Seafood Sunday

In the past I've lamented about my love for Sundays, however, with the holidays and then moving into my new abode, I hadn't yet had the chance to thoroughly enjoy a relaxing Sunday in a really long time. Yesterday,I finally got to change that! 

After several weeks of winter, Baltimore got a brief glimpse of spring this weekend. It's possible that I love winter more than anyone you'll ever meet. I run faster in winter, I'm happier in winter (nothing makes me fussy like being hot and having sweat running down my face), and I truly love being cold. I lived in my last apartment for almost 3 years and never once turned on the heat. My new apartment is so warm without heat that Sheppie and I actually have to open a window at night to get the apartment to what we consider an appropriate sleeping temperature as we both enjoy a nip in the air and snuggling under blankets. Have I mentioned that Aussie is basically me in dog form? 

In writing about my love for cold, I was instantly reminded of one of the first times sister came sleep over at my first DC apartment. Unlike in my last home, my first DC casa only had a window unit air conditioner. Because it was a studio apartment, there also weren't a lot of options when placing furniture. As a result, the bed was placed in such a way that the window unit blew directly onto the bed. Delightful for people that like to be cold when they sleep, hell for poor sister. I shouldn't laugh, but this is one of my all time favorite pictures and I feel like it depicts so well how cold I like to keep a home:

Yes, she's created a fort out of the pillows to help block the air conditioner. In hindsight, I should have traded sides with her. 

I said all that to say, despite my affinity for winter, I truly enjoyed the warm weather this weekend. I spent Sunday doing so many of my favorite things. If I'd squeezed in time to paint it would've been perfection. 

Following a delicious brunch at a new neighborhood joint (whereby I had bacon for the first time in many years and realized how much I'd missed it), I finally got Aussie to check out the park in our new hood. I'd tried to get her to go once before when it was semi-nice out and there wasn't snow on the ground, but alas, strong-willed to the end, she got to the base of the park (it's on a hill) and decided she was done with adventure for the day (mind you the base of said park literally touches the parking lot of my apartment building, so it's not like I made her hike for days to get to it). Today I had the magic ingredient (other people in our midst). She's such a ham and loves the attention she gets when friends come over, so she wasn't about to give that up for the sake of not venturing into uncharted territory. And what do you know, she had a grand time! We've been fortunate enough to live by two huge parks in both of our city apartments together and I'm hopeful that our new park will provide the same solitude from city life that the last one did. 

Living puppy life. She's secretly excited to spend more days here once it gets permanently warm.

After shooting the breeze at the park and parting ways with friends, I found myself desiring to cook an inventive Sunday dinner. One of my favorite things about having a car again is being able to run to the grocery store and pick up something for dinner without it being a huge production. Plus, I can take Aussie with me on my journey. She loves car time almost as much as park time, so she's always up for accompanying me on the ride.

For some reason, I never buy fresh fish from the seafood counter. It's not something I really gravitate towards, but for the life of me I don't know why. I love seafood, it's what prevented me from becoming a full on vegetarian for all these years, and I'm a good enough cook that I could easily make some divine dishes with it. But alas, I haven't. As with so many things this year, I decided to change that on Sunday. I picked out a piece of fresh salmon and decided I was going to make magic in the kitchen. And I did....plus if points were being given out for this dish, I would've gotten bonus ones for using one of my two FOTYs as one of the focal points. It's possible I watch too many cooking shows.

I ended up enjoying this little impromptu meal so much that I think Sunday dinners may become a new staple around the casa. Stay turned. For now, a 30 minute meal Rachel Ray would be proud of.

Salmon with Roasted Sweet Potato, Asparagus, and Leeks

Ingredients

• Salmon
• 1 lemon, half sliced and juice from remaining half
• Asparagus, rinsed and stems trimmed
• 1 large leek, washed and sliced in half longways
• 1 medium sweet potato
• Fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

* I drew inspiration from all over for this recipe, so there aren't clear measurements yet again. Instead, I'm going to tell you basically what I did and then send you off to interpret in a way that works for you. Good luck, you can do it!

1. Rinse salmon, place in baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Drizzle lemon juice from half a lemon and top with lemon slices before baking. 

2. Insert salmon dish into cold over and turn temperature to 400F. Bake for 25 minutes. Almost every recipe I looked up swore by this method for the most tender salmon results. They did not lie. 

