Easily Swayed

Adam and I had been planning on eating grilled chicken and tofu with some sort of sweet and spicy rub. But, then we started watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay with Buffalo Wings. As I've said before, I used to absolutely love Buffalo wings, so we were very easily persuaded (by the tv) to make a version of Buffalo Chicken and Buffalo Tofu for dinner. We paired our new creations with Baked Beans and a Corn and Tomato Salad. It was a bit of a saucy meal, as you can see, but everything tasted fantastic.

Buffalo Chicken and Tofu, Adam-and-Kristin Style

chicken breast or tofu patties
flour
1 egg, beaten
Franks Red Hot sauce
oil

1. Heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat together the egg, a dash of hot sauce, and some salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken or tofu in the flour and then in the egg mixture. Place carefully in the hot oil.
2. Allow the chicken or tofu to brown on the outside. Flip after approximately 5-7 minutes. Make sure to cook the chicken fully.
3. When brown and crispy, remove the chicken or tofu and slather in hot sauce. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.


Corn and Tomato Salad

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 tomatoes, diced
10 basil leaves, sliced

white wine vinegar
olive oil
honey
salt
pepper

1. Combine the corn, tomatoes, and basil.
2. Mix the vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. We usually use equal parts of vinegar and oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad. Enjoy!


Baked Beans

This is a super easy way to dress up canned baked beans for a quick, weekday meal. Oftentimes, we add diced red pepper into the baked beans as well.

1 (15-oz.) can baked beans
1/4 cup red onions, diced

1. Heat the baked beans in the microwave or over the stove.
2. Saute the red onions in a tiny bit of olive oil.
3. Add onions (and peppers) to baked beans. Top with salt and pepper.

Cocktails and Apps

Friday night, we had our neighbors over for a little happy hour to celebrate the start of the weekend. We made really light and simple recipes that are perfect for an after-work gathering. We had: a White Bean Dip and a Tzatziki Dip with Pita Chips and Veggies, Mushroom Caps with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, and Apple, Walnut, and Bleu Cheese Salad Cups. The Mushroom Caps are the same as those we made for Sharon, so I won't repeat the recipe here (you can always look back to "Good Friends and Good Food").

White Bean Dip

Bean dips are so wonderful because they take no time at all to make--all you have to do is throw the ingredients in a food processor and voila! Plus, they are a healthy snack when paired with homemade pita chips and veggie sticks.

1 (15-oz.) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and mostly drained
juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne, or to taste
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste to make sure it has the flavor you like. Dig in!


Tzatziki

This is my own version of the traditional Greek yogurt dip.

8 oz. Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)
juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1 cup English cucumber, grated and drained
salt
pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon.


Pita Chips

Pita chips are so easy to make and seem so impressive.

3 pocket pitas
spray oil
garlic salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cut the pitas into 8 pieces each. Separate the pita sides, so that you make 16 thin pieces of pita.
3. Place the pitas on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil (or easy clean-up). Spray with a thin layer of cooking oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Toss to ensure all pitas are covered.
4. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.


Apple, Walnut, and Bleu Cheese Salad Cups

Adam made these, so I'm not exactly sure of the amounts. But, as always with cooking, make the proportions how you like.

1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup walnut halves
4 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
3 Tbs. bleu cheese dressing
salt and pepper
leaves from 2 or 3 Belgian endive heads

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Arrange the endive leaves on a platter. Fill with the apple mixture. Serve and impress your guests with your salad cups.

Not Your Everyday Mac n' Cheese

When Adam and I visited my sister over Easter weekend this past year, we ate at the Manhattan restaurant S'mac. They serve all types of mac n' cheese, including an Indian one with garam masala and other Indian spices, a French one with brie and mushrooms, and a Mediterranean one with feta, spinach, and kalamata olives. Every since we went to that restaurant, I've been wanting to try to make my own version of a specialty mac n' cheese. We absolutely love Swiss cheese, so our mac n' cheese consisted of Emmenthaler cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms. The flavors worked exceptionally well together. To accompany the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, we had a fresh Spinach and Raspberry Salad.

Swiss Mac n' Cheese

Next time I make this concoction, I will make some changes. For instance, I believe the sauce I used was a little too creamy and not cheesy enough. If you are going to make this, decrease the roux amount and add more cheese. I love stringy mac n' cheese, and I believe altering the proportions will achieve this effect and create perfection.

1 1/2 to 2 (about 4 cups) onions, sliced thinly into rings
olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups Emmenthaler cheese, grated

8 oz. uncooked pasta, such as elbow macaroni

small slices of Emmenthaler, optional
bread crumbs, optional

1. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions. Stir occasionally. Allow the onions to get to a golden brown color; be careful not to let them burn. The caramelization process will take approximately 30 minutes.
2. When the onions have fully caramelized, remove them from the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and saute.
3. To make the roux, place the butter into a saucepan on medium-low heat. Melt the butter completely. Mix in the flour so that the mixture becomes smooth and bubbly. Add the salt. Then, gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes thickened. (This process takes considerably longer than you may think; be patient, it will happen.) Once the sauce has properly thickened, add the cheese, stirring to help it melt.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
5. After draining the pasta, put the pasta back into the large pot in which it was prepared. Thoroughly mix in the onions, mushrooms, and cheese sauce.
6. Transfer the mac n' cheese into a cast iron skillet or 8 x 10-inch baking dish. If you want your mac n' cheese super cheesy, place small slices or cubes of cheese into the pasta. Top with bread crumbs.
7. Place in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.


