Pickled Radishes

I had some radishes that I wanted to use up before we left for vacation, so I thought I would give pickling a try.  I followed a Pickled Radish recipe that I found in the July 2011 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. In lieu of a mason jar I am using a glass dish with a plastic top, I hope this doesn't impact the pickling process.  I guess we will see how they turn out when I get back in town!

** Note: the recipe on the Bon Appétit website should read 10 garlic cloves!

Crazy Week

We had an incredibly busy weekend and now have a crazy week ahead of us...errands, cleaning, catching up with college friends, a wedding reception, a going away party, training session, dinner with different college friends and packing for vacation.  All of this on top of getting everything caught up at work so that we can go on vacation for a week.  The more I think about the to-do list, the frequency of my heart palpitations begin to increase. That being said it is going to be a slow week in the kitchen.

As far as our vacation goes we are going on our first family road trip with the baby!  She will be turning 11 months old while we are on vacation which is hard to believe.  You might be wondering where we are going...the destination is our nation's capitol!  It should prove to be an interesting drive considering our daughter is going through phase where she doesn't want to go into her car seat!

Since I won't be able to share any menu ideas with you while I am gone, I thought it might be fun to see if we can try out some of the restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives along our journey.  Stay tuned for our restaurant updates along the way.

Basil and Oregano

I had quite a bit of basil and oregano left from our first bushel; the only thing that came to mind to use it up was homemade pizza night! This of course is not a very original menu idea, especially for a Friday night but it's quick and easy!

Menu
Chicken Pesto Pizza
Italian Sausage and Fire Roasted Tomato Pizza

Chicken Pesto Pizza

To make the pesto sauce I followed the Barefoot Contessa's Pesto Recipe found on foodnetwork.com. This recipe yields 4 cups which is way more than you need for this so I cut the recipe in half.

Toppings

I used 1 large boneless chicken breast and seasoned it with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and some Montreal Steak seasoning.  I also chopped about a tablespoon of fresh oregano.  To prepare the chicken, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with 1/4 of diced red onion in a saute pan. (I would suggest increasing the red onion to 1/3 cup as I wasn't completely happy with the chicken to onion ratio).  Add the chicken to the same pan and brown on either side.  Remove onion and reserve once the they have softened. Continue to cook chicken until it is cooked thoroughly.  Once the chicken is done, dice into small bite size pieces and let cool.  I also sliced 3 roma tomatoes and had about 4oz of goat cheese and 2 tablespoons shredded of Parmigiano Reggiano on hand.

Preparing the Pizza
For the crust I used 365 Everyday Value Organic Pizza Crust from Whole Foods.  Cover the crust liberally with the prepared pesto sauce.  I used about half of the pesto sauce on this pizza (approximately 1 cup). Season with a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper.  Add the diced chicken and the cooked red onion.  The next layer is the slices of roma tomatoes. Crumble the goat cheese and sprinkle the shredded Parmigiano Reggiano.  Chop some fresh parsley and fresh oregano and sprinkle to the top of the pizza for color.  Cook at 400 degrees for approximately 12 minutes.

Italian Sausage and Fire-Roasted Tomato Pizza

The Italian sausage I used was something we purchased from Lemon Tree Grocer in Downers Grove. It's their Italian sausage with giardiniera and mozzarella. I removed the sausage from the casing and browned it.

I also used the 365 Everyday Value Organic Pizza Crust for this pizza.  Lightly coat the crust with a little olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic (approximately 2 large cloves).  I also added a bit of the pesto sauce from prior recipe and spread it out on the crust.  I would say I only used about a tablespoon on this pizza.  Add a 14.5 oz can of Muir Glen Organic Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes. Be cautious with how much tomato juice gets on the crust as you don't want the crust to get soggy. The next layer should be the Italian Sausage.  Let it cool some before adding it so that you can crumble it into some smaller pieces as you are layering it onto the crust.  Sprinkle with some chopped oregano leaves and thyme leaves.  Add 1 1/4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and a few small dollops of the pesto sauce to the top.  Finish the pizza with a couple leaves of chopped fresh basil and oregano.  This pizza also cooks at 400 degrees for approximately 12 minutes or until the cheese is browned.

My food critic rated the pizzas individually.

