Quick Quesadillas for Back-to-School Dinner

Dallas-area students started back to school this week and I've seen many of my friends struggling with fitting all of evening activities into already full days.  So, what do you do if family dinner is a priority?  No, do NOT hit the drive thru 4 times in a week (if you can help it).  Instead, whip up a meal in about 10 - 15 minutes.  Yes, I said 10 minutes! :)

A great go-to meal is a quesadilla.  You can make it vegetarian with refried beans or canned black beans (drained and rinsed first!), use leftover meats (bbq brisket, cooked chicken, or even ham), whatever type of cheese you like, and veggies to your liking.  Served with a side of carrot and celery sticks or apple slices, you have a great meal.

But what about other types of quesadilla-inspired options?  I personally love Italian food, and I frequently make a dinner panini.  I thought, why not take the idea of a quesadilla, but make it Italian-style (you can go Asian, Mexican, Greek, whatever)?  Instead of tortillas, I used flat bread, usually found near the deli or bakery in a grocery store.  Prosciutto (Italian ham), provolone, and mozzarella combine into melty perfection and pair perfectly with crispy veggies on the side.  While the sandwiches were baking, I peeled and sliced a cucumber and served it sprinkled with just salt and pepper. 

No real recipe to this, just improvise with what you have. Here's what I did:

Flat Bread Quesadilla Sandwiches

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You can warm up and slightly toast the bread (flat bread, pitas, or tortillas) by placing it in a pan over medium-high heat just until heated through and lightly browned in spots
Spread mustard, mayo, pesto or whatever you like onto one side of a flat bread. 
Layer on the cheese and meat toppings (ham, salami, turkey or what you like or have around)
Fold over bread (to a half moon shape).
Place on a baking sheet, then bake until the cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through, about 5 - 8 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Happy eating!

Summertime Recipe Inspirations

I have to confess, I cook a lot this summer - A LOT.  But, I've posted the pictures of what's cooking on Facebook and sorely neglected my blog.  Apologies!  So, what has inspired my cooking this summer?  LOTS of trips to the Dallas Farmers Market and deliveries by Greenling.com.  In the mix since we last chatted was a trip to San Francisco (aka Foodie Heaven!).

Summer is so much about the fresh produce and grilling that almost all of the pictures below were based around one of these two concepts (dessert is the exception).  Okay, I also put in two killer dessert recipes that were neither grilled or considered summer produce, but they were darn tasty! Rather than do a bunch of different blog posts to cover everything, here are pictures of some items that really hit the spot in the warm weather.  Since Texas won't actually cool down for another month, these recipes are still great to try.  If you want the recipe for any of these, comment and I will send it to you via personal email!

Produce Recipe Pics

Tomato Soup 

Grillin and Chillin: Grilled & Chilled Tomato and Onion Soup with Basil Chiffonade,

Olive Oil Drizzle, and Crumbled Feta

Even insipid winter Roma tomatoes are brought to life by grilling them.  In winter, I would just use a grill pan indoors to the same effect and add a pinch of sugar to the soup to bring out the sweetness that winter produce lacks.  For a vegan version, omit the Feta crumbles.

Quinoa Salad

Plenty of Protein: Red Quinoa Mediterranean Salad

If you haven't yet tried quinoa, you are missing out.  It's one of the "ancient grains" that have existed for centuries and is actually a complete protein.  This salad takes the flavors of the Mediterranean and combines them with quinoa for a nutritious, tasty, and CHEAP lunch or dinner option.  I was playing with the camera to make the picture look like it was in motion, so sorry for those that may feel dizzy!

Grilled Recipe Pics

Meaty Good!

Better meat = Tastier Burger: Grilled Waygu Mini-Burger with Bacon, Guacamole, and Blue Cheese

We have a wonderful organic and local produce and more delivery service called Greenling in our area.  They ran a special on local Waygu ground beef, so I took a chance....  If you don't know Waygu, it's American Kobe beef.  These are happy beef cows pastured and kept from getting stressed.  Rumor has it, in Japan these prized cows are even fed beer!  Happy cows = tasty meat.  Two tricks: manipulate the meat as little as possible - don't knead it to death and cook no more than medium for a really juicy burger.



