Not quite Mexican (tortilla casserole)

I don't have a story for this one, but the tortilla casserole is yummy. I do strongly suggest you buy your ingredients from sustainable sources. I buy humanely raised meat from a local farm and as many ingredients as possible from the farmer's market. Obviously that is not as possible at this time of year, but try to be as conscientious as possible when sourcing your ingredients. Organic is always a good choice. Remember, the world is what we make it!

On that note: Tortilla Casserole!

Tortilla Casserole:

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 to 4 tortillas
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 2 to 3 green onions
  • 10 oz salsa
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 c. shredded cheese
  • 12 oz. drained black beans
  • 1 c. cooked spanish rice

---

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown ground pork with spices and onion. Drain.
2. Spray casserole with PAM.
3. Layer a tortilla, 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 beans, 1/2 rice, salsa and cheese. Repeat.
4. Top with a 3rd tortilla, salsa, and cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.
• This serves 4!

Enjoy

Moving (Antipasto platter)

So my husband and I just bought a house 2 days before Thanksgiving. We are very excited! We hosted one last Thanksgiving in our old house, then proceeded to pack up everything while we prepared for Christmas. 6 days before Christmas, we loaded everything up, and moved! 2 days later, we were finally able to turn in the keys to our old rental. It was a relief.

Now, 3 days after moving, with boxes everywhere, I started to panic. We had been invited to our friends annual Christmas party...where the company is always better than the food (but that's the point...you remember the company more anyway, unless you are a foodie like me!) Regardless...I had to take an appetizer...with no idea where the boxes with cutting boards, knives, plates, dishes, cookware, etc were! My husband when through 12 boxes looking for a platter to take to our friends house!

Then I looked in the bare fridge and pantry. I mean we were moving...so the food could move...so I kept from buying groceries for a month. What did I take?

Well...I found a sausage in the fridge from Aux Delices de Bois (genoa yum!) a block of jack, a block of cheddar, crackers, pickles....we were in business! I put together an antipasto platter...and added some olives from the grocery olive bar (we were out...go figure!)

While everyone raved about the sausage...guess what we will remember next year? The people, the funny games, and the fact that we just had a good time.

Antipasto platter guidelines:

1-2 good sausages, sliced (think salami, pepperoni, genoa, etc) Try to pick one sweet and one spicy
2-4 varieties of cheese (cheddar, jack, havarti, blue, etc) Make sure to have soft and hard cheese...nothing is worse than sameness!
pickles (sweet or sour...you choose)
a variety of good olives from the olive bar (save yourself effort and buy pitted olives)
crackers...gourmet, ritz, etc (at this point, no one cares because they are so busy eating good sausage

For a variety you can add pickled mushroom, artichokes, or red peppers in oil

Enjoy!

Mixed Fruit Muffins

Hello Again!

I found this recipe in Fall Baking 2012 by Better Homes and Gardens (A re-release of the 2011 edition). I was so excited! I used fruit that I had dried myself in the food dehydrator Price got me for Christmas. Then  I substituted 1/2 of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour! So since these muffins were already a recipe that called for flaxseed meal and low-fat yogurt...they are healthy! (Any yummy...to bad you can not taste a picture!).

I wasn't planning on posting photos, but Price showed me how and I did it all by myself. And of course, Price loves my cooking! He said that the muffin tower looked to pretty not to share online, so here it is! If you end up doing fall baking, I hope you try something extra healthy this year.

Enjoy!

What a sauce! (Plum Chutney)

This past week I was visiting my parents, and I cooked dinner for them I made a pork tenderloin with a plum chutney and roasted new potatoes. Nothing super hard or fancy. My dad, of course, told me about all the times I messed up when I was learning to cook in high school. (I am much better now I promise!). However, both my parents loved the pork that had been rubbed with herbs de Provence served with chutney on top. In fact, my mom asked for the recipe! For those of you with mother's that cook, you know its good when they want your recipe. 

Of course, my parents labeled the meal "gourmet", but whatever. It tasted good. So here is my recipe for Plum Chutney.

Plum Chutney

Ingredients:
3-4 fresh plums, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 c. diced white onion, fresh or frozen
1/3 c. raisins
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Water as needed

Directions:
Put olive oil in your pot. Add the onion. If frozen, turn heat to medium to thaw. Add remaining ingredients. Add water until plums are just covered. Simmer 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with pork or beef.