The Chicken Pesto Pizza was rated 3.5 asparagus spears

The Italian Sausage and Fire Roasted Tomato Pizza was rated 4 asparagus spears

I may have pushed my luck...

My husband is forever teasing me about how I put mushrooms in everything and the frequency in which I make asparagus.  As I was deciding what I was going to make for dinner tonight I realized we haven't had mushrooms in quite a while (a little over a week).  So I decided that tonight's menu would not only include mushrooms but I would also throw in the leftover broccoli as a side. As you recall from last night's meal we are just introducing broccoli to my husband again since he has disliked it for so long. When he walked into the kitchen and saw me plating the dish he said "Broccoli again, really?"



Menu
Chicken Marsala
Broccoli
Arugula and Red Leaf Lettuce Salad

I used Tyler Florence's Chicken Marsala Recipe which can be found on foodnetwork.com. Since I was just cooking for two I basically reduced the ingredients by half with the exception of the mushrooms.  My favorite part of chicken marsala is the mushrooms so I used 10 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms in my dish tonight.  I also used dry marsala wine versus the sweet Marsala wine he recommends.  This recipe is really easy to follow and its delicious. 

I served the chicken marsala with a mixed green salad and the dreaded side of broccoli.  As far as the salad goes I used a little arugula and some red leaf lettuce.  I added sliced radishes, cucumbers, grape tomatoes,  some pitted kalamata olives and a few crumbles of goat cheese.   I used Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette , which I highly recommend.   It's also delicious with just romaine lettuce or fresh greens accompanied by some sliced strawberries and red onion.

This meal also pairs well with the same wine from last night, Wente 2008 Riva Ranch Chardonnay.
After it is all said and done I think my husband may have a new appreciation for both mushrooms and broccoli because he really enjoyed dinner tonight.  Either that or he was just really hungry!

This meal was rated 4 asparagus spears

Success!!

Tonight was a success on so many levels.  It started off with our electricity coming back on (just as I was packing up the last of our freezer items) after being off for the prior 22 hours.  I was so happy we didn't have to relocate for the evening. Later as I was blanching the broccoli for tonight's meal I was thinking how much food we were going to be wasting since my husband despises broccoli.  But to my surprise (and even more to his surprise) he REALLY liked tonight's dish which featured broccoli as the main ingredient.  I was floored when he said how much he liked it.

Menu
Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta with Shrimp and Broccoli
Arugula Salad with Scallions and Radishes

The goal of tonight was to make a quick meal and it was a success.  Here is a quick rundown of how to make tonight's meal. First I cut the broccoli into florets and then blanched them.  We had to go buy a bag of ice for the ice bath since all of our ice melted when the electricity went out. The ice bath is key to keeping the broccoli the nice bright green color.

In a saute pan I heated approximately a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter then added about 4 large cloves of garlic, minced.  Add the broccoli to the pan (I used about 2.5 cups) and stir regularly to make sure the garlic doesn't burn.  I used the pre-cooked frozen shrimp with tails on.  So I thawed the shrimp and removed the tails. Then added them to the pan (I added approximately a dozen shrimp I probably could have added some more). Meanwhile I cooked the pasta according to the package. I used the Trader Joes Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta.  I remove it when it's al dente since  I add the noodles to the pan with the other ingredients and it cooks a little more at that point.  Once the pasta is ready, drain and add about 3/4 of the noodles to the mixture.  Stir regularly.  Add about another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper.  Right before serving add a small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.

As far as the salad goes I was trying to use as many of the fresh vegetables that I have on hand.  To the arugula I added some thinly sliced radishes, scallions, halved grape tomatoes and sliced cucumber. I used Brianna's Real French Vinaigrette Dressing on the salad.

I would highly recommend pairing this meal with Wente 2008 Riva Ranch Chardonnay. My husband on the other hand paired it with a Miller High Life. 

My food critic and foodographer rated the meal 4 asparagus spears and that's coming from the guy who hates broccoli.

On another note, I gave S some of the lemon pepper pasta noodles that I didn't add to the dish.  She LOVED them! Yet another success for the evening. 

Lamb Chops with a Cherry Balsamic Glaze

Prior to the severe storm last night, which actually appears to have been a tornado, I did manage to cook the lamb chop dinner I had set out to make.

