Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

8 large jalapenos 
two big handfuls of spinach (3 oz)
8 oz light cream cheese
2 oz honey
1 oz hot sauce (or more, to taste)
16 oz reduced fat white cheddar, shredded
8 oz reduced fat provolone, shredded 
3/4 c light mayo 
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle jalapenos with some salt and pepper, then roast for 20+ minutes until skins begin to brown and blister. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, remove skin (as much as possible) and seeds. Put peppers in food processor and pulse until diced. Add spinach, cream cheese, hot sauce, Rand honey, and puree until combined. Place in large bowl with cheese, mayo, S&P. Stir to combine.

Serve with pita chips or celery. Also great on a burger!

Adapted from Polly's Front Porch Recipe on www.foodnetwork.com.

19. Lebanese Tabbouleh and Kafta

Lebanese Tabouleh
adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/tabbouleh-iii/Detail.aspx

1 box Tabouleh (or equivalent bulgar wheat), discard spice packet
3 small tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 c parsley, chopped
1/3 c mint leaves, chopped
2 t salt
1/2 c lemon juice
1 c EVOO

Prepare Tabouleh as indicated on box (leaving out the spice packet). Add in remaining ingredients and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Chicken Kafta

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 t cayenne
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
skewers

Soak skewers for at least 30 minutes, then preheat and oil grill pan. Mix remaining ingredients and form "meatballs" around skewers. Grill for about 30 minutes, turning gently with spatula to keep from sticking.

.. yum!

18. Argentinian Roasted Chicken with Chimichurri

 

Roasted Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

1 4-lb whole chicken

3 T minced garlic

1 sweet onion, cut in eighths

4t salt

2t white sugar

cloves

cinnamon

nutmeg

allspice

Preheat oven to 500. Stuff chicken with garlic and onion. Mix together remaining ingredients, then rub over chicken. Place in dutch oven, breast side down (may also use roasting pan, but we don't have one!) and surround with any leftover onions. Roast for 15 minutes, then baste with liquids and reduce heat to 450. Roast 15 more minutes, then baste. You may need to drizzle EVOO over top of chicken if liquid is sparse. Cover with foil and roast for 30 more minutes at 425, or until internal temperature reaches 180. Remove from oven and leave covered for 20 minutes.

tweaked from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Roasted-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Chimichurri Sauce from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chimichurri-Sauce/Detail.aspx.


Enjoy!!


 

Antipasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

This is my new favorite salad -- I've made several variations using different "Italian" ingredients. Apologies for the leftover picture.. we gobbled it up so quickly that I forgot to take pictures!

 

The original recipe was tweaked from Giada:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/italian-antipasto-salad-recipe/index.html

Antipasta Salad
1 head romaine
1 head iceberg
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 lb hard salami, coarsely cubed
(cheaper version = 1 bag turkey pepperoni, sliced)
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cans artichokes, drained and chopped
12+ oz hard mozarella cheese, cubed
(olives, pimentos, banana peppers, jalapenos... etc.)

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 c red wine vinegar
3 T lemon juice
1 t honey
2 t salt
1 c EVOO
S&P

Pulse vinaigrette ingredients in small food processor until smooth. Toss with salad ingredients and enjoy!

Another dressing option is Dijon Ceasar. I always play with the proportions based on my mood, but ingredients include white distilled vinegar, anchovy paste, EVOO, spicy dijon mustard, Worcestershire, parmesean cheese, lemon juice, and S&P.

17. Japan: Fried Tofu and Bok Choy with Noodles

Another delicious F&W inspired treat!

Ingredients:
1/2 bag whole wheat egg noodles
1 package firm tofu, drained
2c panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil, for flash frying
1 egg yolk
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 box sliced mushrooms (any type)
1.5 T grated fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 t fish sauce
1 t sesame oil
2 T rice vinegar
cayenne, to taste

1. Boil egg noodles until al dente, drain, set aside.
2. Cut tofu into 1" cubes, toss in a bowl with egg yolk.
3. Heat thin layer of oil in a skillet. Put panko in a large ziplock bag. Crush with hands until crumbs become a fine powder. Toss tofu in crumbs until covered. Remove tofu from bag, shake off excess crumbs, and fry on all sides until golden (in batches). Remove to paper towel to drain.
4. Remove excess oil from skillet, then add mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Stirfry until soft, then add bok choy, sauces, and spices. Stirfry until bok choy softens and shrinks, then add egg noodles and tofu. Keep over low heat to let flavors meld, stirring gently every few minutes.