Substitutions: This will work with any stone fruit such as peaches or nectarines. Also, cranberries can be used instead of raisins and shallots can be used instead of onion.

Enjoy!

Curate Spanish Tapas

Yesterday was my birthday. Now let's not get too excited. I didn't go out and I didn't have a cake...mostly because my husband refused to bake me one! 
On the other hand, knowing that my birthday was going to be on a Monday, my husband endeavored to make my weekend spectacular.

So, the majority of this post is going to be about Curate, a Spanish Tapas restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Curate is amazing! I love Spanish tapas, but it has been a while since I had been to a tapas restaurant, so Price made a reservation. We walk in, and see past the bar to a kitchen. The smells wafting through the restaurant are phenomenal. We get to our table, and are overwhelmed by the selection.

Here is what we finally decided on:
A pitcher of white Sangria
Tabla de Jamon (a Spanish ham trio)
Asparagus in a romesco sauce
Steamed littleneck clams in white wine sauce
Morracan lamb skewers
Cheese plate 


It was, in a word, sublime. The sangria was refreshing, the cured hams divine, the asparagus perfectly cooked, the clams were juicy, the lamb tender and the cheeses superb. What more is there to say?


Now the Spanish ham trio was 3 types of ham: Serrano fermin (good, but common), Iberico fermin (special spanish pigs cured the same as serrano), and Iberico de bellota (they only feed the pigs acorns! it makes the meat very nutty). Personally, I liked the iberico fermin the best. It was creamy. Who knew ham could be creamy? Price enjoyed the iberico de bellota. It was hearty and strong. 


I strongly recommend curate to anyone wanting to experience Spanish tapas while in Asheville!


Enjoy.

Comfort Food: Not your ordinary Cheesy Bisquits

Everyone has their comfort foods. My list is extensive, and what I want can change depending on my mood. Sometimes, I want mashed potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce (a combination reminiscent of holidays). Other times, I crave Tex-Mex or Southwestern-not Mexican exactly, but that new trend of mission style burritos like they serve at Chipotle--except I want Rolling Stone or Neo Burrito (the local versions!)

But for those of you who crave biscuits, here is a recipe I definitely recommend.

Cheesy Herb Biscuits (makes 13)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. Bisquick
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 c. shredded cheese blend

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Turn onto floured surface.
3. Knead 10-20 times.
4. Roll out with pin.
5. Use biscuit cutter to form biscuits.
6. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mix it up! (Pearled Barley Pilaf for 2)

So, how many of you eat the same things over and over and over again. You love the flavors, or it's Thursday and you're running late and hungry, so you just make what you always make. Sometimes it's pasta, sometimes Mexican, but always, you repeat the same meals over and over. And you think: I just want something different!

I ran into this a few weeks ago. And so I made meal plans. I have 8 weeks of meals that can rotate through without repeating! I never realized this. So why do I always make the same things? And then I realized the same thing about side dishes, especially the starches (rice, potatoes, couscous, pasta-wait, couscous is pasta!) and so I thought I would do something different tonight. Good bye boring, hello barley!?

Below is a recipe for barley pilaf (kind of like rice pilaf, only with barley). The recipe is easily doubled or tripled, and the leftovers can be frozen for up to 1 month. Just reheat with a little water in the microwave!

Pearled Barley Pilaf (for 2)
1/2 c. chopped onion, any variety
1/2 c. medium pearled barley (though you could sub light or dark if you want)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 2/3 c. chicken broth or water or mix (you may need more or less depending on altitude)
1 tbsp dried cilantro or parsley
1 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

In a 3-quart pot, add olive oil and onion. Put on medium heat until onion is soft, but not brown. Add barley. Coat with oil and allow to brown, just a little. Add the chicken broth, and salt and pepper if desired. Increase heat to high. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium again, and cover. Simmer barley for 45-50 minutes until liquid is almost absorbed. Add herbs, and more salt and pepper if desired. Turn off burner. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

*Note: while the prep for barley is similar to rice, there is a longer cooking time and it requires more liquid.

**Barley tastes nuttier and sweeter than rice. It can be a little chewy. However, it is readily available in most grocery stores (I was surprised, but I found it in Wal-Mart today-usually I avoid Wal-Mart, but I had a gift card).

Enjoy!

P.S.
I avoid Wal-Mart because I feel it is important to support local stores. My local grocery is a regional chain. I especially try to follow the guidelines of the 3/50 project. You can find more out about that here.

