Happy Birthday, Sis! An Unintentionally Italian Fête (Plus Pie!)

I am not Italian.  Let's be clear about it.  But I love me some Italian food (as you might already know from my near-innumerable postings about Antico Posto in Oakbrook).

My sister requested stuffed shells for her birthday, and the menu that resulted ended up being pseudo-Italian and super delicious.

I'll admit, I made the shells from the recipe on the package.  It was simple enough but tedious at the same time.  If you're not a patient person, make lasagna instead.  The first shell I stuffed was neat and pretty; I made a cannelle from the filling and gingerly placed it in the pasta.  By the time I got to the last one, I'm pretty sure I was angry and had ricotta in my hair.  My best suggestion for the shells is this: make them ahead of time, arrange them in the pan, and stick it in the fridge until about 45 minutes before you're ready to eat dinner.  Nobody needs to see you cussing out a casserole dish.  Trust me.

Now, since pasta's pretty heavy (especially the kind filled with all manner of delicious cheesiness and topped with sausage-y tomato sauce) the only side dishes I made were salads.  Grape tomatoes looked excellent at the grocery store, so I halved two pints to make a caprese salad.  Here's how it went down:

Caprese Salad a la Foodie:

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved and salted to draw out moisture (stick them in a colander over a bowl for about 20 minutes)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-5 large leaves of basil cut into ribbons just before serving
2 Tsp. Balsamic vinegar
3 Tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
~1 Tsp. honey (maybe a little less)
Salt and pepper

Toss the mozzarella and tomatoes together.  In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, and honey with a pinch of salt and fresh-cracked pepper.  (You won't use all the dressing for this amount of salad.  Either store the remainder or use it for salad.)  Pour dressing, to taste, over tomatoes and cheese and add in basil.  Toss gently to coat and chill before serving.

I also threw together a great big romaine salad with thinly sliced hearts of romaine lettuce, quartered grape tomatoes, and a little thinly sliced red onion (which I rinsed with cold water and soaked for a while in a mixture of balsamic and water to take some of the sharpness out).

We usually go crazy with appetizers, but I wanted to do something simple this time around. We'd purchased a trio of Italian cheeses and some fruit, so I set up a little cheese board.  It featured Balsamic Bellavitano (strong, aged, nutty, with Balsamic vinegar), Parmesan SarVecchio (aged, sweet, nutty, a little caramel-y) and Asiago Fresco (a bit like Swiss, tasty but not my favorite) along with quartered black figs, sliced Fuji apple, and crackers.  Coupled with a nice Cuvee red wine and a sweet white, these snackies were an all-around crowd pleaser.

Dessert was pie (not homemade, regrettably, but darlings, I just didn't have the time!).  Also, fun fact: you can make your pie into a milkshake.  I won't go into details about why I made it.  Just know it's yummy.

Apple Pie Shake (Serves 2)

1 slice Dutch apple pie
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup 2% milk

Throw it all in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Taste it and be amazed (I know I was).

I'm still full...I guess it was a success.

Happy Almost-Labor Day!

~AF

Recipe: Cheddar-Rosemary Braided Pizza Bread Loaf

I know the name's a mouthful, but the recipe's a snap.  And it's delicious and pretty!

Ingredients:

1 tube pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
Fresh rosemary
Sharp cheddar
1/2 Tsp. butter, melted
Coarse-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Unroll the pizza dough. Sprinkle minced rosemary and about half of the sharp shredded cheddar down the middle third of the dough.

3. Using a sharp knife, cut a series of slits in the outer two thirds of the dough so that they form strips perpendicular to the way the loaf will run. This is very difficult to describe without a visual, so the next time I make this, I'll be sure to post photos of the dough cutting. Frankly, it ends up looking like fringe.

4. Fold the strips over the middle, angling them slightly, alternating right-left, right-left, down the length of the loaf. When you get to the end, tuck the strips underneath.

5. Brush the top of the loaf with the melted butter and top with the remainder of the shredded cheese and a little more minced rosemary. Add some black pepper if desired.

6.

The prettiest (and first) pizza bread-thing I've ever made.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

As I said, difficult to visualize without pics.  I have a snap of the result though. Check back later for a bread-braiding tutorial. Because I now realize that'd be a great thing indeed.

~AF

Recipe! Farmer's Market Potatoes with Rosemary

Last time we went to the farmer's market, we picked up a whole bunch of beautiful yellow fingerling potatoes, and last night's dinner called for a little starchy goodness to go alongside.  So naturally, I threw something together with what I had lying around.  Here's what I came up with (it's easy and delicious!):

Ingredients:

2 c. fingerling potatoes, washed
1 Tsp. sweet cream butter (unsalted)
1 Tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
Salt
Black pepper (fresh-ground, as always!)

Instructions:

1. Cut the potatoes into coins, between a quarter- and a half-inch thick.

2. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with 1/2 Tsp. butter and 1/2 Tsp. olive oil. You'll need to cook the potatoes in two batches to get them evenly golden.