Cake!

You Grilled That?!: Grilled Angel Food Cake with Sliced Strawberries

The Dallas Farmers Market hosts a wonderful cooking class series each summer and I had the opportunity to attend.  Once of the chefs grilled angel food cake and served with fresh berries and whipped cream.  I thought - how easy and simple would that be and so I tried it.  What a revelation!  The angel food cake takes on a marshmallow-like taste from the grill markings and the berries and fresh whipped cream really offer a taste of summer with a side of naughty richness from the cream.  Since my sweetie prefers strawberries, I just sliced some up and put some sugar on them to punch up the sweetness.

Dessert

A meal isn't complete without a killer dessert.  Here are two that I tried.  One is a take on a French apple cake and the other is a crazy take on a calzone, courtesy of a killer pizza restaurant in town, Il Cane Rosso.

A Taste of Fall in Summer

Oui! French Apple Cake

Consider this a preview of fall - a cake made with sliced, cooked apples baked into a custardy cake with a toasty sugar topping.

Trust me - this is awesome

OMG Good: S'mores Calzone

When I tasted this at the summer cooking class, I couldn't wait to try this at home.  If you are lucky enough to have a pizza oven that goes to 900 degrees like Il Cane Rosso, lucky you!  Us mere mortals can only get our ovens to 500 degrees, but we can still make it tasty good.  How can you not love a pocket of pure, gooey, chocolatey goodness?  The marshmallow is both fluffy and carmely, while the chocolate is melting and rich.  If you're making pizzas, take some of the extra dough and try this. 

Happy eating!

Some Clip Coupons... I Clip Recipes

I think my husband is a pretty understanding guy, but we definitely agree to not discuss how many cookbooks I own or how many cooking magazines I receive each month.  To help preserve household harmony, I am vigilant about reading the magazines and pulling out the recipes I want, then recyling the carcass, so to speak.  It keeps down the clutter of extra magazines pretty well. 

That is perhaps the biggest secret to how I cook such a variety of items.  While I rarely make a recipe exactly as written, they are a great source of inspiration.  Bottom line: I read A LOT of cooking magazines and cookbooks.  I watch cooking shows and "The Chew."  Every time I see a recipe or an idea within a recipe I want to try, I clip it and even write notes on it.  I also keep a small notebook that I jot down ideas in and refer back to.  Sometimes, I just write an idea on a post-it and throw it in the recipe file!

Why do I bother?  part of it is that I get bored eating the same things over and over (there are some recipes I love again and again, but that's not the norm).  Part of why I do it is because I love learning and experimenting and want to make more meals at home.  Plus, by clipping recipes, I can creat a shopping list each week and stay more organized (read: less stressed) during the week and still cook a good meal.  Here are my tips and tricks to staying organized and eating a variety of meals!

Grocery shopping: I shop once per week.  When I make out my shopping list, I pull out my folder of recipes and any cookbooks I want to reference and make out a list of meals and ingredients.  That way, I have everything I need when I'm ready to cook.  But, if there is something on special, I'm not afraid to change my cooking plans or buying and freezing things on sale.

Fresh food: Spring and summer are the best seasons at the farmers' markets.  Try and shop the markets and take advantage of the local offerings.  If they are available in your area, services such as greenling.com bring together produce, meat, and other items and deliver them to you each week.  Not always the least expensive, but if you can afford, it's worth doing.  For meat, get to know your local farmers and buy from them - the meat comes frozen and keeps a long time.  It may cost more, but you're supporting local farmers and escaping the industrial food chain.
Organizing recipes: When I clip the recipes, I keep a simple accordion folder with tabs for each month. I file the recipe under the month I might want to try the recipe. We get bored eating the same things over and over, so it motivates me to try new things. Once I try the recipe, if I don't like it, I throw it out. If I do like it, I add to my "permanent" file with a date I tried it and a note about how I cooked it or anything special about the recipe. (My permanent file is actually a set of recipe files - one for recipes I like and one for the "heirloom" recipes I make again and again).