Cooking at Home: Super Easy Enchiladas

My husband and I have been eating at home more. We were eating out multiple times a week, but we decided it would be healthier (and cheaper) to eat at home! So, complements of iCookbook, an app my dad got me (yes, Dad, I'm using an app!), and lots of fun exploring, I have been trying all sorts of new recipes. So below is my new recipe for Super Easy Enchiladas...serve with rice, beans, avocado or guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for a truly Mexican meal.

Super Easy Enchiladas (makes 6-8 enchiladas)
2 c. diced or shredded cooked chicken or turkey (or 2 c. browned ground meat)
6-8 tbsp of shredded cheese blend, such as Mexican or Queso
1 tbsp diced fire-roasted chili peppers, Ortega
1/2 c. water
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning (about 2 tsp)
3 tbsp of shredded cheese, for topping
1 16oz jar of salsa
6-8 corn or flour tortillas

Directions:
Mix the diced chicken, water, chili peppers, and taco seasoning in a pot. Heat through.
In a casserole dish, put some of the salsa on the bottom.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 sec.
Top each tortilla with 1 tbsp of cheese and some of the meat mixture.
Roll each side over the filling. Place the enchilada seem side down in the casserole.
Top with the remaining salsa and cheese.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until tortillas are soft and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

The 4 Star Experience

My 2nd anniversary was 2 weeks ago, so my husband took me to the Inn on Biltmore Estate for a romantic weekend getaway. It was wonderful. Do I start with the dinner the night we arrived? I could. The soup at Cedric's Tavern was amazing. Or I could start with breakfast we had for room service...omelets, pesto potatoes, french toast, mochas, fresh squeezed juice...absolutely amazing. And there was a romantic walk down from the inn to Antler Hill Village...and a couples massage. But there was also food. Lots of yummy food.
Take afternoon tea for example: tea sandwiches (BLT...bacon tomato tapanade on a bagette with swiss and arugula, egg salad on a pretzel roll, turkey with pumpkin spread, cucumber, chicken salad) and a mini quiche (red pepper, spinach, and swiss) followed by sweets (chocolate scones, blueberry lemon poundcake, truffles, hazelnut tarts, and....) It was amazing! And that wasn't including the tea selection. I can't even remember all of the varieties.
And then there was a lunch at the Bistro. How much better can you get than chicken carbonara and maple syrup pots de creme? Well you could go to the Dining Room.

The Dining Room is a 4 Star Restaurant at a 4 Star Hotel. You plan on spending at least 3 hours for dinner. First you are offered wine. And then a tasting bite from the chef (winter root vegetable bisque). You order appetizers (Fried Quail-it had a fancier name, and Estate Raised turnips). Who knew that turnips could become gourmet? It was cut into these little squares, and serve on sauce swirled onto the plate surrounded by peas and carrots. You find that the main course is beyond your expectations (Seared Ahi Tuna (rare) and Bison Steak (medium rare)) and absolutely amazing. And then, just when you think you can't take anymore, they bring out desert. Souffle is extremely hard to find, and yet the Chai Souffle with vanilla bean cream was heavenly. My husband's sorbets were good too...but nothing can compare to the fluffy, eggy, wonderfully moist, superb souffle!

It was a wonderful weekend. You should try it!

Visit the Biltmore Estate.

Make Your Own Takeout: Fried Rice

Everyone knows that prices are going up, but salaries are definitely...not. So people have been cutting back on spending. Even though the recession has technically ended, people still don't have that extra spending money they are used to...and savings are starting to run dry. So more and more articles are coming out (or at least I am discovering them) about how to save money pretty much everywhere. But then you crave that Japanese Steakhouse experience. You want the white sauce, the rice, the veggies, the steak....and you think, how could I ever have that at home. So I am here to tell you...you may not be able to turn your kitchen into the grill table at a Japanese restaurant and do the onion volcano, but you can enjoy the flavors. I have put my favorite recipe for fried rice below. And check out Japanese Steakhouse White Sauce for the perfect white sauce recipe to go with it. Takeout might seem more convenient, but after trying this recipe you may never go back!

Fried Rice (serves 4-6 as a meal or 8-10 as a side).
2 1/2 c. long-grain white rice, uncooked
5 c. water
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. Kikkoman soy sauce*
1/2 c. diced yellow onion
3 green onions, sliced
10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I used Cascadian Farms carrots, peas, and corn)
3 eggs

*Note: it is important in this instance to use Kikkoman ($1.98 for 5oz.) soy sauce. I am very rarely brand specific, but if you use a different kind of sauce, the flavor won't taste right!