3. Spread half the potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Sauté for about five minutes on the first side, then flip and sauté for five minutes on the other side.  If the potatoes aren't brown enough for your liking, continue to cook until they reach the desired color.

4. Before the potatoes finish, sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over the rosemary and chop it finely.  Place the rosemary-salt mixture in the bottom of your serving dish, along with a couple grinds of black pepper.

5. Once the potatoes are cooked, pour them over the rosemary and salt, and stir to distribute.

6. Repeat with the second batch of potatoes, using the remaining butter and olive oil to sauté.

I like to use a serving dish with a cover on it so I can just pop the lid on and give the potatoes a shake to coat them with the salt and herbs.  This side goes well with just about anything (bratwurst, portobello mushroom "burgers," actual burgers, chicken, etc...).  I dare you not to sneak a few before you serve this up.

Happy Cooking!

~AF

Easter Egg Strata! (And Other Spring Culinary Escapades)

The brunch is tomorrow morning!  All my ingredients are prepped, and I'm just waiting to make the custard and throw everything together.  Here's how it goes:

Egg Strata

2 c chopped bell peppers
1 medium onion, diced
1 dozen eggs
12 oz sausage (your favorite)
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1.5 c milk
1.5 c half and half
8 cups cubed bread
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the veggies!  I recommend slow-cooking the onions first so they get nicely caramelized.  I add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan and cook them over low heat.  Once they become translucent, I add a pat of butter and the thyme and stir the onions, allowing them to continue cooking until they take on a slightly golden tinge.  This ensures their sweetness.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Then cook the bell peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, lightly salted, until they are softened and slightly golden around the edges.

2. Break the sausage into small chunks, and brown it in batches over medium heat.  I like to make sure that the sausage is entirely cooked; it will warm in the casserole, but if there's any residual rawness, it'll still be there even after you bake!

3. Refrigerate the veggies and sausage to cool them down before adding them to the eggs!

4. The custard for the dish is comprised of the eggs, milk, half and half, dry mustard, and 1.5 cups of cheese.  The remainder will be sprinkled over the top of the casserole.  Whisk together the eggs and liquid first, then fold in the cheese.

5. Add the bread to the custard, gently tossing to combine.  Add in your accoutrements (peppers, sausage, onions) and toss to combine.

6. Pour everything into a greased 9x13" baking dish, pressing down slightly.  Make sure most of the extra custard goes into the pan.

7. Refrigerate overnight, if desired (you can also let it sit for an hour or so to let the custard absorb).  When you're ready to cook, top the casserole with 1/2 c reserved cheddar and bake at 375F for 45 minutes until the top is golden.

In other news, I can't wait for farmers' markets, loves.  I just want spring veggies.  I'll let you know how the strata goes over at Easter brunch.  Happy Easter if you celebrate it, Happy Spring if not!

~AF

Your Morning Yolk's New Best Friend

Maybe this isn't anything revolutionary.  But it sure is tasty...

You know when you get a jar of pasta sauce (good pasta sauce, something authentic and rustic) and you're left with too much sauce to toss and too little to use on another batch of linguine?

I have the solution, lovies.  My sauce of choice today?  A zingy, tangy arrabiata sauce, left over from last night's cincue colori conchiglie alla arrabiata (phew, that's a mouthful...a tasty, tasty mouthful).  My recipe?  A fried egg and focaccia sandwich with a shmear of the tomatoey stuff.

Here's how it goes.

Egg Sandwich Italiana

1 large egg
Sandwich-sized piece of focaccia (any kind you like)
1 tsp arrabiata sauce
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

1. Split focaccia, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Toast in toaster oven until golden brown.

2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan or skillet until it glistens.  Fry egg on one side, then add about a quarter cup of water to the pan and cover.  The egg should steam for about two minutes, sealing in the yolk under a thin layer of egg white and leaving it runny.  Top the egg with a bit of salt and a touch of cracked black pepper.

3. Smear the arrabiata on one half of the focaccia.  Place the egg on the bread and enjoy.

The sammy's messy, but it's delicious.  The fatty, savory yolk complements the acidic and spicy tomato sauce.  It works the same way as the hot sauce I liberally apply to my bell pepper and egg sandwiches.  And the focaccia?  Well, that just serves as a tasty, crusty bread that holds up to the cascade of runny yolk and reinforces the Italian-ness of the dish.

Molto buono.  Molto, molto buono.

Buon appetito!

~AF

Making the Most of the Salad Bar

So, college food is not great.  Correction, it is downright awful.  But there are often a few gleaming rays of hope within that sea of greasy pizza slices and overcooked pasta (a travesty...but I'll rant about that another time).  Case in point, the salad bar.

At my school, the salad bar is quite excellent.  There's a great variety of stuff that you can load up on, and this could either be a nutritional dream or a calorie-loaded nightmare.

I don't purport to be some sort of nutritionist.  I'm studying journalism, for crying out loud! But I do know, more or less, what is healthy and what most certainly is not.

