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!

11. Haitian Rice, Black Beans, and Corn Fritters

I must say -- I was pleasantly surprised with Haiti night! In all the hustle and bustle of this term, I've been looking forward to a mid-week cooking break.

I've felt so blessed lately - I have a wonderful husband, a job that I love, and such supportive friends and family. Sometimes, though, I forget to sit back and appreciate everything. I get bogged down in the details and to-do's, and I lose the big picture. Dorky disclaimer on this next statement, but I get a little sappy on weeks when I'm analyzing data. There's something empowering and almost awe-filled about unveiling a new pattern in the numbers-- particularly when those relationships can potentially change people's lives. I've decided data analysis days are among the few times when researching autism and fragile X is just about as inspiring as working one-on-one with kids and families affected by these disabilities. I feel so lucky to have a job that enables me to better understand the experiences and development of the super special kiddos who inspired me to go to grad school in the first place. So many random moments this week have reminded me of them. :)

I'm trying to "soak in" the little things more these days. During dinner, I had a little flashback to one of my favorite wedding day memories: our nearest and dearests lined up outside the dock with sparklers, leaving the two of us inside to "soak it in" -- we just stood there and looked out over the water. I remember saying, "This is it. We're married. We're at our wedding reception." It felt so peaceful to say it -- to just enjoy it for a few moments.

My mom has always been so supportive of my little adventures, and she's always telling me to "remember this," or "enjoy that," or "keep these memories." We have so much to be grateful for -- as stressful and crazy as our young, busy lives can get. Cooking gives me time to think, refocus, soak it all in. The house is quiet, the e-mails put away... it's just me, some obscure spices/ingredients, my trusty "boston terrier," and Co (if he's braving the kitchen that day). Such a therapeutic experience after a long day of work.

This meal wasn't too labor intensive, but it certainly took some time. I actually prefer those meals sometimes -- it's such a stress relief to do something productive with my hands without worrying too much about technique. I never fry food, but the corn fritters were a fun treat. The tumeric in the rice was subtle but satisfying. I've also never tried black beans mixed with balsamic, but they turned out delicious, too... after Co went to the store to buy me another bottle of balsamic. I dropped a grocery bag of vinegar and wine on the way home, and luckily the vinegar buffered the wine's fall :)

Enjoy!

Haitian Rice, Beans, and Corn Fritters

Healthy Haitian Tumeric Rice

1 T EVOO
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 c brown rice
1 box low sodium chicken stock
2 tsp tumeric
2 bay leaves
S, P, and cayenne

Heat the EVOO in a skillet, then saute the onion and garlic until translucent (5 minutes). Add the rice, and stir for one minute. Next, add spices and enough broth to cover. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, adding more broth as the mixture reduces. Remove bay leaves and serve.

*Note: the original recipe called for 1 c Arborio rice and 1/2 c broth + 1/2 c water (mixed in at once). I think brown rice has a longer cooking time, hence my method above. You may need to mix and match until you find the right fit for you!

Haitian Balsamic Black Beans

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and cut into 1" pieces
2 T balsalmic
S&P

Combine ingredients in a bowl, let marinate for 30 minutes.. then serve alongside (or on top of) rice.

Haitian Corn Fritters

Mmm... a fried (but delicious) mess.

3 eggs
1/2 c water
1/4 c butter
1 c flour
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
oil for frying
sea salt
tomato sauce for dipping

Combine eggs water, butter, and flour until mixed through. Stir in corn, and let the mixture sit for a few minutes. I radically changed the proportion on this (doubling the flour, reducing the water), so find a proportion that works for you. Drop into hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

Recipes tweaked from:  http://friendseat.com/CARIBBEAN-RICE-AND-BEANS-Recipe