Enjoy!

16. Authentic Mexican Enchiladas Verde

 Authentic Mexican Enchiladas Verde

2 BLSL chicken breasts
1 large sweet onion (1/4 chopped for serving)
3 cloves garlic
5 tomatillos, husked
5 serrano chili peppers, stems and some seeds removed
10 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
sour cream, chopped onions, and guacamole (below) for serving

Fill a medium pot with water (or chicken broth) and add chicken, 1/4 whole onion, and 2 cloves garlic. Boil until chicken is done and shread-able. Reserve some broth for salsa (below), then discard onion and shred chicken with fork.

Place tomatillos and serranos in another pot, cover with water. Bring to boil and continue boiling until the tomatillos turn "army green." Drain and add tomatillos and peppers to food processor. Add extra clove of garlic and 1/2 onion. Pulse until veggies "settle," then add broth from the chicken (once it's cooked, of course) to cover vegetables by 1/2-1". Blend until smooth, then return to pot and bring to a low boil.

In a small frying pan, heat thin layer of oil until simmering. Lightly fry tortillas in oil, flipping with tongs. Place tortillas on paper towels to drain.

To prepare, submerge each tortilla in verde sauce until soft, then fill with chicken, cheese, onions (if desired). Roll tortillas, place 2-3 side-by-side, and top with sour cream, guacamole, and extra verde sauce.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1/3 red onion, finely diced
5 pickled jalapenos, finely diced
1 T light sour cream, or to taste
garlic powder, salt, pepper
fresh squeezed lemon juice

Mash together... and eat. :)

Curried Apricot Zoku Pops

Curried Apricot Zoku Pops (makes 5-6)

1 can apricots, drained
1/3 c almond milk (would use creamer next time for flavor)
1 T brown sugar
1+ T honey 
curry powder to taste
dash of cinnamon

Remember to use a little more flavors (curry, honey) than you think you want - flavors lessen a bit when frozen. Puree ingredients in a small blender, freeze in batches. Enjoy!

14. A Turkish Feast for Two

"Cory, we're back to Countries this week."
"Do we have to?"

:) He's a champ. So we made this meal worth it!

We had a wonderful weekend together. I took off work (which I know sounds absurd given most people don't "take off" Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays)... for four glorious days. Last week, I miraculously turned around a really big project on a really tight deadline, which left me completely exhausted and sleep deprived. We only have a few weeks left of class, so I want to finish strong. Sometimes finishing strong requires taking yourself out of the game for a little while.

I also got back to cooking and veggies and all of those things that help me recoup. This week, we're tackling Turkey, Mexico, and Poland. Mmmm...

These recipes are modified from F&W.com, so I provided links and my substituted ingredients.

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette
*we used tangerines instead of oranges

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/watermelon-and-goat-cheese-salad

We had a watermelon, goat cheese, and mint salad at our wedding... so I was decided to try to make my own. We loved this treat -- although the goat cheese was very filling (so use sparingly!). I saved individual leftover portions in small tuperwares for an extra treat this week.

---

Turkish Kebabs with Garlic Tahini 
*we used pork instead of lamb

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turkish-shish-kebabs-with-garlicky-tahini

These were absolutely amazing - so fresh and yummy, and the mint added an extra twist. We stuffed leftovers in pitas with the awesome garlic tahini sauce for lunch tomorrow... can't wait!


---

Turkish Chopped Salad 
*instead of pomegranite molasses, used grapeseed oil, watermelon juice, apricot juice, and rice vinegar

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turkish-chopped-salad


All together, we loved this meal and will definitely recreate! The veggie prep was a little intense, but I managed to make a fruit salad along the way, and the chopped salad will last us a few more meals. I am a huge fan of hummus, but I loved the garlic tahini sauce as an accompaniment to the pork skewers. Totally delicious. We'll be visiting Turkey again soon, for sure!!

 

Devilish Chocolate Cupcake with Irish Buttercream

 

These were awesome. Period, end of discussion.

for cake:
1 box devils food chocolate cake mix
eggs and other ingredients, as specified on box
Irish Cream (to sub for half of the water in cake)

for buttercream:
1.5 sticks butter
1/4 c Irish Cream, plus more to taste :)
4-5 c powdered sugar.