As a rule, I try to get about four different colors on my plate.  Yes, colors.  I'll generally go with the Mesclun greens.  Why?  The Romaine is boring, and the spinach is a little on the bitter side for me.  Just with that, I've already got some green and purple foods.  I add on green peas and edamame (apparently I like green stuff...that's good, right?).  I also toss in a scoop of high-fiber, high-protein garbanzo beans (chickpeas).  I also have really come to like beets on my salad.  At our school's salad bar, the beets are served as slices.  Depending on how big the slices are, I'll go with three or four.

Carrots are my next addition.  My aunt would cringe; she doesn't like them.  But I do, and they're all loaded with beta carotene and vitamins and stuff.  Then comes the fun part: the little additive things.  I try to limit this, because this is the area where you can usually find the most unnecessary calories.

I always sprinkle some sunflower seeds on my lettuce.  These are fairly benign as long as they aren't salted.  I don't think they are at my school.  They're chock-full of healthy fats.  Today I added in a scoop of dried cranberries.  And I may continue to do that.  It was pretty tasty.

My dressing of choice is balsamic vinaigrette.  It is fairly neutral, in that it goes with pretty much all the stuff I add in.

I've started venturing out on a limb a bit.  Today, there was a cold salad of roasted potatoes, roasted red peppers and basil.  And another day I decided I would add some button mushrooms (apparently there were tasty roasted ones, but I opted for the raw sliced version...clearly an oversight).  But with a nutrition-dense core blend of vegetation, a little bit of potato salad won't hurt me at all.

Dr. Oz and many others have said that the key to healthy eating is to eat the rainbow...let's see how we've done: Green (lettuce, peas, edamame), Purple (lettuce), Red (beets, cranberries), Orange (carrots), and Tan (chickpeas).  I'd say a job well done.

~AF

AF's Basic Salad Bar Blend (all measurements are approximate):

1 c. Mesclun greens

1/4 c. green peas

1/4 c. raw edamame (soybeans)

1/4 c. chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1/4 c. shredded carrots

3 or 4 beet slices, depending on size

1 Tsp. roasted sunflower seeds

1 Tsp. dried cranberries

1 or 2 Tsp. balsamic vinaigrette

The Mac Daddy: Homemade Baked Mac 'n' Cheese

Nothing much to it, lovies!  You just need a handful of ingredients, and you too can make tasty pasta!

I made this for my sister's birthday, and everybody loved it!  (A success, I tell you!)

Basic Baked Mac:

Melt some butter in a saucepan.  When it begins to foam, add a quantity of flour equal to the amount of butter you added (1 tablespoon of butter to one tablespoon of flour, etc., based on how much sauce you're making).

Now whisk, whisk, whisk!  Don't let it burn!  The flour needs to cook out a little.  After a few minutes over medium heat, begin to whisk in some milk (nothing lower in fat than 2%. Skim milk screws this up).  Keep whisking!  Don't want any lumps in that béchamel.

Add in a dash of nutmeg (that flavor that'll make you wonder why it tastes so good) and a dash of dry mustard (it lends depth of flavor).

Now add in your cheese.  I may have erred in using a sharp aged cheddar.  Tasty, for sure, but it didn't melt nicely!  You really need a Gruyére or other melting cheese.  Whisk it in and check to see if you need salt.  Depends on the cheese you use.

Pour the sauce over your pasta (macaroni is good, cavatappi is better!  Part macaroni, part corkscrew pasta, all good when it comes to cheese sauces).  Mix well so every noodle has sauce on it, then pour it all into a greased casserole dish.  Top it off with a mix of sharp cheddar (a must in this case), grated parmesan (for nuttiness), and breadcrumbs (I like Italian-seasoned, but Panko works well too).

Pop the whole concoction into the oven at 375 F and let it bake away until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden and crispy.  I made my macaroni in a 9"x9" glass casserole and popped it into the toaster oven.  Being that the top was close to the heating element, the topping crisped quickly, so I really can't tell you how long yours will take in a real oven.

Adjust the recipe to your taste, just like I always say (I like changing up the cheeses and adding meats like sausage or ham).

Bon Apetít!

~AF

Catching Up On a Cultural Phenomenon...Sort Of

Well, readers, I've done it.  I ate my first Big Mac today.  It bothered my stomach, by the way, so I won't rush to purchase another from the Golden Arches.  However, I did find it tasty in its own fast-foody sort of way.

I like the pickles (although I would have liked a couple more on my sandwich), and the Special Sauce was tasty.  Luckily for me, since I'm not crazy about raw onion, the onion portion of my burger didn't come through too strong.  And I love me a sesame seed bun!

But it was all just too much!  Two patties?  That awkward third sort-of-bun between the patties?  Enough saucy shredded iceberg to make the whole concoction slide around like a stack of CD's during an earthquake?  The fact that it cooled down alarmingly fast once I opened the box?  No, no, no, no... That just won't do.

Now, I think I'd like to be somewhat of a Fast-Foodie...and make my own version one of these days.  One patty, made of fresh 80/20 chuck, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried minced onion, and Worcestershire sauce, and grilled to perfection.  One bun, top and bottom (no awkward additional carbohydrate as architecture here, no, siree!).  A little bit of Vidalia onion, or maybe some thinly sliced shallot or scallion.  Good garlic dill pickles, and lots of them!  Snarlingly sharp cheddar cheese!  A more interesting lettuce than iceberg!  I just can't wait.