Menu
Lamb Chops with a Cherry Balsamic Glaze
Sautéed Spinach
Rosemary Potatoes




Lamb Chops
I had just over 1 lb of lamb chops and they were very easy to cook. I used my electric frying pan.  I just browned them on both sides at a high temp and then let them cook at a lower temperature for maybe 10 minutes.  I simply used some salt and pepper for seasoning.

Cherry Balsamic Glaze

On a low heat simmer the following ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup of diced bing cherries
1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, diced
a dash of sugar (maybe a tablespoon)
some sea salt and fresh cracked ground pepper
I let this come to a boil and then lowered the heat. Stirring on a regular basis.  The cherries didn't break down as much as I had hoped so I used small strainer and smashed the cherries up leaving the chunks in the strainer and put the liquid back in the pan.  I let it simmer and cool a bit to get it to the consistency I was looking for.

Rosemary Potatoes 

about 5 baby red and 5 small yukon gold potatoes (halved or quartered depending on size)
3 garlic cloves, diced
approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh rosemary leaves, approximately 1 tablespoon
a dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/4 of a small white onion, diced
Combine all ingredients in an oven safe dish. Stir well before placing in the oven to make sure potatoes are coated evenly with olive oil and spices. Cook on 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

Sautéed Spinach
In a sauté pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 3 minced garlic cloves. Be sure not to let the garlic burn.  Slowly add about 5 heaping handfuls of fresh spinach. It will cook down pretty quickly. Stir occassionally. Season with a little salt and lemon pepper.

I cannot give you my opinion of dinner since I didn't actually get a chance to eat, however, my husband said it turned out well. He rated is 3.5 asparagus stalks.

Well that was fun....

It looks like I will be posting about tonight's dinner sometime tomorrow. I did make the meal I planned and was able to make a plate for my husband. I didn't get to eat myself since the baby was ready for bed. As soon as I walked into the kitchen to eat after putting her to sleep the weather got really bad! We ended up in the basement during the storm. I attempted to bring the baby downstairs without her waking but no such luck! I might have had a chance if it wasn't for our dog barking like crazy at the excessive wind, lightning and thunder. Thankfully the storms have passed and the baby is back to sleep. It will be interesting to see what the yard looks like in the morning. We can tell part of a tree is down and hanging over our neighbor's fence. Another tree has an interesting lean going on. My husband walked down the block and said there were some trees blocking the road. So my guess is we will not be getting our power back any time in the near future. Thank goodness it cooled down a bit after the storm. I hope everyone else in the area stayed safe. Good night!

Decisions, decisions

Tonight was "clean out the fridge night" in our house since we have an overabundance of leftovers. Cooking will resume tomorrow.

This week we are going to have lamb chops with a cherry balsamic glaze and rosemary potatoes. There will likely be sautéed spinach and a salad accompanying this meal. I have a lot of broccoli to use which happens to be the one thing my husband despises. It also happens to be one of my favorite veggies so I'm having a hard time deciding what to make with it. I'm thinking either a pasta with shrimp and broccoli in a garlic and oil sauce or a chicken and rice dish with broccoli. Any suggestions?

In addition we have some radishes, scallions and arugula to use up so I see a lot of salads in our future. If nothing else I guess we will be able to say we ate our share of veggies this week.

Father's Day Dinner

Menu
Baby Back Ribs
Grilled Corn
Nanny's Baked Beans
Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

My husband was quite excited when I mentioned to him that I would make ribs for dinner tonight. He even did some research on how to turn his grill into a smoker to help slow cook the ribs so they would be nice and tender.  So as I was making the rub this morning I felt a little pressure, especially since I was literally taking "a bit of this and a dash of that" and throwing it all into a bowl.  Thank goodness they turned out well!  The nice thing about the ribs was they didn't need too much attention for long periods of time so Chris was still able to watch golf! Thank you for being the grill master :)

Baby Back Ribs
When I initially started making the rub I intended for it to be a dry rub and then somewhere along the way I decided to switch it up and it became more of a marinade.

Combine the following into a bowl, mix together well
1/4 cup brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon dry yellow mustard
2 tablespoons Hula Girl Coffee rub
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
the zest and juice of 2 navel oranges

I had 3 racks of ribs and this was more than enough to cover them on both sides.  Using a basting brush cover the ribs liberally with the rub.  Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap  Let sit in fridge for approximately 3 hours prior to cooking.  I would have liked to have had them marinade a little longer but we had a baby that did not want to take a morning nap today so kitchen time was limited.