Prepare cake mix as directed on box, subbing half of the water (or more) with Irish Cream. Bake until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool.

Cream butter in a mixer until pale and smooth, then add in 1c powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add Irish cream and 1c sugar and mix. Keep adding sugar, 1c at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically. Continue adding sugar until you reach your ideal buttercream consistency.

To pipe, put icing in a ziploc and cut off tip at an angle. Enjoy!

Almond Cupcake with Avocado Buttercream Frosting

 

Occasionally, I get these strange creative streaks that may or may not end in ambitious yet disastrous results. I wouldn't say these cupcakes were a disaster, but they weren't my favorite concoction to come out of our kitchen. I am sharing the recipe because I actually loved each component -- the almond cake was super yummy, and the avocado buttercream was surprisingly delicious -- the avocado becomes buttery and sweet. I would definitely make the almond cake again with maybe a fruit-based buttercream, and I'd make the avocado with either a vanilla, chocolate, or lime cake. Some people loved the recipe as-is, though -- so maybe it's just me :)

By the way, any time I'm baking something "interesting," I tend to cheat and use boxed cake mix -- saves time and lets me focus on the more fun elements!

Almond Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream

for the cake:
1 box white cake mix with specified ingredients (water, eggs)
1.5 t almond extract
1/4 c slivered almonds, chopped

for the icing:
1.5 ripe avocados
1.5 sticks of butter, softened
4-5+ c powdered sugar

Prepare cake mix as directed, then add extract and slivered almonds. Pour into cupcake dishes and bake until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

To make icing,  blend butter in mixer until pale and creamy. Slowly add sugar in 4-5 batches, blending over low-medium speed. Blend avocados in a food processor, adding some of the butter/sugar mixture if avocados don't cooperate (we used a magic bullet). Add avocado mixture to mixer and process until smooth. Keep adjusting sugar until you reach your desired buttercream consistency.

To pipe, place frosting in a large ziplock bag and cut the corner. Top with extra slivered almonds. Enjoy!

It's summertime: Cha'hlston Shrimp and Grits

When it hits 80 and shrimp goes on sale, you know its time for Shrimp and Grits in the south!

Everyone has their own favorite version of this dish -- and Cory and I have several. We generally don't go for the heavy cream-based versions, opting instead for the more gumbo-inspired ingredients. This one turned out delicious!

Shrimp and Grits

for the sauce:
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and diced
2 T EVOO
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bottle wheat, amber, ale-ish beer (we used Harp)
2 c frozen okra
1.5 t file powder (available at specialty stores)
red pepper flakes, tobasco, cayenne, S & P to taste
chives, chopped for topping

for the grits:
6 servings grits, prepared using chicken broth instead of water
1 c sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c parmesean cheese
1/4 c almond milk
tobasco, to taste

Prepare grits with chicken broth, then add almond milk, cheeses, and tobasco. Keep warm.

In a large sautee pan, cook turkey bacon then chop and set aside.  Add EVOO to pan, and sautee garlic and onions until fragrant and translucent. Add green pepper and stir until soft. Return bacon to pan and add tomatoes and beer. Stir to combine, then add okra and spices. Cook until reduced.

Serve shrimp mixture over grits and top with chives. Make the dish healthier by playing with proportions -- a little cheesy grits can go a long way!

Mediterranean inspired hummus!

I love hummus... and I'm sorely disappointed that almost all of  the premade hummuses in the stores are packed with fat and non-traditional ingredients like mayo (what? seriously?). Rather than pay $4 for fake hummus, I made a HUGE batch of my own for under $2. Hummus is definitely a taste-and-tweak personal preference thing, so I rarely record ingredients as I go.. but here are some estimates.

Lemon Rosemary Hummus (makes a billion servings)
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 c Tahini paste
1/3 c EVOO
1 T rosemary
1 T lemon juice
paprika, for topping

Blend ingredients (except paprika) in a good food processor until creamy. Add EVOO to make hummus more fluid, add Tahini to make hummus more nutty. Sprinkle with paprika and serve!