As for that special sauce?  My version will have a blend of high-fructose-corn-syrup-free ketchup (found at grocery stores, more tomatoey than its super-sweetened counterpart), yellow mustard, light mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, black pepper, and a heavy dash of paprika.

Inspiration?  Yeah, I'm loving it, alright.  I'll report back when I finish my experiment.

Until then,

~AF

Pasta Salad and Mini Meatloaves: Just Another Foodie Saturday

Readers!  The Foodie has the materials she needs to make amazing food!  We got eggs, and ground beef, and orzo pasta, and...okay, I'll calm down.

But seriously.  Having ingredients to cook with makes a huge difference in the Amateur Foodie kitchen. 

Lunch today was another Greek-inspired dish, this time an orzo salad.  I prepped a vinaigrette dressing with red wine vinegar, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, plus a dash of dried oregano.  The oh-so-essential accoutrements portion of the dish included sliced pepperoncini that I chopped up even smaller (leave them as-is and they take over the whole dish!), quartered black olives (nothing special...I would've liked some nice vinegary Kalamata olives, but I worked with what we had), meticulously chopped cherry tomatoes (lose the seeds and the jelly-like medium they're suspended in, and you lose a great emulsifying agent! Plus, you don't want to crush those little babies), cucumber diced up teeny-tiny (seeds removed, of course), and feta cheese.

My best piece of advice is to put the hot pasta into the dressing and toss.  This keeps the starches in the orzo from making your pretty salad into a bowl of pasta clumps and veggies.  Then chill, baby, chill!  You cannot.  I repeat, you cannot put crisp, delicious fresh veggies into hot pasta and expect them to remain crisp and delicious.  Think I'm wrong?  Try it.  Be disappointed.  But don't say I didn't warn you.

Unfortunately, there is no photo of the pasta.  Put it this way, I didn't make a lot of it, and my mom and I really liked it.  Really.

Our second topic of discussion this evening is meatloaf.  Calm yourselves!  I call myself a foodie, yet I'm preparing stuff like meatloaf?  Yes.  Yes I am.

Because, truth be told, sometimes I just crave meatloaf.  It was never something we had on a regular basis, so I never got tired of it, and I never ate enough bad meatloaf to get on the bandwagon with the people who hate it.

Meatloaf can be really delicious if you have fresh ingredients and a good recipe.  Still too un-foodie-like for you?  Well, get ready.  I'm about to tell you what's up.

Mashed potatoes and a gloriously glazed mini meatloaf.  Notice the elegant white plate?  Mmhmm.  Fancy.

Mini.  Meatloaf.  Muffins.  Heck yes.  Something about making a big ol' meatloaf in a little muffin tin turns it into the most twee, foodie-like thing ever.  Yes, twee.  Cutesy.  Like Zooey Deschanel's outfits.  Or kittens with bows around their necks.  Meatloaf's never looked tastier.

Pick your favorite meatloaf recipe (if you don't have one already, find one, for crying out loud!).  Make it as you normally would, and divide the meat into lightly greased muffin tins (use cooking spray or olive oil...not butter and flour).  Cooking times can be dicey, so keep an eye on your mini loaves.

In my opinion, an important aspect of foodie-ness is an ability to adapt a recipe.  To make it better, obviously.  So here are some changes I made to my standard-issue meatloaf recipe (from that plaid cookbook that pretty much everybody owns).

• Sauteed onions:  The recipe just says to add a quarter cup of chopped onion, raw (raw?!?) to the meat mixture.  From past experience, the onion just ends up with a weird consistency.  It's not done enough for me, so before I assembled the mix, I sauteed my onion in some canola oil over low heat until it was slightly golden (and certainly no longer raw.  Nothing ruins a velvety, soft meatloaf like biting into a big chunk of onion).  Be sure to cool it thoroughly before adding it to the meat!
• Italian breadcrumbs:  The recipe calls for plain, dry breadcrumbs.  We only had panko or Italian-seasoned, and the last time I used panko in a meatloaf recipe, it was just strange.  Italian crumbs it was, then.  And, might I add, they were delicious.  That little bit of herbage offers another dimension of flavor that does just enough to help the meatloaf without being overpowering.
• Muffin tins!  There are no instructions for making meatloaf muffins in my cookbook.  Quite the oversight, I think.  The cook time for a free-form 9-inch diameter patty was 50 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit.  So I cooked the muffins for 30 minutes at 350.  Then I unmolded them.  Then they went back in for ten minutes.  Then, since my mother wasn't home yet, they went into the fridge.  Just before serving, I heated them at 350 for ten minutes without glaze, plus another ten with glaze.  You may need to play around with your cook time.  Less is more, unless your beef is still bloody in the middle.  Please don't get sick.
• Gooey glaze:  The recipe said ketchup, brown sugar, and dry mustard!  I didn't listen!  I skipped the dry mustard, adding a squish of Dijon instead.  I used uber-molasses-y dark brown sugar in lieu of the more traditional light brown.  And I added a healthy shot of Worcestershire sauce.  (I can't eat a beef dish that doesn't contain Worcestershire.  Don't ask why.  It's just good.)  And it was the best meatloaf glaze I've ever had.  It was like candy.  Only with Worcestershire sauce.