How I keep recipes organized - filed by month

Cleaning out recipes: At the beginning of the next month, when I'm making out my shopping list, I pull out the recipes I didn't try that month.  If I think I still might make them, I put them in the pile for the current month.  If not, I throw it out.  No use in cluttering up the file.  I have recipes I find in March that I want to make in November.  Having a file by month means I can easily put the recipe in the right place where I won't lose or forget about it.
Following recipes exactly: My honey dislikes bell peppers... and most vegetables... and many fruits... and..., well you get the idea. There are many recipes that have one or two ingredients he won't touch. Rather than just not make the recipe, I omit the items he won't eat. That way, I customize to our tastes and still get to try a potentially delicious recipe. It may not taste quite the same, but it works for us. 
Cook ahead:   A big secret about restaurants is they cook everything they can ahead of time.  That beef rib you're eating on Friday?  It might have been partially or fully cooked on Sunday and just reheated the day they serve it!  If you can find time on the weekend to even cook some of the ingredients ahead, all you have to do the day you wat to eat it is assemble and reheat.  When I took night classes, I cooked 2 or 3 meals on Sunday and divided them into portions for the week. I may have had to run the dishwasher more often to clean all of the Tupperware I used for storage, but dinner was ready in less than 10 minutes most days. 

If you're going to try this, summer is a great time to begin.  Start simple - try grilling a couple extra chicken breasts on Saturday night and serve a chicken Caesar salad Monday with the leftovers! Make a steak salad with an extra steak you grill up.  Serve as a salad with mixed greens, sliced red onions, blue cheese, and balsamic vinegar dressing.  Two meals for the effort of one!

Happy eating!

10 Years in the Making... Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice at Home

One of the biggest frustrations I've always had is that I couldn't master the technique and style of Spanish or Mexican rice.  Sometimes called "arroz rojo" (red rice), it's  a style of rice you see in any Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant in this area.  While I've found the flavors to work in many recipes I've tried, I never could get that "dry" (non-starchy) texture just right.  After over 10 years of trying different recipes, I've hit rice nirvana! 

How did I do it?  A LOT of patience and time.  This isn't a shortcut recipe, but I promise, the payoff is rice you would swear came from a Tex-Mex restaurant.  I've summarized several key steps you HAVE to do for success.  The rice will come out non-starchy, a "dry" texture, with a decent depth of flavor.  Vary it up from there with the addition of veggies and serve with your favorite Mexican-style meat.

Success tips:

- Use regular long-grain rice, NOT instant
- Rinse the rice under cold water in a colander or fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.  This is a CRITICAL step to wash off all of the extra starch.  It will affect the final texture of the rice if you don't
- Dry the rice on a clean towel or paper towels for 5 - 10 minutes before cooking
- Saute the rice until it starts toasting (the grains start to look translucent and some have some browning)
- NO PEEKING at the rice during the 20 minutes of cooking!!

Here is a basic recipe for the rice.  The recipe is tasty without the Sazon, but feel free to add in a Sazon packet if you like.  Many recipes also use frozen peas, but add after the rice has cooked so that they don't get too mushy.  Pull out the peas from the freezer when you start cooking the rice so that they thaw a bit before adding.  Happy eating!