The ribs were grilled on a low heat (between 225 and 250 degrees on a charcoal grill) for 2.5 hours and then wrapped in aluminum foil and kept in a warming drawer for about 45 minutes while the corn was grilled.  Right before we were ready to eat my husband put the ribs back on the grill for about 20 minutes on a high heat and brushed them lightly with Archer Farms Hawaiian-Style Barbecue Sauce.

Grilled Corn

Remove silk and the outer layer of husk from corn.  Be sure to leave enough of the husk so the corn is not exposed. Let corn soak in water for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from water and add a small pad of butter to the inside of the husk.  Make sure husk is covering corn fully and wrap ear tightly in aluminum foil.  Grill on indirect high heat (about 450 degrees for approximately 45 minutes to an hour). Rotate occasionally.


Nanny's Baked Beans
When I called my grandma, Nanny, the other night to get her baked bean recipe I realized she must be where I get my "a bit of this and a dash of that" cooking style from.  When I asked her for the recipe she said you know me I just add stuff until it tastes right, I don't measure anything.  As result the recipe is a bit vague.
Brown 1 pound of ground beef with a diced small onion. Drain grease.
Use two of the large cans of baked beans ( I used the Bush's Best Original Baked Beans) drain the liquid
Combine the ground beef and canned beans with some dark molasses (I used 1/3 cup), a little bit of Karo Dark Corn Syrup ( I used 1 tablespoon), a little yellow mustard (I used 1 tablespoon) and some brown sugar until tastes right.
Bake on 350 for approximately one hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.
I didn't take a picture of these but I can assure you they were delicious as usual!

Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad

I came across this salad when I was researching recipes for using the contents of our first veggie bushel.  You can find the recipe on williams-sonoma.com, Peach, Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad.

One note I would add to the recipe is to be sure you let the peaches cool off before adding them to the salad otherwise it melts the cheese and wilts the arugula some.  Either way though it was quite tasty!

Thanks to my mother-in-law for making a delicious white chocolate cheesecake with a strawberry and blueberry sauce for dessert.  One thing you will learn from reading my blog is that I have a lot of work to do on my baking skills.  I think the need for exact measurements for baking is my downfall!



I hope my husband enjoyed himself today and had a nice 1st Father's Day with his family! I know S enjoyed hanging out with Da-Da today:)

When I asked Chris what his rating was for tonight's dinner he said "I grilled it so I give it a six!".

Father's Day Breakfast

Menu
Challah French Toast with Fresh Berries
Black Forest Bacon
Mimosas
Intelligentsia Coffee (Daddy's Favorite)




Challah French Toast
I buy the Challah bread from Trader Joes.
Cut into approximately 1 inch thick slices
In a bowl whisk together 3 eggs and approximately 1/4 cup milk (This was enough to make 5 slices)
To the egg mixture add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grate fresh nutmeg and fresh cinnamon into mixture
I put a tiny bit of butter in the pan before cooking the french toast
Dip the bread into the egg mixture. Be sure both sides are covered.  Let excess drip off back into bowl
Cook in pan until slightly browned on both sides
Cover with fresh berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar

We gave S some pieces of the french toast and blueberries. She loved both of them.  Hopefully she doesn't start expecting breakfast like this every morning.

Using my husband's rating scale he said this meal was 4.5 asparagus spears! I hope that this was a good start to his first father's day!

Casual Dinner

We had a busy day today so tonight we had a very quick and easy meal. Plus I am saving my energy for tomorrow since I will be making Father's Day breakfast and dinner.

Menu

Ready to go in the oven

Bruschetta (trying to finish up the leftovers from earlier in the week)
Homemade pizza

Tonight I used a recipe that was recommended by my sister and her husband. We have made this pizza several times and it's delicious. The Triple Jump Pizza Recipe can be found on runnersworld.com

I was very excited to use some of our fresh spinach from the first bushel of veggies.  I don't follow this recipe exactly when I make this pizza.  For example, I used 3 garlic cloves and probably 2.5 cups of spinach.  As a result I end up using additional cheese, plus my husband LOVES cheese!