I served my mini meatloaf muffins with sour-cream-and-garlic mashed russet potatoes.  I steeped rosemary in the cooking water, and poached a garlic clove with the potatoes.  Not only did poaching make the garlic super easy to peel, it mellowed the flavor and made it easy to smash it into a paste (which mixed oh-so-nicely with my 'taters).  Tasty?  Indeed.

Embrace the Meatloaf!

~AF

Putting My Must-Haves to Work: Pepperoncini Peppers

Okay, I said I'd try to help you out.  I gave you a list of essentials, and then I didn't follow through and tell you what to do with them!

Pepperoncini peppers look like a wild card on the list.  What are you supposed to do with a spicy pickled condiment?  Actually, you can do a lot.  My suggestion today is just one example of the many possible uses of this tasty ingredient.

If you're someone who likes tuna salad sandwiches like I do, then you're gonna love this quick tip.  Use the peppers, along with some Romaine lettuce and Greek feta cheese to perk up a classic.  Instead of doing the traditional tuna, mayo, and pickle relish version of tuna salad, leave out the pickles.  Just drain the tuna really well (the peppers will add liquid back in, and we're not making tuna soup sandwiches here), then mix in just enough mayonnaise to sort of bind the tuna together.  After adding just a pinch of salt and a twist of cracked pepper, you're ready to assemble.

I always toast my bread for any sort of meat salad sandwich, whether it be crab salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad.  The bread du jour in our house this weekend was English muffins.  They actually go surprisingly well with the tuna and peppers.  I too was shocked.  You can really use any bread you like, but I prefer something a little more adventurous than just your standard white bread.  Whole grain and 12 grain bread are my favorites when I have them on hand, although a nice hearty sourdough or marble rye would also be really tasty.

So set up your bread, adding a couple leaves of romaine to the bottom piece (this keeps the underneath of your sammy from getting soggy).  Please don't chop up your lettuce.  It's not as good that way, and if your bread is still hot, it'll just wilt faster.  Top the bed of lettuce with a healthy scoop of tuna.  Then nestle a few slices of pepperoncini pepper in the tuna.  Sprinkle with crumbled feta, then finish by topping the sandwich with more lettuce and the top of the English muffin (or other slice of bread).

The spice from the pepper acts as a more flavorful and savory alternative to sweet relish, and the feta ties everything together and makes it feel a little like a Greek salad on a sandwich.  It's something to try.

You can use pepperoncinis just about anywhere you would otherwise use pickles.  And pairing them with ingredients like feta or Kalamata olives can turn something like a burger, chicken sandwich, or salad into a Greek-style treat.

Opa!

~AF

A Tasty Egg Casserole for the Weekend

Now, readers, I may have been slacking off a little lately, but just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been hard at work gathering material to share with you.

On the weekend, I like to cook.  Actually, I like to cook any time, but especially the weekend.  It shouldn't make a difference since I'm on summer vacation right now, but I digress.

I like to cook on the weekend!  And this weekend, I raided the veggie crisper and came up with something I just had to share.

We've all been there.  The last two or three eggs in the carton are about to pass the "best by" date, and the veggies are nearing the point where you're not quite sure if they should be consumed.  Fear not!  This will solve your problems.

With an array of veggies that complement each other and enough eggs to turn them into a casserole, you too can have a delicious breakfast to share with your mom (and then reheat the next morning for breakfast again, but we'll get to that later!).

Basic Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

•  4-5 mini sweet peppers (or 1 medium-sized red or yellow bell pepper)
• 1/2 medium Vidalia sweet onion
• 3 medium-sized button mushrooms
• ~1/3 c. sweet cherry or grape tomatoes
• 3 large eggs
• 3 Tsp. 2% milk
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Fresh-cracked black pepper
• Salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Butter (to grease the casserole dish)

Instructions:

1. Prep your veggies:  Chop the onion into a 1/4 inch dice.  Cut the peppers into small strips.  Slice the mushrooms.  Halve or quarter the tomatoes, depending on the size.  If all of your veggies are prepped ahead of time, you won't need to rush back and forth trying to get everything ready for the pan.  Also preheat your oven (or in my case toaster oven) to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat.  Add in the diced onion and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
3. Once the onion has had a chance to cook, add in the sliced pepper.  Add just a pinch of salt to draw the moisture out and help it to cook.  (If you want to speed up the cooking process, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to generate steam and put a lid on it.  Let the veggies steam a few minutes, then let them cook uncovered for a bit to let the water evaporate.)
4. Once the peppers are softened and the onions and peppers are starting to brown just a bit, add in the mushrooms.  After the mushrooms soften and shrink up a little, toss in the tomatoes, stir a bit, and shut off the heat.  You want them to remain plump and juicy in the casserole.  The veggies will rest a while in the pan while you prep the eggs and casserole dish.
5. In a small bowl, crack the three eggs.  Add in the milk, along with a pinch of salt, a few twists of ground pepper, and the dried thyme.  Beat the eggs vigorously with a fork until the yolk and white are well-blended.  (If you want to use more or fewer eggs, it's fine.  You should add as many tablespoons of milk as the number of eggs that you use.  If you use four eggs, use four tablespoons of milk, and so on.)
6. Here's where my recipe differs from most.  Grease the casserole dish with butter.  Put the veggies in the dish first, then sprinkle the cheese on top of them.  Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and cheese, and gently stir until everything is well-dispersed.
7. Place the casserole in the preheated oven.  The eggs will cook at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Stir the whole mix after the 5-minute mark and the 10-minute mark.  This will make the casserole fluffy.  But after that stop mixing.  The casserole develops a nice souffle-like puff as it finishes cooking (thanks to the milk we added, along with some residual water from the veggies).
8. You know it's time to take the casserole out when the middle is set.  You can gently part the eggs in the middle of the dish with a fork and just make sure there's not any liquid egg remaining.
9. Allow the dish to rest for about five minutes after it is removed from the oven.  Tent it with foil (loosely cover it up) so the top stays nice and warm.  You can serve it with some extra cheddar for on top.  Serves 4.

Here's some important stuff to note:

Use milk and not water for a creamier casserole.  Substitute water and it'll be much puffier, but not as smooth.  Plus, I think the milk gives it a nice flavor.

You can use just about any vegetables that go together.  Just remember, aromatics like onions and garlic cook first.  Don't leave garlic by itself in the pan for too long because it'll burn, and burnt garlic tastes yucky.  'Yucky, you say?'  Yes, yucky.  Don't burn it.  Veggies that contain more water take less time to cook and should be added toward the end of cooking so they don't become mush.  And never steam watery veggies.  Never.  They are soggy enough already.  These veggies include mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes.  Greens like spinach and kale can wait to go in until the end.  And peppers and eggs are a match made in heaven.  I recommend using peppers.

Don't use a mild cheese if you're going to bake it in!  The flavor will just disappear into the eggs, and you'll be left panicking and asking yourself if you forgot to add the cheese.  Sharp or extra-sharp cheddar go so well with eggs...use them!

Do not be afraid to add salt.  Say it with me.  Don't be afraid to add salt.  Eggs love salt.  Plus they'll taste like Spackle if you skip the seasoning.  That's Spackle, not spaetzle.  One is a delicious German food, the other is, well, drywall putty.  Not that I know what Spackle tastes like, but I would imagine it would be something like unseasoned eggs.  Get it? Got it? Good.

Thyme is super-traditional with eggs, especially in French cuisine.  And it's tasty.  But you could use any herbs you like with your eggs.  Except maybe mint.  But I'm not a big fan of mint anyway, so use it if you'd like.

Unless you have high cholesterol anyway, please don't be afraid of using eggs.  They contain lots of protein and important nutrients and stuff.  Plus they're much tastier than that fake-egg-in-a-carton stuff.  (I've just used the word "stuff" twice...well, now three times.  The journalist in me is having a temper tantrum...but you're picking up what I'm laying down, right?)

When you go to reheat any leftovers, add a teaspoon of milk to the top of your serving before you microwave or bake it.  This will keep it moist and delicious, instead of making it the consistency of a kitchen sponge.  Preferable?  Yes, indeedy.

Enjoy your breakfast, and try to share it!  Eggs are good for you, but not if you eat the whole casserole.  Plus, your parent/significant other/kid/whoever's eating with you will really appreciate the fact that you cooked for them!  (Because you were cooking for them, right?  Wink, wink?)

Happy Cooking!

~AF

Now That's What I Call Lunch! Quick Asian-inspired Veggies With Sticky Rice

Well, readers, I'm at it again.  Another Sunday gone by, a Sunday at home with only some vegetables and my own ingenuity to help whet my appetite.

Lucky for me, we happened to have just the right veggies for a great Asian-inspired stir fry of sorts.  Okay, maybe zucchini doesn't exactly scream Asia, but with the right flavors, you can kinda fudge it.

Asian flavors can vary, but a pretty safe way to go would be to combine garlic, chile, ginger, and lime.  I would also recommend adding in cilantro and onion, but for the recipe I made this weekend, I didn't have a plethora of ingredients to choose from.

Here we go!