Directions:
1. Make the rice: put 1 tbsp butter, the rice, salt, and water in a pot. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to med-low. Simmer 20-30 minutes until done. Set aside.
2. Add remaining butter to a large (huge, enormous) saute or stock pot. Melt on high heat. Add the eggs and scramble until done.
3.Add the onions and vegetables. Stir.
4.Add half the soy sauce, then the rice. Stir.
5. Add remaining soy sauce. Toss to coat. Allow to remain on heat until some carbonization occurs.
Serve warm with white sauce and enjoy!

For Shrimp Fried Rice:
In a skillet, add shrimp (8-10/person) and soy sauce (about 1 tsp/person) to coat. Sear on high heat until pink all the way through. Serve shrimp on top of rice.

For Pork or Chicken Fried Rice:
Take 4 boneless pork chops or chicken breasts and saute in skillet with a little butter 5 min. Flip once half way through. Cut into bite size pieces and Finish cooking with 4 tsp soy sauce. Serve on top of rice.


Enjoy!

Panini everywhere!

I recently found an old model George Foreman (new in box) online for $15. Now, while it may be advertised as the mean, lean, grilling machine; what many people fail to realize is that it also works as a panini press. Who needs two gadgets when one will do? So I have been making panini. I am not fond of sandwiches, though my husband loves them. Yet when the word panini is used instead, I suddenly develop a true love and adoration for the grilled sandwiches. So pull out that old George Foreman, or a panini press...or a couple of skillets and a brick...but try that panini!

Panini Basics:
use high quality bread, such as french baguettes or ciabatta
Make sure to stuff the cut side and grill the crust side or use a hearty loaf that can take the heat
Always melt the cheese
Enjoy!

Some combinations to try:
Sliced turkey, cranberry-orange chutney, spinach, and gouda
Sliced ham, apple, spinach, and brie
Sliced turkey, avocado, spinach, spicy mustard, and monterey jack


Cranberry-Orange Chutney (for 2 sandwiches)
1/2 c. fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed
1 tbsp orange zest
about 1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp sugar

Mix all ingredients in a pot, simmer until cranberries pop. Cool 10 minutes before use. May refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Remember....Spaghetti and Apple Pie ala mode

Last week, on January 4th, my grandfather died. He was 88 years old, and had Alzheimer's. Ever since my grandmother passed 11/2 years ago (see this post about her), his connection to the outside world was lost. He was already gone. And so for the past week it feels like I have been floating. I just think, that maybe, if I went to his assisted living facility, he would still be there, waiting to give me a hug. My grandfather was my hero. People talk about girls being "Daddy's girl". But really, I was "Granpa's girl". Granpa played with me, taught me, but most of all, he listened to me, even when no one else did.
When I was a little girl, I slurped spaghetti. Granpa is the one who taught me to twirl the noodles on a spoon to make them fit on the fork just right. And his favorite meal, in the whole wide world, was spaghetti followed by apple pie ala mode. I think this week it's time to remember. To move past denial, and to grieve. And to have a big bowl of spaghetti and a huge slice of apple pie.

Spaghetti and Meatballs (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
1 1b Italian sausage
1 c. flour
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 12oz cans tomato sauce
2 tbsp Italian herb seasoning (or 11/2 tsp each: oregano,parsley, basil, and 1/2 tsp thyme and 1 tsp garlic)
You could also use 1 160z jar Classico or Bertolli pasta sauce instead of the plain sauce and herbs.

Directions:
If sausage is in casings, remove them. Mix sausage, flour, and cheese together. Roll into 2 in balls. Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente" about 1 minute less than box calls for.
Heat sauce and herbs.
Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add sauce to large pot with noodles. Mix well.
Divide into 4 serving bowls and top with meatballs and Parmesan if desired.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 Pillsbury pie crusts.
4 rome apples, peeled and cored
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash cardamon and allspice
3 tbsp cold butter, cut in pieces
2 tbsp sugar, plus more for sprinkling
agave nectar
1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
Place one crust in bottom of greased 9" pie pan. In a bowl, mix apples, spices, and sugar. Toss to coat. Place in pie crust. Drizzle agave nectar on top. Place butter on top randomly. Cover with remaining crust. Cut a vent hole. Brush with butter. Sprinkle on sugar. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown and apples are soft.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (preferable homemade).

Enjoy!