduce heat to medium, and allow sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (it usually takes me about 45 minutes).
6. After sauce has simmered, add cheese.
7. **Somewhere towards the end of step #5, begin to cook the pasta.

-----X-----

    (Beans)

1. Trim the ends off of your green beans, and boil them in salted water until they reach a vibrant green color.
2. Drain water (as much as possible) from beans, and return to pot.
3. Add butter, lemon juice, thyme, and salt to the green beans, and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

-----X-----

    (Salad)

     ***self-explanatory :)

Pictures *at last*

For some unknown reason, the pictures that I took of the teriyaki steak have disappeared from my phone.  The original recipe for the marinade, in addition to pictures, by Lisa, can be found at Cook Lisa Cook.  I basically used her exact recipe, but changed out the dry mustard for a couple heaping tablespoons of country dijon (I had none of the dry mustard).  Due to this, I won't post the recipe directly on my own blog, since: 1) it isn't my own; and 2) I did very little to alter it.  So please imagine a nice photo of some delicious steaks below.

Almost two weeks ago, I also mentioned making a  Shrimp Salad, but never got around to posting pictures of it.  Well, I've finally gotten to it!

Again, I modified Lisa's recipe based on what I had in my own fridge - and also a few ingredients that I felt like including.  But if anyone would like to see the original recipe, then it's right here.  Also, I scaled everything down a bit, since I was making this for just a few people.

Ingredients: (for my version)

• 1 lb shrimp, preferably small/medium (any size except those tiny salad shrimp will do)
• 1 Hass avocado (diced)
• 1 Florida avocado (diced)
• 1 medium shallot (finely minced)
• 1 tbsp. garlic (minced)
• 1 - 2 tsp. salt
• 1 - 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 - 3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (minced)

Directions:

1. Cook shrimp using any preferred method (boiling, steaming, etc.)
2. Combine cooked shrimp with all other ingredients, being sure to mix well.
3. Shrimp salad can be eaten right away, or be put into the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight (*I prefer letting it sit to chill for a bit).  Either way, enjoy!

Surf & Turf

Finally got around to doing some actual cooking today.  Both of the recipes I used were from Cook Lisa Cook: more specifically, the Shrimp Salad and the Teriyaki Steak (although I did make slight modifications to each).  *I'll post pictures tomorrow.

EDIT: (8/7/11) Yikes!  I completely forgot about the pictures!  I'll definitely upload them...eventually.

Best. Cookies. Ever.

These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are one of the best cookies I've tasted.  The dough is a snap to put together, as is the assembly of the actual cookies.  Unfortunately, I can't take credit for these delicious morsels.  

Credit for this amazing cookie recipe goes out to Elissa of 17 and Baking, where this and numerous other wonderful recipes can be found.

..and a closeup shot.

And again, credit goes out to Elissa of 17 and Baking.

Smiling Spaghetti

Look closely and you'll surely see a smile in the plate of spaghetti and meatballs below:

The hidden "smile" was completely unintentional - I only noticed it after I took the picture.

This recipe is straightforward and quick - somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour of total prep/cooking time.

Ingredients:

     (MEATBALLS)

• 1/2 lb ground beef (85-15 or 90-20 works best)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg (large)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. rosemary 
• 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup romano cheese
• 2 tbsp (or thereabouts) oil

-----X-----

(SAUCE)

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes (medium "chop" using blender)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 fresh basil leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 1 tbsp. rosemary
• 1 tbsp. red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (minced or thinly sliced)

*INSTRUCTIONS*

1. Combine ingredients for meatballs.
2. Form meatballs using 2 tablespoon-sized scoops of meat mixture.  Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet/pan/large pot on medium-high heat.  Place meatballs in skillet (about 6 - 8 at a time) in order to get a golden brown sear on all sides.
4. Set aside seared meatballs.
5. In the same pot used to sear the meatballs, use an additional 2 tbsp. oil (medium - medium/high heat) to sauté garlic until oil achieves a garlicky aroma.
6. Add the tomatoes, followed by the salt, rosemary, thyme, red chili flakes, and basil.
7. Allow sauce to simmer (medium heat) for approximately 15 minutes, then add the meatballs.
8. Let meats and sauce simmer for an additional 15 to 30 minutes.
9. During the last 15 minutes of step 8, add spaghetti noodles to a pot of boiling salted water.
10. Once pasta, sauce, and meatballs are done, generously ladle sauce and meatballs over a plate of pasta.  Garnish with parmesan cheese and cilantro (or parsley) if desired.