As far as the pizza crust goes I have been using the 365 Organic Original Pizza Crusts from Whole Foods. They come in a package of two and are really easy to use and quite tasty.  For the spicy sausage I have been using The Original Brat Hans Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage which is also from Whole Foods.

Yummy!

Using my husband's rating scale he said this was 4 asparagus spears. So give it a try!

The Food Critic

My husband has been critiquing my dishes for the past week and providing his feedback. I told him he needed to come up with some sort of rating scale.  So rather than 4 stars or forks he decided he was going to base his on 5 asparagus spear scale.

You are probably wondering if asparagus is his favorite vegetable. The answer is no, he is pretty indifferent about it.  However he is constantly harassing me that the only vegetables I cook are asparagus and portabella mushrooms. I will admit that I do use mushrooms a lot and who doesn't love some grilled or roasted asparagus. Originally his scale include a portabella kicker but it became way to confusing. Below is the scale he decided on:

1 spear = Bad
2 spears = Poor
3 spears = Good
4 spears = Excellent
5 spears = Outstanding

Here are his ratings of the dishes I have made so far:

Pork Tenderloin and Island Teriyaki Udon Noodles received 3.5 asparagus spears

Flank Steak Tacos recieved 4 asparagus spears

Cheese Manicotti received 3 asparagus spears. I was deducted a point due to the poor quality of ricotta used in the dish.  Indiviidually he rated both the bruschetta and sauce with 4 asparagus spears.

Drum Roll Please....The Contents of Bushel Number 1 Revealed!

We received our first box today full of spring fresh greens!

Broccoli
Heads of lettuce
Arugula
Spinach
Radishes
Basil
Oregano
Scallions


We also got a preview of some of the items that will be in our next box including zucchini, beets and garlic scapes!

Now its time to start planning some menus for the upcoming week! I am also working on my Father's Day Breakfast and Dinner menus! So stayed tuned...

Cheese Manicotti

Menu
Bruschetta
Caesar Salad
Manicotti









Making the Sauce
In a saute pan combine the following ingredients with about 1 tablespoon of good olive oil

1/3 lb of Pancetta, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Dash of Cracked Black Pepper

Once the pancetta is browned and the onion has softened add the following ingredients. Simmer on low for at least an hour, stirring occasionally

1- 28oz can of crushed tomato

1- 28oz can of whole tomato (squeeze while adding)

a palm of kosher salt (approximately a tablespoon)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1- 6oz can of tomato paste with Italian Herbs

15 oz water

1 tablespoon sugar

While the sauce is cooking roast 3 heads of garlic in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  To do this just place the heads of garlic with olive oil in aluminium foil.   Let the garlic cool down a bit before peeling away the outer layers of the skin. You should be able to squeeze out the cloves and mash slightly before adding to the sauce. Simmer sauce for another hour. Stir occasionally to break up the chunks of garlic


Bruschetta
3 plum tomatoes seeds removed, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
4 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped
Dash of Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
1 1/4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon good olive oil

Slice a loaf of crusty bread with approximately 1/2 inch thickness
Place on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees

Caesar Salad

Chop Romaine lettuce
Add croutons, some cracked black pepper and a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Toss with a dollop of Caesar dressing.  I used Cardini's. Their light Caesar dressing is pretty good too.

Preparing the Manicotti
Cook Manicotti noodles al dente per box instructions (I used Barilla and only made 1/2 the box or 7 shells). Let cool before stuffing

To make the filling combine in a bowl 1 pound of good Ricotta Cheese, 1 egg, 1 fresh mozzarella ball cut into small chunks, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, 1.5 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, a dash of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

In a 9 x 13 pan, cover bottom with a couple ladles of sauce. Stuff each noodle with the filling. Cover noodles with more sauce. Slice another fresh mozzarella ball and place a slice or two over the top of each noodle.  Grate a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano.  Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Overall, I think the meal turned out well. The sauce was delicious.  I normally purchase my Ricotta cheese at the deli at a local store by our house. Unfortunately they were out so I had to resort to the prepackaged Ricotta and there is definitely a big difference.  This Ricotta was much thinner than the kind I normally use.  Although the filling still had pretty good flavor. So make sure you use "Good" Ricotta cheese for the filling.