Mexican Rice

1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced onion (white, yellow, or red)
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (reduced sodium)
1/2 cup fresh chopped tomato (seeds and all)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 - 1 packet "Sazon" seasoning, if desired
1/2 cup frozen peas, optional

Place rice in a colandar or fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.  (Move the rice around as you rinse to ensure all the grains are rinsed).  Should take 2 - 3 minutes.  Lay the rice out on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to dry.  Meanwhile, dice the carrot and onion and mince the garlic.  Chop the tomatoes.  Puree the stock and tomatoes in a blender on high speed until smooth.  Set aside.  Heat a skillet or 2-quart saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add oil to coat pan evenly and heat until shimmering.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Saute the rice, stirring frequently until it starts to look translucent and is lightly toasted.  Once rice is starting to toast, add in carrots, onions, and garlic.  Saute 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add in the tomato/stock mixture and stir.  Bring to a low boil and add in bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper, and sazon if using, to taste.  Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat (NO PEEKING!).  After 20 minutes, remove from heat but KEEP COVERED another 5 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle on the peas if using.  Let sit 5 minutes before gently fluffing.

Key Lime Pie Basics

One of the tastiest desserts ever invented was Key Lime Pie.  The dessert is named after the fruit from which it comes, key limes.  These are special limes grown in the Florida Keys and have a slightly sweeter taste than regular limes.  We were in Key West, FL last May and I had a slice of frozen chocolate dipped key lime pie while attempting not to melt in the afternoon heat.  Nothing makes me feel more like throwing on my flip flops and finding a hammock for a nap than eating this rich pie.  It's like a taste of the pie brings back the ocean breezes and sounds of palm trees. 

While a trip to the Keys isn't on my list this year, it's easy to recreate the flavor of the pie I so enjoy.  The recipe is a custard (milk and eggs) with a citrus juice to create the sweet-tart flavor balance.  Other juices could also work (lemon, orange), but the taste may be more or less sweet.  All it takes is a pie crust.  Personally, graham crackers or ginger snaps are a favorite.  For a chocolate twist, crushed Oreos also work really nicely.  The custard itself is just the lime juice, sweetenend condensed milk, and egg yolks.  Topping is traditionally a sweetened whipped cream, but in the quest to cut fat and calories, I use the fat free option of meringue, which is something DH and I both like more anyway.  Fat free sweetened condensed milk works fine in the recipe too.  The pie can be mixed and baked in about 30 minutes, but you have to let it cool before indulging.  Happy Eating!

Key Lime Meringue Pie

1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie shell
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
4 Tbsp white sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place pie shell on a cookie sheet.  In a mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and the key lime juice until blended.  Add in egg yolks and mix until all combined.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes (center will be slightly jiggly).  Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl or with a stand mixer, whip egg whites until frothy.  Add in cream of tartar if using (helps stabilize meringue) and whip until soft peaks form.  Add in sugar and blend until meringue is in stiff peaks.  Top pie with meringue, spreading to edges of filling and making swirls in meringue.  Raise temperature of oven to 350.  Bake pie 10 minutes, rotating halfway through baking or until top is lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Once cooled, refrigerate pie at least 2 hours before serving.

Chocolate + Puff Pastry = YUM

I have a weakness for most anything chocolate.  From my early start eating Nestle's Toll House Semi-Sweet morsels by the handful to today when I enjoy them alongside the likes of Ghiradelli or Valhrona, I really try not to go a day without chocolate.  I was perusing Food Network magazine (I'm not a subscriber) at the store because their chocolate issue caught my eye.  How could it not, what with nearly every recipe having or centering itself around delectable chocolate!

Honestly, while I enjoyed this foray into food porn, I didn't actually take many recipes from it.  Much like when I was confronted with the gargantuan chocolate buffet on a cruise, the sheer volume of options proved overwhelming and I ultimately went away disappointed.  On the cruise, maybe it also had to do with some really rough seas and nausea... just saying!

But, the one recipe I vowed to make was a chocolate pinwheel.  First, I'm always looking for new ways to make something with puff pastry.  Second, it's CHOCOLATE!  The Food Network treatment of these two ingredients was pretty simple - chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and puff pastry rolled, cut, and baked.  I liked the results, but I thought it needed an even sweeter touch, so I created a glaze of peach jam to provide a fruity punch.  These are great with a cup of coffee, served as a crunchy biscuit with ice cream, or just when you're craving a bit of chocolatey sweetness.  Plus, my modifications make the ingredients even easier to find and less messy (love mini chocolate chips!).  Happy Eating!