Spinach and Raspberry Salad

The freshness of this salad went really well with the Swiss Mac n' Cheese, which is quite heavy. It helped to lighten and brighten up the entire meal.

pecans
butter
sugar
salt

Raspberry-Melon vinegar, or other light vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
honey

spinach, about 1 big handful for each person
red onion, finely diced
raspberries

1. Prepare candied pecans by melting a thin slab of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pecans, enough sugar to coat, and a pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly. Toast until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the butter by stirring occasionally.
2. Mix together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey to taste.
3. Plate the spinach, topped with the red onion, raspberries, and pecans. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.

Presto, Pesto!

Last night, we finally used the remains of our homemade pesto (I must admit that this is bittersweet because I am sad that it's gone, but it means that I can experiment with a different kind of pesto). This meal of Pesto Gnocchi with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes is super fast; it literally takes about 15 minutes from beginning to end thanks to the fact that gnocchi cooks up in about 2-3 minutes. And, it will have you practically licking the bowl when you're done.

Pesto Gnocchi with Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomatoes
1 package gnocchi
1 medium-sized crown of broccoli, chopped
2 Tbs. (or so) sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup pesto, homemade or canned

1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.
2. Saute broccoli in 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. When broccoli has reached desired tenderness, add sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and gnocchi. Mix thoroughly. Serve piping hot.

Lunchtime!

I found this recipe in Cooking Light a week or so ago and have been thinking about it since. We had all of the ingredients for it today, so I thought that I should seize the day and finally make this sandwich! It was absolutely delicious and much more impressive tasting than the few simple ingredients would suggest. If you cut the sandwich into little rectangles, they would be perfect for a mid-afternoon tea. (Sorry for the not-so-great photo.)

Feta-Basil Sandwiches (Cooking Light, August 2005)

This recipe makes 4 sandwiches, but it is easy to reduce or increase the number of sandwiches you need to make.

1 cup (4-oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 (1 1/2-oz.) slices firm white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White), toasted
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, tossing with a fork until well combined. Spread about 2 1/2 Tbs. cheese mixture onto each of 4 bread slices; top each sandwich with 2 tomato slices and 1 bread slice.

Wok This Way

I love Asian Stir-Fries. They are so quick and easy, as well as fairly healthy and nutritious. We found fantastic looking bok choy, which is what sparked this meal. We added oyster mushrooms, tofu, ginger, udon noodles, and other seasonings to make a wonderful, delicious one-pot meal. If you want some wine with dinner, we've found that Reislings go exceptionally well with spicy Asian foods.

Udon Noodle and Bok Choy Stir-Fry, Adam and Kristin-Style

10-oz. tofu, cubed
5 cups bok choy, chopped
2 personal-sized packages pre-cooked udon noodles (any type of cooked Asian noodle will work)
1 package oyster mushrooms
1 1/2-inches ginger root, grated
2 Tbs. soy sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. chili garlic sauce, or to taste
2 Tbs. peanut butter, or to taste

Sriracha hot sauce, optional

1. Heat wok on medium-high with 1 Tbs. canola oil. Place tofu in wok. Allow to brown and crisp for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side. Add bok choy, noodles, oyster mushrooms, ginger, and soy sauce. Cover with lid and allow to steam for 3 minutes. Add chili garlic sauce and peanut butter. Mix thoroughly. When vegetables have reached the preferred tenderness, serve. Top with Sriracha hot sauce for additional spice. Try not to lick the plate when finished.

Maid Marian of Bagel and Sir Robin of Loxly

Sorry for the reference, but I had to. Anyway, Adam and I were walking around beautiful Lake Merritt yesterday discussing what we wanted for breakfast this morning (yes, I recognize that that's a bit sad, but that's my life). We decided that we wanted bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes, and capers, a glass of orange juice, and piping hot cup of coffee. We walked to Piedmont Ave in hope of finding some fresh bagels. When we found none, we were sorely disappointed. But, I then suggested, "Why don't we just make our own?" And so we did.

The best thing about making your own bagels is that you can top them with whatever you want. We made several different kinds: plain kosher salt; rosemary with kosher salt; Garlic and Wine Seasoning; and Everythings with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and salt. These bagels absolutely beat any bagel you can buy in a grocery store. And, they don't even take that long to make!

Bagels (found on recipezaar.com, "Beautiful Bagels," but I have altered it slightly)

The original recipe calls for 2 Tbs. gluten flour, but I omitted it and the bagels tasted fantastic.

3 tsp. yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. honey
1 1/4 cups water

1. Place all ingredients in a bread machine on the dough cycle. Allow the dough to go through one full cycle of mixing and rising (about 1 hour 10 minutes). Then, take out the dough and pour onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 1 minute.
2. Cut the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each of the parts into a snake-like shape. Form a circle and tightly pinch the ends together. Place the bagels onto individual pieces baking paper that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover with another piece of baking paper. Allow to rest.
3. Bring a large skillet of water to a boil.
4. Place the bagels in the boiling water (about 4 at a time) for approximately 40 seconds on each side. Allow to drain on a cooling rack.
5. Brush each bagel with a lightly beaten egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle the toppings of your choice onto the bagels.
6. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top. Place on a wire rack to cool.