The nice thing about this meal is you can make a lot of it ahead of time.  If you have limited time you can saute the onions, garlic and pancetta ahead of time along with roasting the garlic.  The next day combine all the ingredients into a crock pot and let the sauce cook on low while you are at work.

You can also make the bruschetta topping and the toasts ahead of time.  Just wait until right before you are going to eat before plating them.  I use this bruschetta recipe all the time as an appetizer when we are having company.

Buon Appetito!!!

My First Recipe Review

My brother's fiancée made my Pork Tenderloin with Island Teriyaki Udon Noodles and Vegetables recipe last night!

Her comments were "Tried your dinner last night- delicious! And very easy to prepare!!!! Can't wait to try more of your recipes!" Here is the photo of her dish.


Thanks Sarah for being my first recipe tester.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.  You will have to try the Flank Steak Tacos next.  If I do say so myself they were delicious!  Josh may even like them as much as his famous fajitas. :)

Flank Steak Tacos and Mojitos

Menu:
Flank Steak Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole
Spanish Rice and Black Beans
Mojitos




Flank Steak Marinade
1 tablespoon jalapeno, diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup cilantro (maybe a little more), rough chop
1 tablespoons Spanish onion, diced
Combine all ingredients above in food processor with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Once everything is combined and chopped fairly small its done. Add this mixture to a zip lock bag along with the following:
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
the zest and juice of 1 lime and 1 orange (I used a navel orange)
a pinch of kosher salt (approximately 1/8 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I prefer the low sodium)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Add the meat approximately 6 hours prior to cooking to allow all of the flavors to sink in. I am using a flank steak that is just over 1lb. You can also prepare the marinade ahead of time.  I made mine the night before.


Pico de Gallo
The amount I made yielded approximately 3 cups, however you can obviously adjust this accordingly to make more or less.
2 cups of plum tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup Spanish onion, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno, diced
a dash of kosher salt (approximately 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup cilantro, rough chop
Combine all ingredients above in a bowl. You can make this the night before.

Guacamole
2 avocados, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup Spanish onion, diced
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 3/4 tablespoons jalapeno, diced
1/2  lime, juiced
Dash of kosher

Smash up avocado with a fork or potato masher. Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Keep the avocado pits with the Guacamole while storing to help keep it from browning. I must give props to my sister, Becky, for prepping the guac for me :)

I cheated a bit on the Spanish Rice and Black Beans.  I made Goyo Spanish Rice (Arroz con Tomate) by following the directions on the box.  And for the black beans I opened a can of Goya Frijoles Negros and heated them up on low on the stove. 

Preparing the Tacos
Take the meat out of the fridge while you are preparing the coals on the grill to take off the chill.  My husband did the grilling. The grill was at 375 degrees. He grilled the meat on direct heat for roughly 8 minutes per side.  When the steak is finished let it rest for 10-15 minutes prior to slicing. Remember to slice against the grain.  As another option you could always cook the steak on a grill pan on top of the stove.

To warm the tortillas wrap them in aluminum foil and heat in oven at a low temp.  I used El Milagro flour tortillas and heated them at 250 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. 

Additional toppings: a dollup of Supremo Crema Rancherito (sour cream), Shredded Chihuahua Cheese, romaine lettuce

And last but certainly not least... the Mojito recipe is from foodnetwork.com.

Fresh Herbs

Last night when I discovered that my cilantro plant was quite sparse (ok, pathetic) I realized that my mint, basil and flat leaf parsley plants were aplenty.  As a result I’ve decided on a few dishes for this week that will include some of the fresh herbs we have blooming. 

We haven’t grilled in a few days so tomorrow I’m going to make Flank Steak tacos.  You are probably thinking "she puts mint in her tacos?"  Don't worry, that is not the case.  I put mint in my mojitos which sounds like a perfect complement to Flank Steak on a warm spring evening.

Wednesday night we will have manicotti since I already have a box of shells and it will use a good amount of the parsley and basil plus a little mint.

Frankly I wish I had made the Flank Steak tonight because a mojito would have hit the spot and definitely would have been more enjoyable than my trip to the gym!

I've already made the marinade for the steak and the pico de gallo.  Tomorrow afternoon I will have my sous chef, my sister, add the steak to the marinade. I may even ask for her assistance with making the guacamole so I have one less thing to do when I get home.

I can hardly wait for dinner tomorrow!