We added hummus to toasted sandwiches made with light whole wheat bread, onions and baby bella mushrooms sauteed in a little Pam, sprouts, and melted low fat provolone. Cory had seconds -- and he never ate hummus before we started dating! Healthy success :)

prayers

Sometimes life truly isn't fair, and it becomes so difficult to understand why things happen as they do. Justin is a close family friend from my brothers' high school days -- he was recently in a terrible car accident and is in critical condition. Please keep Justin and his friends and family in your prayers.

http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wlos_vid_4224.shtml

Zoku season is back -- Honey Cantaloupe Popsicles!

Zoku Pops are amazing. We bought a maker last year after I unsuccessfully tried to recreate the infamous Nashville Las Palletas using a garden variety of Walmart/Target popsicle makers. I don't think I could survive another Columbia summer without a Zoku!

We've learned a few tips and tricks throughout our various adventures... (1) always use some element of real sugar, or it won't work... (2) don't try anything carbonated, or it won't work... (3) don't try to freeze coffee or anything else too watery, or it won't work... (4) always make the mixture a little sweeter/more flavorful than you want the final product to be!

We love melon Zoku pops, so Cantaloupe was an easy first choice for the season!

Honey Cantaloupe Zoku Pops (makes at least 6 pops)
3/4 small cantaloupe, cubed
1/4 c vanilla coffee creamer (not sugar free)
1.5 T honey
cinnamon

Blend ingredients in magic bullet or other small food processor (we love the bullet because we can make lots of different popsicle mixes and store them in the handy containers -- easy cleanup, too!). Follow instructions to freeze two batches of popsicles. Remember, the second batch will take slightly longer than the first.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Bagel with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise

Mmmm... Sunday breakfasts with hubbie :) This meal was a delicious surprise. We had amazing eggs benedict in Charleston after our wedding, so we love trying to recreate the recipe!

Whole Wheat Bagel with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise
4 whole eggs
vinegar
2 egg yolks
1 T lemon juice
1/2 stick butter, melted
cooked bacon or ham (optional)
2 mini whole wheat bagels, halved
parsley

Bring a small pot of water (or bottom part of double boiler) to simmer.

In a small saucepan, beat two egg yolks with lemon juice until doubled in volume (several minutes). Place over saucepan of simmering water and continue beating the mixture for another minute. Do not let the mixture get too hot or the eggs will start to cook (and you'll lose the smooth Hollandaise texture). Whisk in melted butter and continue to whisk until doubled in volume (several more minutes). Remove from heat and place in serving dish.

Fill a medium/large skillet half way with water (may use double boiler water) and add a tablespoon or two of vinegar (to keep eggs from spreading). Bring to smooth simmer. Crack whole eggs into pan one by one, and poach by spooning over with hot water from the pan.

Toast bagel halves, top with hollandaise, bacon/ham, egg, hollandaise, and parsley. For a lower fat version, just spoon a little hollandaise over top -- you'll still get the buttery texture. Serve with strawberries or other fresh fruit!

Fried Zucchini Rotini

 

So I hate to even admit this little tidbit, but I got this recipe idea from Gwenyth Paltrow (I know -- she sings, she acts, she cooks!). Pretty simple, although frying anything takes some time. I'd be curious to faux fry the zucchini by baking it (I've done this with eggplant parm -- spread each slice with a super thin layer of light mayonaise, then dredge in Italian or panko breadcrumbs, bake).

Fried Zucchini Rotini 

1/2 box rotini

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 eggs, beaten

1 c flour seasoned with S&P

vegetable oil for fying

cayenne, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (to taste)

1/2 c grated parmesan

Prepare rotini until al dente; drain and toss with EVOO to prevent sticking. 

Heat oil in small skillet until a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped in. Dredge zucchini pieces in egg then flour (try not to retain too much egg -- it soaks up oil). Lightly fry on each side, then drain on paper towel.

Toss rotini, zucchini, cheese, and spices -- we liked ours pretty cayenne-y!