For the veggies:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized zucchini
• 3-4 mini sweet peppers (or 1 red bell, if you can't find them)
• 1 medium-sized garlic clove
• 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
• ~1/8 tsp. dried ginger
• 1/2-3/4 tsp. honey
• 1 Tsp. prepared teriyaki sauce (you can find this at the grocery store...if you don't have it, use 1 tsp of soy sauce)
• About 1 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

1.   Mince up the clove of garlic into very small pieces.  This is important!  It needs to be able to cook all the way so you don't get a big chunk of raw garlic.  Remember what I've said about warding off vampires?  Good.
2. Cut up the pepper into thick strips.  You want this a little chunky, so the pieces can be about a half inch wide.  Dice the zucchini into about 3/4-inch pieces and set aside.  This will go in last.
3. Put a frying pan over medium heat and let the oil heat up.  Add the garlic and allow it to cook just until it becomes fragrant, then add the peppers.  These need to cook a little longer than the zucchini; this way the peppers will get soft and sweet like you want them.  Allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers can be easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife.  (NOTE: If you do not stir, the garlic will burn.  Burned garlic is awful.  Please stir.)
4. Once the peppers are cooked enough, add the zucchini.  Add all of your seasoning except the lime, then stir.  This will allow the spices to bloom a little, bringing out their flavor, and the zucchini will soak up the flavors like a sponge.
5. When the zucchini is done, right before you plate the dish, cut the lime in half and juice one half into the veggies, stirring to combine.
6. Serve with sticky rice (below).  Serves 2.

For the sticky rice:

Ingredients: 

• Your favorite white rice, enough to make 2 servings.
• ~1 Tsp. rice vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
2. While the rice is still hot, sprinkle the vinegar over the top of it, then stir well to distribute.  This should make the starches in the rice sticky.

Happy Cooking!

~AF

Now That's What I Call Lunch! Couscous and Sausage-Veggie Ragout

Hello, readers! Sincerest apologies for my absence.  But when AF gets the sniffles, she doesn't like to use the family PC.  I'm feeling refreshed, revitalized, and super-amped about this week's food.  Last night we had gyros from one of the most bang-for-your-buck places around (and they were delicious!), and we have scheduled a super-fun dinner outing with my food-loving auntie to one of my favorite (favorite!) Spanish tapas restaurants ever.  There shall be photos.

But for now I must once again wax poetic about one of my favorite activities (second only to eating amazing food): Cooking!

This morning I was hungry for lunch, and not just some blah turkey-sandwich-and-carrot-sticks-type meal.  But we as a household are in desperate need of a trip to replenish our food supplies.  Now, in these dreary days just before you must, must, must hit the grocery store, ingredients are sparse and, quite often, puzzling.  What's a foodie to do?  Give up?

No, sir!  Instead, I decided to employ the ingenuity required of a contestant on Food Network's Chopped.  The mystery basket ingredients? Dry couscous, one frozen bratwurst, mini sweet peppers, and frozen spinach.

What I came up with was pretty tasty (just ask my mom!).  And here it is:

AF's Couscous and Sausage-Veggie Ragout:

Ingredients

About 4-5 mini sweet peppers
1 frozen bratwurst
1 c. frozen spinach
1 c. dried couscous
Paprika
Granulated garlic
Nutmeg
Chili flakes
Olive oil
1/2 Tsp. unsalted butter
Feta cheese (or any cheese you like for garnishing...we just happened to have feta)
Water

Directions:

For the ragout:

1. In a frying pan or skillet, let the frozen bratwurst start to sear.  As the brat is cooking, prep the sweet peppers.  I like to just cut off the tops, halve them lengthwise and clean out the seeds and ribs, then slice them into strips.
2. Once the brat is seared on both sides, use a sharp knife to cut it up into small chunks.  Return the chunks to the frying pan and let them caramelize a little.
3. As soon as the meat has some nice color on it, add the peppers.  If there isn't much brat grease in the pan, you may need to add a little olive oil.
4. When the peppers become fragrant, add the spinach.  I would recommend covering the pan with either a lid or a splatter shield until all the spinach is nicely thawed...it might spit at you a little.  Allow the greens to heat through and shrink a little.
5. To finish off the ragout, add a pinch or so of each of the spices (paprika, garlic, nutmeg, chili), to your taste.  Then add a touch of water, no more than a quarter cup, turn down the heat to low, and cover for about two minutes.  Then it's ready to serve.

For the couscous:

1. In a small saucepan boil 1 cup of salted water.
2. Once the water boils, add the cup of couscous.  Stir quickly and cover for about 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes fluff the couscous with a fork.  I like to add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter.  Mix it in, and taste to see if the pasta needs any more salt.

Just top a nice pile of the couscous with a hearty spoonful of ragout, then garnish with cheese to taste.

Until next time (when we talk tapas), happy eating!

~AF

Now That's What I Call Lunch! Simple Summer Spaghetti

Readers, readers, readers!  School's out, and while I still have time in my pre-college schedule, I'm going to blog my socks off.  That means cooking, eating, and cooking some more.  Here we go...

This is the start of a new segment, born from my weekends spent at home with my picky eater of a sister.  I love her to death, but she never seems to want to try the things that I cook.  On weekends, it's just us, and I have the freedom to play around in the kitchen, usually just to feed myself.

Recently I've made fresh pasta (pappardelle with crisped onions and sausage), as well as sauteed spicy vegetables with rice.