Pork Tenderloin with Hula Girl Coffee Rub

Menu:
Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa
Island Teriyaki Udon Noodles and Vegetables






Recipe:

Pork Tenderloin
Lightly cover bottom of oven safe dish with olive oil
Generously cover pork tenderloin with Hula Girl Coffee Rub. I used 1/8 cup of the rub. The tenderloin I used was 1.5-1.75 lbs.  I started cooking the tenderloin on 350 degrees but turned the oven up to 375 towards the end to try to get a bit of a crust on the pork.

Mango Salsa
2/3 cup frozen Mango chunks, defrosted (diced)
1/2 large jalapeno pepper (diced)
2 slices of red pepper (diced) - approximately 1/4 cup

1/4 cup red onion (diced)

6 cilantro leaves chopped
 (I would add a little more cilantro next time around. Unfortunately my cilantro plant looked quite sad so this was all of the cilantro I had)




Island Teriyaki Udon Noodles and Vegetables
1/2 Red and Yellow Pepper (sliced)
4 large button mushrooms (sliced)
Remainder of the red onion used in the salsa (sliced into chunks) - approximately 1 medium red onion
a bit of chopped ginger root (approximately 1 tablespoon)
1 3/4 cup of bok choy (chopped)
5 baby carrots (sliced)

Cook above (reserve the green parts of bok choy until the end) in 2 tablespoons of Toasted Sesame Oil.  After a few minutes of cooking at 1/4 cup of Soy Vay Island Teriyaki.  Continue cooking on low. Add a dash of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. I prefer to keep a bit of crunch to my vegetables.

In a separate pot cook Udon noodles as directed.  I used Koyo Organic Udon Asian Pasta.  The package comes with 3 separately wrapped bundles of noodles. I used 2 of the 3 in my recipe.  Once your noodles are finished drain them and add them back to the pot you cooked them in with 1/4 cup of the Island Teriyaki.  Stir to cover the noodles. At the same time add the green parts of the bok choy to finish up the vegetables.

Combine noodles and vegetables in a serving dish. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds.

Slice pork tenderloin and serve with Mango Salsa.







Next time around I would probably sear the pork tenderloin first before putting it in the oven to get a nice crust on it.  My other option would be to grill it which was my original intent. I realize these are probably not the best directions for making this dish. I tried to write it down as I was cooking but I will try to do better with documenting next time around. 

From a timing perspective this took me about an hour and twenty minutes total to make. That included prepping vegetables and plating the dishes and quick break to entertain the baby.

If anyone tries this dish I would love to hear your comments.

Hula Girl Coffee Rub

Our first delivery doesn't come until Thursday but I am really excited to cook with a new rub my husband picked up last night. We have a busy evening planned with my brother's engagement party so there will be no cooking tonight. However, tomorrow's menu is already in the works. The inspiration is Hula Girl Coffee Rub.  I'm currently debating between beef tenderloin with a sweet potato and carmelized onion mash or pork tenderloin with teriakyi udon noodles. Decisions, decisions.

Congratulations Josh and Sarah! We are so happy for you guys and can't wait to celebrate with you tonight!

For those you following locally, you can purchase Hula Girl Coffee Rub at Lemon Tree Grocer in Downers Grove.

Purpose

As my family and friends know I LOVE to cook and entertain. Although sometimes I think I may enjoy the menu planning as much or maybe even more than the actual cooking.  Who doesn't love coming up with an exciting menu and then complementing it with a beautifully set table? OK maybe only I do.  Unfortunately over the last ten months I haven't done a whole lot of either. I suppose adjusting to motherhood and working full time has gotten me out of my old routine. However, I am declaring this summer as my opportunity to get back into the kitchen to cook and party plan.

My husband and I recently joined a CSA, Angelic Organics. This means we will be receiving 3/4 of a bushel of fresh organic vegetables and herbs every other week through late October.  The timing of this couldn't have been better.  Our daughter is starting to eat table food so I now have the motivation to get organized and back in the kitchen to cook healthy meals for all of us. So there are two immediate challenges:

1. Cook healthy balanced meals at least 5 times a week
2. Plan our daughter's first birthday party and menu

Thursday, June 16th is our first delivery of vegetables.  I can hardly wait to see what type of veggies we are going to receive and what I will have to cook with! From there let the menu planning begin...