13. Indian Apricot Almond Curry Chicken

This recipe was crazy delicious. We love coconut curry but wanted to try something different... so this was another treat from F&W Magazine. The best part of the recipe was the apricots -- I could just eat curried apricots alone. I couldn't taste the almonds as much as I anticipated, so those could probably be omitted (or increased). We used flatbread (naam would have been more authentic!) to pick up the curry mixture. Delicious!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-almond-curry-with-apricots

12. Italian Turkey Minestrone with Mushroom Risotto

Italian Turkey Kielbasa Minestrone with Mushroom Risotto

I heart risotto. I ordered a delicious artichoke and tomato risotto in San Fran and couldn't get it off my mind! This dinner was absolutley fabulous... and we've already made another version of the risotto since (last night, actually -- squash, zucchini, and mushrooms).


Italian Turkey Kielbasa Minestrone
Pam
1 T EVOO
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1/2 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 box low sodium chicken broth
1 can great northern beans
1 can tomatoes
1 box chopped frozen spinach
S, P, cayenne, and red pepper flakes (to taste)
grated parmesan, for serving


Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Spray with Pam and heat EVOO. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add turkey kielbasa and sautee until browned. Add carrot, zucchini, thyme, and bay leaf; saute until carrots are slightly soft (2-3 minutes). Add broth, reduce heat so it doesn't boil over, and cover for 15 minutes. Add  beans, tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper (spices to taste). Simmer for 10 minutes and serve with parmesan!

Mushroom (or DIY) Risotto

1 box low sodium chicken broth
3 T EVOO, divided
2 boxes prewashed mushrooms (mix portabello with white; or with other veggies -- zucchini, squash, etc.)
1 onion, diced
1.5 c arborio rice
1.5 c white wine
2 T butter
3 chives, diced
1/2 c parmesean

Heat broth in a saucepan to a low simmer. Note: you will want the broth to be almost boiling each time it "hits" the rice, but the process is slow -- don't let it evaporate!

In a large saute pan, heat 1 T EVOO over medium high heat. Add mushrooms (or other vegetables -- not onions) and saute until reduced and tender, about 8 minutes. Remove mushrooms, add remaining EVOO, and saute onion until translucent. Add rice and stir continuously to coat in onions and oil (approximately 3 minutes). The rice should turn somewhat golden and translucent. Add 1/2 c white wine and stir continuously until absorbed. Continue to add wine by 1/2 c, wait to absorb, then add the final 1/2 c. Continue this process with the heated broth (should be simmering when poured into skillet). Continue pouring, stirring until absorbed, pouring, stirring... etc. When all liquid is absorbed, rice should be tender and al dente to the bite. Remove from heat and add butter, vegetables, cheese, and chives. Serve warm!

mozarella-stuffed meatballs

Best use of surplus string cheese yet :) We made these yummy chicken meatballs stuffed with pieces of string cheese... just use your favorite meatball recipe (ours is italian spices, chicken, egg, torn up piece of whole wheat bread, worcestershire), make an indentation for cheese, fill with a sliced cube, then top with more ground chicken mixture. Bake at 400ish until done!

some of my favorite treats!

Phew! I'm back from the whirlwind travel month. 12 flights in 30 days.. including two conference presentations, two fragile X assessments, a NIH training workshop, and the strangest birthday dinner ever. In keeping with the theme of the blog, San Francisco and San Antonio absolutely spoiled us with delicious food... so until I have time to catch my breath and blog about the trips, I'll leave you with a few yummy snippets :)

Lots of fun stories to come!

yummy Mexican-inspired breakfast at Boogaloo's in
Mission District... plantain cakes, black beans, chorizo
hash, cabbage salad.. and delicious coffee :)

crabs on the wharf

Anchor Steam Beer... Co's beverage of choice during our mid-afternoon
people-watching date at a sunny street table in Italian North Beach district

authentic spanish paella and sangria in Mission District

REALLY authentic Chinese food restaurant in Chinatown.
stories to come.

THE original Irish Coffee (to go) at the Buena Vista

lots of sourdough bread samples.

vino, vino, vino.. napa and sonoma!

delicious Italian food (risotto) at Mona Lisa restaurant in North Beach

Mediterranean restaurant -- pita and dipping oil

favorite meal in SF! taboulli, hummus, stuffed grape leaves (dolmas), baba ghanoush

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our first married Valentine's Day :)

Blue Cheese Filet Mignon over Thyme-Infused Mashed Potatoes
served with Broiled Lobster Tail and Garlic Green Beans