Chocolate Pinwheels

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/4 cup peach preserves or jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush puff pastry with 2 Tbsp heavy cream leaving 1/4 inch border.  Sprinkle on chocolate chips to edge of cream.  Roll up puff pastry jelly-roll style.  Trim 1/4 inch off each side with a sharp serrated knife.  Slice into 12 pieces, abour 1/2-inch thick each.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to cooling rack.  Meanwhile, microwave peach preserves or jam in microwave for 20 - 30 seconds or until softened and liquidy.  Brush each pinwheel with peach preserves.  (Can also spread with preserves when you eat and leave off as they will soften).

Healthier Springtime Eating - Curried Bay Scallops with Brown Rice

Though Dallas weather certainly isn't reflective of the entire country, toward the end of February spring has sprung!  We still get some random "chilly" days (read: high in the 50's), but our grass greens up from the rain, the weather is generally mild, and we all turn our thoughts to "bikini bodies" for summer.  Ok, maybe a flattering one-piece swimsuit for some of us, but still. 

I've thought for a while that I need a jump start into eating less and eating healthier.  I still love to cook and will always cook a variety of dishes, but there is nothing wrong with adding in healthier recipes or tweaking to make favorites healthier.  I recently subscribed to Eating Well magazine to get more ideas on sophisticated (read: more like Bon Appetit than Cooking Light) yet healthy cooking options.  I've previously subscribed to Cooking Light, so I appreciate the variety they offer and the efforts at mass appeal.  Eating Well pushes the envelope on ingredients a bit more and is a little more aggressive on the health focus.

My sister-in-law is a personal trainer and getting a degree in health promotions, so encouraging all of us to eat better and adopt better lifestyle choices is a mission for her.  She encouraged us to get healthier and, embarking on a 24-day challenge, I sought out healthier recipes.  Copious consumption of butter and sugar aren't the easiest habits to break, but I was going to give it the best try I could.  I saw a recipe in Eating Well for a curried scallop and rice dish and decided to make it my own. 

Goal 1: Dramatically reduce the cost below the $25+ it would cost for the large scallops plus other ingredients
Goal 2: Add in more veggies to up the nutrition
Goal 3: Make dinner in 30 minutes or less

To meet the first goal, I changed jumbo scallops to bay scallops, though shrimp is an excellent substitute.  Buying frozen scallops or shrimp also cuts down on the cost.  Second, the recipe didn't have any added veggies.  Spring means fresh asparagus.  Since asparagus can be hit-or-miss, I went for frozen green beans, which is available year-round, is very nutritious, and has a low cost.  Third goal is best met with "fast cooking" brown rice.  "Fast cooking" brown rice is partially pre-cooked so that it cooks up faster, in about 10 minutes.  Beyond that, though the original recipe calls for lemon juice, I'm a huge fan of Chipotle's cilantro-lime rice, so I did a riff on those tastes to create... curried bay scallops and green beans with cilantro-lime rice.  Happy Eating!

Curried Bay Scallops and Green Beans with Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice

2 cups (uncooked) of quick-cooking brown rice, such as Minute Rice, prepared according to package directions
1 lb bay scallops or shrimp, patted dry with paper towels
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1 bag frozen green beans, microwaved according to package directions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 - 4 scallions, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime

Begin cooking rice according to package directions.  While rice is cooking, pat scallops dry and sprinkle both sides with curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.  Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sizzing.  Add scallops and cook until browned, 1 - 2 minutes per side.  (They will cook quickly).  Remove to a plate.  Can cook in two batches if your skillet is small.  Add the green beans to skillet and saute 3 minutes.  Add cilantro, scallions, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper.  Mix, then add in rice and cook, stirring until heated through, about 1 minute.  Add in scallops or serve on top.