3. Whilst salmon is baking, peal and slice sweet potato, leeks, and asparagus. Place sweet potato and asparagus into large bowl and lightly toss with olive oil. Lay out, single layer, onto baking sheet. Add sliced leeks to the fun (and lightly drizzle with olive oil). Sprinkle all with salt and pepper before baking.

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until leaks are slightly brown and others are at desired level of tenderness.

5. Plate. Eat. Enjoy.

Kickin' It in Kansas City

Long time no see! April is flying by in a crazy blur and I can barely keep up. One day it's Easter and the next thing I know the month is nearly half over. Whatthewhat?! 

I've never been much of a fan of April. I enjoy spring, I really do, but I also know what's lurking just over the horizon...the dreaded summer, which we got a little preview of with some near 90 degree days this week. Color me not amused and enter the return of my overwhelming desire to move to Colorado. That aside, so far April is my favorite month this year?! I blame this almost entirely on the slew of fun activities that abound for me this month. 

Backtracking for a moment, after spending Easter weekend at home with the fam, I was Kansas City bound during the first week of April. Because it would just be way too simple for TF and I to actually live/work in the same city [note sarcastic tone], he recently moved from OKC and started a new job in KC. Being the wonderful girlfriend that I am, I dropped in for a bit to help him get unpacked and settled in his new abode. The visit was not without isn't fun though, which included me getting to do what I love: practice my craft in the kitchen and a trip to my favorite KC dining establishment [see photos below]. 

TF "let me" unpack and organize the kitchen. It was actually pretty fun (I'm weird like that) because I got to find and play with all his fun kitchen gadgets, and the OCD person in me loves to organize. I'm fairly certain that if you combined my kitchen with his I would never stop cooking. It's like my version of a toy store...that and home depot (again, another weird quirk). Nonetheless, whilst unpacking I found some adorable little dishes with candles that you could light under them to keep the contents of the dish warm (like miniature buffet trays for one). I'd forgotten about making him get them during his Christmas raid of his mom's kitchen store and couldn't wait to try them out as part of my dinner concoction:

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Baked Burritos

Ingredients

Inspiration found here

• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 cup of diced white or yellow onion
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend, but any kind would work)
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil (for basting)
• tomatillo sauce for topping (see when TF and I made it last year)

The inside goodness pre-wrapping. It also works great to eat just like this if you want to skip the tortilla altogether (I did this on day 2 as this recipe clearly makes a ton)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F
2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potato, wrap in a slightly damp paper towel, and microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes (this is probably my favorite trick for cooking a sweet potato quickly)
3. Meanwhile, combine corn, onion, black beans and spices in a large skillet or wok (you know I love to use a good wok) and warm through 
4. Once the sweet potato is done, peel and dice it before adding to the skillet/wok. Adjust spices as desired to make sure it has the right amount of flavor/spice 
5. Next, place the tortillas on a place and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds.This helps keep the tortillas from cracking when you roll them in a minute
6. Fill tortillas one at a time with veggies/beans, topping with a row of cheese. Then roll and place opening flap side down on a cookie sheet covered with foil. Top with a thin layer of olive oil. Repeat as necessary
7. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, turning half way through and topping the now top side with a thin layer of olive oil. At the end, broil on HIGH for just under a minute to crisp the tortillas into a perfectly golden, crunchy shell
8. Once done, plate and top with a layer of tomatillo sauce and serve with your favorite Mexican side item....naturally, we went with queso (which we are finally getting close to perfecting the recipe on, at which point there will be cheers of joy and I will share our masterpiece)

I conclude this post with some of my fav pics from my time in KC. Enjoy!

One of my instant favorite places, the City Market. HUGE farmers market + lots of homemade treats, all insanely cheap. My giant piece of baklava was $1

Since we didn't get to celebrate our birthdays together, TF and I did belated birthday meals. My choice: the Beer Kitchen, for their amazing fries [parm and truffle oil here, last time we got sweet potato]. Love this place.

And the best mac and cheese known to man. Did I mention that this place is within walking distance of TF's abode?! 