3 yellow potatoes
1 lb green beans
butter (3/4 stick, divided)
1/2 + 3/4 + 1/2 c low sodium beef broth
1 T EVOO
1 head garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
2 filet mignon
2 lobster tails
3 T fresh thyme
1/2 c heavy cream
1/4 c almond milk
1/2 c parmesean
1/2 c pinot noir
1/2 c + 1/4 c blue cheese
1/4 c panko crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Bring large pot of water to a boil, add potatoes, and boil until tender. Remove from water, let cool slightly, and remove skin. In small pot, heat 1 T butter, and sautee 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 onion, and 1 T thyme. Once onions are translucent, add potatoes, heavy cream, almond milk, 1/2 c beef broth, and S&P. Mash until desired consistency. Add 1/4 c blue cheese and 1/2 c Parmesan.

2. In a small dutch oven, sautee 4 cloves garlic and 1/4 onion in 1 T EVOO and 1 T butter. Once translucent, add 1/2 c wine and 3/4 c broth. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 c.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 T butter and 1 T EVOO in skillet. Add 1/2 onion and 3 cloves garlic, sautee until translucent. Add green beans (cleaned and ends discarded) and sautee until slightly soft but still crispy. Add 1/2 c broth and simmer until reduced.

4.  Oil grill pan and heat. Sear steaks on all sides (about 30 s per side). Once seared, put pan in oven and cook for approximately 15 minutes (until slightly under desired doneness).

5. Using kitchen shears, slice down center of underbelly shell. Brush exposed meat with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on silpat and baking sheet, exposed side up.

6. Mix panko breadcrumbs and remaining blue cheese in bowl. 

7. Once steaks are done, preheat broiler. Place steaks on baking sheet with lobster, and top steaks with blue cheese mixture. Put 6" under broiler. Remove steaks after 3-4 minutes (topping should be bubbly), then remove lobsters after 6-8 minutes (3-4 additional minutes). Shell should be bright red.

8. Serve mashed potatoes topped with steaks and lobster, then covered in wine sauce. Accompany with green beans. ... and don't forget to smooch your Valentine! :)

the best kind of breakfasts...

.. are made with love.

After a long week at work and a 36 hour assessment trip to Kansas, I was so excited to wake up to my wonderful husband making breakfast :) I won't give away his tricks, but the meal went something like this:

mmm... delicious pancakes!

the creature fiercely competed for pancake scraps

the chef... who wouldn't cooperate for the paparazzi
... but has beautiful blue eyes, don't you think?

Clearly the perfect morning, no? :)

I'm feeling a little under the weather today, but I'm excited about the week ahead. I just got back from a great assessment in Kansas, which has left me exhausted but encouraged. While eating dinner with the family, one of the little girls decided to hold "court" and have each of us (her mom, me, my advisor) tell the group why we love our husbands. It's been so fun to meet these families, these children.. to hear their stories. With the busy, busy weeks ahead, visiting with the families we work with is the best motivation to keep pushing forward. Like all of the kids we work with, our new little fellow came to us with an incredible and inspiring story.

Cory and I leave Friday for San Francisco - I'm so excited! I have a conference Tues-Friday of the following week, but we're heading down the weekend before for a mini-vacation in the middle of all of this chaos. My uncle has graciously offered us his condo near the boho Mission district -- I can't wait to explore, eat yummy food, visit the family... and most importantly, catch up with my man! Cory leaves Tues, then my friends from school are coming for the conference. I think we're planning so sneak off to Napa Valley, then I'll be presenting my master's thesis data ... then I come home for the weekend, re-pack, and head to Texas for a NIH workshop, conference, and another assessment. Two and a half full weeks of travel.

... hence why I'm a bit perturbed that I'm not feeling to hot today. I got about 3 hours of sleep every night last week, then hopped a plane to Kansas... so I'm not surprised my body is protesting. I just really need this week to catch up on school work and get ahead on school work so I can miss two weeks of classes without completely falling apart. Luckily, spring break comes after the Texas trips, so I'll have 5 days off to frantically catch up.

::sigh:: conference season. It's my favorite time of year, but it's always filled with adventures!

Thus, my posts may become a little more about eating fabulous food versus making fabulous food. The Mission district in SF is known for its amazing ethnic restaurants, so I've already started scoping out some potential conquests. The goal will be to eat somewhat healthily so I can still fit in my clothes when I get home!

