This Week In The Kitchen

Geez the way I write around here you'd think the new job has killed all the cookery in our kitchen (Say that five times fast)
…In reality it hasn't, just this past week I made fusilli with chicken and asparagus in a spinach cream sauce (we had some fabulous company), a bacon and asparagus risotto (topped with poached eggs!), and a quinoa pilaf with leeks and spring peas that I made too much of and ate for the next two days in my little cubicle at work, totally unwilling to share the leftovers with the man. I’ve been quite good about feeding us right lately and I have every intention to continue it. As soon as the spring vegetables started poking their way into my reading, and my line of vision at the grocery store, I felt more awake about what I’ve been eating than I have in months.
I’m working hard to keep that spirit going, even as the food prices rise and the mercury dips back down into the thirties. This week I’m going to the grocery store armed with a plan. A weekly 'menu' based loosely around what I’d like to eat this week, what looks good around the internets, and what interests me at the moment.
It’s really for my own good,, because if i don’t start writing things down I will come home with one of the 'forbidden' vegetables that I can’t eat unless the man is out of the house, (or at least out of sight) like beets, or chard...you know those colorful and delicious winter veggies that got the rest of the food blogging set through the winter? Yeah, he can’t stand them, and really I can't stand to make something we both won’t eat…and so I wait until he goes out to eat them.
On the menu this week is a dish of chicken dress in pine nuts, lemons and cracked green olives, another quinoa pilaf, (with kale I think this time...), a gingery pork and napa cabbage stir ‘fry’over brown rice, and linguine with fennel and sardines…you might notice that I’ve added meat back into the equation, but it’s a very small amount of meat for the amount of vegetables and grains we eat…I find that that balance works best for me.
As for right now, well… I have to go rescue the cat, because she’s being slow motion chased by the man and its giving her anxiety. More...

Lettuce Wraps

Do you ever have trouble finding the words to make someone understand something? I feel like my life is a series of those moments lately. I must brush up on the english language...or whatever.


I made the lettuce wraps a WEEK AGO after eating some sort of nasty ones at a bar / restaurant that will go un-named. It was in Cambridge, but that is all I will say. Also the service was terrible, its like it would have killed the waitress and the bartender to smile...but anyway, lettuce wraps! they are super easy and delicious! and they are like asian tacos...its a beautiful thing really when you can eat a lettuce taco filled with charred (from the grill pan!) chicken -or tofu, ahem- thats had a bath in spicy, chili laced peanut sauce.

there. i put some words out...thats a step in the right direction! whew!


see you soon.

xo-elle. More...

Long Time, No See

I haven't been writing here much at all have I? Things in my life have been swirling along at a ridiculous clip and I find that this is the first evening where my errands (the really important ones that involve mechanics and buying tires,) are done. Even though my house is an absolute mess, I'm on the couch with the laptop and I'm typing away. How refreshing. The kitchen here got a little makeover in the time I've been away. Some lights and some paint on the cabinets, also a pot rack. Nothing glamorous, and yet it was just what I needed to get me back in the game. The kitchen isn't the only thing undergoing a makeover, as my diet is not so slowly leaving meat behind

Along with reducing meat in our diet we've also been trying to cut down on the extras but that doesnt mean we're leaving meat totally behind... Just tonight we sat down to roasted grape tomatoes with sicilian green and kalamata olives, topped with a roasted peice of steelhead trout. Cooking here is happening fairly frequently, but its taking alot of effort to find something that feels worth writing about. Dont ask me why, I'm sure it has nothing to do with anything...just a phase or whatever it is that they call it.

We did get a teaser or warm weather the other day and it inspired me to start our seedlings (lemon cucumbers! heirloom tomatoes! you will be mine!!) and plan out a summer garden. Hopefully as the light extends into the evenings, and the temperatures rise, I'll feel a bit more inspired to share whats been going on around here. In the meantime, since were trying to eat a little...lower fat, without turning to processed 'fat free' foods, I've been reformatting some of the favorites Ive shared here before.

Remember the banana bread? Well its gotten of makeover as whole wheat banana muffins. We can't even taste the difference between the old and the new, since instead of all that butter we're using greek yogurt, the muffins stay incredibly moist. If you're feeling decadent, a handful of chocolate chips takes these from breakfast to dessert...and thats made them quite popular around here.

Whole Wheat Bana Muffins

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup low-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup rapeseed oil
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cups or parchment.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Meanwhile, whisk in the oil, egg whites, vanilla and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined, careful; not to over mix, because the wheat flour can get tough if you overdo it. Pour into the prepared pan and Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes,
Remove from oven and pan then place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 12 muffins
More...

Healthy Eating

Last week I went back to being a vegetarian. Except for Thursday, on Thursday I was a pescetarian....but when your eating with a big group of family members that you love, and fra diavalo is the request...well who am I to stand in its way? In any event, the holidays kicked my butt and I gained some weight, so I have been using my time away from here to get caught up on sleep, drink more water than ever before, and realign my eating habits...all very exciting stuff. Moving forward I'll be posting what we're eating, just as before.