But this post focuses on what I made for my lunch today.  With half a Vidalia onion, a handful of cherry tomatoes, and plenty of determination and spices, I made a delicious (and satisfying) lunch for me and my mom.

Simple Summer Spaghetti:

Ingredients:
Half a medium-sized Vidalia sweet onion
About 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
4-5 large leaves of fresh bouquet basil, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Enough spaghetti for about 3 people
Grated Grana Padano cheese (to garnish) **You can use Parmigiano Reggiano if you can't find the Grana.

Instructions:

1. Chop the onion into fairly small pieces (about 1/2 inch dice).  Salt lightly and saute in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized and golden, stirring occasionally.
2. While the onion is cooking, halve the tomatoes.  Once the onion is golden, add the tomatoes to the pan, along with all of the seasonings except the fresh basil.  Be sure to add enough salt...tomatoes love it.  Put about a quarter cup of water in the pan, lower the heat, and cover.
3. Cook the spaghetti, according to package directions, until al dente.
4. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, uncover the tomatoes and allow excess liquid to evaporate.  You may want to add a few tablespoons of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to the vegetables so they combine properly.
5. Drain the pasta, then add it directly into the tomatoes and onions.  Toss to combine, and allow everything to cook together for about a minute.  Add the chopped fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh-cracked pepper.  Serve topped with Grana Padano.

Buon Apetito!

Sláinte for St. Pat's Day! Shepherd's Pie that's a No-Brainer

Readers, readers, readers!  The Amateur Foodie has been neglecting you.  And she's upset about it.

Certainly I've not been fasting or anything silly like that (not that it's silly to fast...it's just a bit comical to think of me depriving myself of tasty food for an extended period of time).

I've been cooking and eating, but I've also been writing essays and doing Calculus homework, which makes it a little tough to get online and share with you.  The important thing is, I'm back!  So, now that I've apologized thoroughly, to the food!

Yesterday was that most hallowed Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day.  Some like it for the beer, others for the whiskey...I happen to enjoy it because of the food, not the beverage.  I like fish and chips, bangers and mash (tee-hee, I know...we've been through this, readers...control yourselves!), shepherd's pie, and that quintessential Irish staple, corned beef, which I was regrettably deprived of this year.

Now, I was most upset at not being able to enjoy corned beef, but Momma was workin', and Daddy don't like corned beef, so I had to resort to my backup plan (one just as tasty, I assure you).

Ground beef, baby carrots, potatoes, frozen peas, and Coleman's Shepherd's Pie mix.  Delicious.  Yes, I know, AF made her shepherd's pie with the use of a spice packet!?!?  Oh, don't look at me like that, darlings, we all have our vices.

To be frank, Coleman's is the only spice mix that closely matches the flavor of my ab-fab favorite pie (from Shannon's, aforementioned in my blog).  And it's so easy to use!  Sagey and warm and delicious, it adds just the right amount of flavor to mincemeat (ground beef, to those of us from the opposite side of the pond) and veggies.

The only thing that might throw you off is the metric system measurements on the back of the packet.  Resort to the almighty Google if you need to.  It'll be worth looking up, because the thing turns out deliciously.

It says to add the veg right toward the end of cooking and bake the whole thing for a half hour.  But to me, it seems terribly inefficient to do that.  Plus it results in al dente veggies...this is Irish food!  We don't want al dente!  (So sorry, I'll calm down.)  To eliminate said issue, I cook the carrots and peas in the pan after I take the mince out to drain.

To make the whole thing just a tadbit more interesting, you can cook chopped button mushrooms in with the beef.  They add a nice sweetness, and they soak up the sauce like little sponges.

I mix the meat back in and put the whole concoction into a casserole dish, top with lots of mashed potatoes and bake for ten minutes at 400-Fahrenheit, plus some time under the broiler (which you'll have to watch so you don't petrify your potatoes...just go until they're golden-brown).

It was a tasty dish to sit down to at eight at night after Mom got home from work, but it just wasn't corned beef.

I'm gonna get my Reuben sandwich soon...very soon.  And I hope it's from Shannon's.

Until next time,

~Amateur Foodie

Writing to You from the Amateur Foodie Kitchen...

I come to you this afternoon, dear readers, reporting from within a cloud of all-purpose flour.  That's right, kids, the Amateur Foodie is baking!

Cookies are the item du jour, and the recipe is......Tollhouse!  Sure, perhaps not gourmet, but tasty all the same.

I only use the Tollhouse recipe when I make chocolate chip cookies, and they always turn out tasting great, even though they rarely look delicious.  I believe I've isolated the issue I have in making these scrumptious morsels, but I seem to forget it every time I go to make a batch.

I use my standing mixer to prepare the dough, and I will readily admit that I have way too much fun creaming the butter and sugar.  I have so much fun, in fact, that I crank the machine up too high and run it for too long.  This overturning of the butter leads to flat cookies that spread out to the size of tea saucers and crisp up to a cracker-like consistency.

But cry about it?  I shan't.  It's the way I've always had my cookies, and I love it.  Plus, when there's chocolate inside, there's not too much you can do to mess it up.