So back to the present... I'm feeling so incredibly blessed amidst the cheesiness of Valentine's day. Cory and I have been married for less than a year, but I already can't imagine my life without him. He's such an inspiring man -- so kind, forgiving, loving, caring. He's constantly reminding me of the things in life that really matter - he pulls me out of my little world and back to life. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing valentine :)

"Love takes up where knowledge leaves off." - St. Thomas Aquinas

A taste of NYC... Pretzel Crusted Chicken, Croissant Pudding

I'm still in a food coma from tonight's yummy dinner :). Cooking today was a priority - life has been nuts this week (.. is it only Tuesday?!), so I really wanted to spend some quality time with hubbie and creature.

This week is one of those exciting times when I know I'll feel accomplished by the end... but making it to the end will be a challenge. In addition to presenting my first draft of my masters thesis on Thursday, helping our undergrads submit their first conference presentation abstracts (woohoo! so proud of them!), and putting together another awesome attention paradigm for our infant study (by, oh, tomorrow), I'm also flying out of town Friday morning to do a somewhat impromptu 36-hour research assessment with a sweet kiddo who has fragile X syndrome. To make matters more interesting, the week kicked off with a somewhat comical bang yesterday.

Yesterday was a Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

... to the point where it was almost laughable. I slipped on a patch of ice while walking Molly, at which point the brave cat-wannabe got scared and ran to our apartment, leaving me face down on the sidewalk. Monday just kept getting worse ... clients out of school, tons of RTI meetings, manuscript rejected (expected, but still sad), an increasingly sore rear end from the Ice Incident, and a bunked dataset that kept me at the office until 1AM. Although Molly lost some points due to lack of bravery during the Ice Incident, she somewhat redeemed herself by meeting me at the door, chipper as ever, in the middle of the night when I finally returned home after a record breaking 17.5 hour day.

The great part about a terrible Monday? Tuesday had to be better... and it so was. I found another broken parking meter, one of my dear friends met me at the office at 8am with lattes (seriously - how sweet!), my master's analyses are DONE.... and I beat Cory home in time to have dinner going by the time he walked in the door. Exponentially superior to Monday.

Tonight's dinner made Tuesday even better. Both recipes were tweaked from Food and Wine Magazine. The pretzel dish was delicious - pretty easy, and it mixed up our usual chicken repetoire. The croissant desert reminded me of a french toast tailgating dish I sometimes make - it'd be a delicious brunch treat, but we loved it as a rich dessert. The original recipe called for a few tablespoons of bourbon - I'd imagine cinnamon and brown sugar would be a yummy addition, too!


Pretzel and Mustard-Encrusted Chicken
1 10-oz bag Snyders honey mustard pretzels (must be the thick, stubby ones!)
1/2 c vegetable oil
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 c coarse mustard
3 T dijon mustard
1/2 c water
salt and pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken halves

Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, pulse pretzels until coarsely chopped. Pour into a shallow bowl. Wipe out the food processor, then add the rest of the ingredients (minus the chicken). Process until smooth, then pour half of the mixture into a shallow dish, reserving the rest. Arrange a wire rack over a jelly-roll baking sheet (with edges). Coat chicken in mustard mixture, then roll in pretzels, pressing the mixture into the sides. Bake for 15 minutes, then cover with foil to avoid burning and continue to bake 10-15 minutes, or until juices run clear. Serve with reserved mustard sauce drizzled over top.

Caramelized Croissant Pudding

Pam

1/2 c sugar

2 T water

2 large croissants, torn into small pieces

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c almond milk

2 eggs.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a small baking dish with Pam, then add torn croissant pieces. Meanwhile, bring sugar and water to a slow boil over medium high heat, stirring continuously. Once crystals dissolve, leave mixture on heat for 5 minutes until it begins to turn a light amber color. Immediately take off heat and stir in heavy cream and almond milk, slowing continuously. If caramel solidifies, put mixture back over heat and stir until combined. Whisk eggs in a bowl and add to milk mixture, then pour over croissants. Push down on croissants to ensure they absorb the liquid, then let sit for 10-15 minutes. Bake 20-25 minutes on a medium rack. Serve warm.

family photoshoot

Creature napping by the fire :)

typical night with Team Tonnsen

She's not symmetrical... but she's cute!