But while the zeitgeist is all in favor of meat meat meat (google charcutepalooza...you'll see what im talking about) Im moving toward a veggie existence... Since the man loves veggies, and even eats tofu, the switch has been fairly easy, most of what you'll be seeing here will be...ahem, flexitarian...and will stay true to my desire to reduce the amount of processed food that we consume. I'm looking forward to our kitchen's fresh start! More...

Hiatus

I realized this weekend that I need to focus more on some other things Like my health, and the fact that my bathing suit is the worlds smallest scrap of fabric. Putting so much focus on food, making cooking and baking a hobby has left me a little uncomfortable in my dress pants, if you will...Im going on hiatus, while I figure out where Im headed. I switched over to eating lacto ovo vegetarian again, and Im giving up alcohol during the week. I'm hoping to revamp my diet and my favorite recipes to remain as natural as possible but I need to step away for a little while.

More...

Soup's On

Its been snowy. Snowy and cold. Part of the 'charm' of living in a cottage built in the 1800s, is the drafts that seep in through every window frame and door jamb. They seem to even seep through the walls. When your warm nest feels not so very warm you drink alot of tea, (alot) and then there's the soup. There has been a new soup each week since Christmas.

Each week we make a big bubbling pot that feeds us through the week, for lunches and for simple suppers. Each one packed into the freezer when there's just a little more than two bowlfuls left. Money in the bank, as they say.

Hot and Sour, Pho, Chicken Tortilla, and Vegetable Noodle; There is something about soup. Its restorative in a way that nothing else really is. Maybe its how a pot of soup can bubble on the stovetop and make everything feel like home. Soups make you warm inside, and out. Since we're in need of keeping warm in our little cottage and we've made and eaten quite a bit of soup in the last month, its felt a little bit like a joke to write about it here.

There's no real science to soup. Vegetables swim in broth and maybe they get accompanied by chicken, or noodles. Maybe you thicken it with bread....if you are feeling especially brave, you may even season it with coconut milk and fish sauce. In the end though, even though its just soup, I figure its worth sharing. 



Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup differs from most others in that we used finely crushed tortilla chips (the leftover ends of the bag are perfect for this) to thicken the soup. I like to garnish it with some sliced avocado.


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 medium green pepper
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups roasted corn
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
approx 32 ounces chicken
2 -14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 -16 ounce can of kitchen ready tomatoes
1 cup tortilla chips finely crushed
Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil in a large dutch oven until soft.
Add all the rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil. Poaching the chicken in the liquid for roughly 20 minutes, then remove the chicken breasts and shred. Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 30 minutes, add the crushed tortillas to the soup and stir until the soup has thickened. More...

Resolutions

Maybe it was the winter blahs, the lack of an inspiring farmers market, the hectic holidays, or the new job that kept me away from here. Truth be told those same factors have seen me eating way out of my usual mostly-vegetables diet for the entire month…and I cant wait to get back to it

More than ever, this is a time of year to start lists, to visit gyms, to make fresh starts…well lets just say its been a long time since I felt the need to visit a gym just because of the new year but that doesn’t mean I don’t use the calendar as a benchmark. This year I’m recommitting to eating as healthfully, and locally as possible. I’m going to embrace the seasons, and spend time doing what I think is important for me. One of those things is being here…putting my thoughts on…er, virtual paper, and recording the history of our kitchen.

Over my month long hiatus I didn’t do a lot of cooking…I did a lot of heating and assembling…and ate take out far too often. I have started a new job, in a totally different industry, and just the amount of learning left me exhausted by the end of the day. I was eating the handiest thing, which was often crackers and cheese, or leftover lo mein then crawling toward the bed at night. I’m still learning so much, and I’m very happy in my new work, but I miss my kitchen and the creative outlet it provides me. I’m making a concerned effort to get back there, (and if you read this perhaps you will be inspired too?) So far, its been working.

We had a bit of a blizzard last Sunday here in Boston, and the man and I returned home from our holiday visits about 20 minutes after the snow began to fall. No groceries had been purchased for well over a week, and we were stuck in the house with whatever was in the pantry and the freezer. Thankfully we had more than enough to scratch out dinner. Out came the dutch oven (a Christmas gift from my parents) and into it went onions, peppers, cannellini beans and tomatoes. A single boneless breast of chicken-still frozen when I put it in- was poached in the liquid, then shredded. After some liberal seasoning we had a huge pot of chili to eat and after a little internet searching for a biscuit recipe made without milk, we had cheddar biscuits studded with some chopped cilantro I had frozen. They weren’t award winning, but they tender and crumbled almost perfectly. More importantly they were comforting, and it made for a very cozy blizzard to be cuddled on our little couch under a big quilt with a bowl of chili and a biscuit…

The next day as the roads were being cleared and the news people were urging us to stay in doors we put on the dutch oven again and made a tomato and roasted soup thickened with some crushed tortilla chips leftover from a party that were neglected at the back of the pantry. I was stuck inside with nowhere to go and nothing to do, so I went back to the kitchen, which is exactly where I wanted to be. I’m looking forward to many more nights in my favorite room More...