And just in time for the playoffs, part of my birthday present included this amazingly comfortable Thunder shirt

Lastly, because I remain proud of my handiwork, I present the bookcase/TV stand that I constructed on my own....although to be fair, I'm somewhat of a closeted craftswoman :)

Thanksgiving is Coming: Part 1

There's nothing I love more than a good 3-day weekend and this one came not a moment too soon. My sleep schedule was in shambles after election night and plummeted even further with some late nights at the beginning of the weekend. Thus, you can imagine the joy I felt when on Sunday I still had another day of weekend to catch up on sleep with (gotta love all the federal holidays this time of year). In an effort to not squander the entire day sleeping (or miss out on the gorgeous weather), I spent some time today walking with Bax and enjoying the leaves in the park and looking up some recipes for Thanksgiving dinner.

I will never get over how gorgeous the leaves are in fall

I love Thanksgiving so very much (I actually claim it as my favorite holiday) and it's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to one day (when I live in something bigger than my current studio apartment) host the event. Since my time as a host is still a ways off, I have settled for the next best thing: coordinating the menu. Last year this time I was just starting to focus on developing my culinary skills and undertook the task of creating a slew of desserts. They were all amazingly delicious and if I didn't love Thanksgiving food so much, I would've feasted on them as my meal. This year, I have no choice but to try and top last year's efforts (damn my competitive nature). In the meantime, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's thinking about recipes for the big day and thus I wanted to share two delectable fall-inspired sides that I made recently that could also serve as a great addition to any Thanksgiving table.

Acorn Squash with Wild Rice and Veggies

This is one of those recipes that is great when you need to use up some extra vegetables before they go bad and can easily be tweaked depending on the season or taste preferences. I ate it as a meal, but the recipe could definitely be increased (based on crowd size) and used as a Thanksgiving side as well. 

Ingredients

• 1 package of long grain wild rice 
• 1 acorn squash, roasted
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup portobello mushroom slices
• 1-1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 4-5 capellini tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Roast acorn squash either in the oven or crockpot. I used my pumpkin roasting crockpot method that I recently discovered and am currently obsessed with
2. Prepare rice according to package (usually takes about 25 minutes). With about five minutes left, I added my carrots to cook with the rice (but they could also be cooked in the skillet/wok as well)
3. Meanwhile, remove acorn squash from skin and discard skin (my only regret on this recipe is letting the squash cook for too long so that it was mushy rather than diceable...this is my punishment for not having a vision for the meal when I started cooking the squash)
4. Heat olive oil in wok or skillet, then add mushroom slices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in tomatoes and squash and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes
5. Add in spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cover and remove from heat to allow spinach to wilt
6. Once rice is cooked, mix with veggie mix in skillet, season and serve

Veggies post cooking (I also had to drain the excess water as a result of the squash not being as firm as it should've been...still good though)

Wild rice and carrots ready to eat

Giada's Roasted Veggies

Another great veggie side for the big day comes courtesy of my beloved Food Network. I had dinner with my parents over the weekend and offered to make these to accompany the fish my dad was preparing. They were a huge hit and would be a great easy, low stress addition to Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients

Courtesy of Giadá

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles
• 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1/2 pound), halved
• 4 cups red bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
• 3 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and cut vegetables as mentioned above
3. Grease an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry
4. Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Soup Time

Fall not only marks the beginning of me being in a more pleasant mood, but also the return of soups to my life. As I've recounted on numerous occasions, my tolerance for hot foods in the summer months is minimal at best. But in the fall/winter months, I love nothing more than nestling up with a warm bowl on the couch. 

Last week a colleague shared with me the recipe for one of her favorite soups from Whole Foods. She began by describing the recipe as having kale and sweet potato in it...I was instantly sold. So, after picking up some goodies at the farmers market over the weekend I was ready to get to it. The original recipe was made on the stove, but since I've been anxiously awaiting the chance to break out my crock pot, I threw everything in there and let the wondrous pot work it's magic. As you may recall, I'm fairly new to crock pot cooking (my receipt of said crock pot from Santa was part of the inspiration for starting this blog) and was ready to get back into the game. It did not disappoint, and despite what I read on several websites, I didn't have any problem with needing to adjust the amount of liquid in the original recipe. And as the grand finale, I got to use my beloved hand mixer! It was a good day in my kitchen!

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients
[Adapted from Whole Foods]

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 5 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 3 cups chopped kale leaves
• Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

Pre-Cooking

Preparation

1. Combine above ingredients in crock pot, cook on high for 4-6 hours (until veggies are tender)
2. Using hand blender, puree veggies until desired consistency. Serve with whole grain bread for dipping

Ready to be blended

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger

In an effort to restore my shaken confidence on Sunday, dessert wasn’t the only thing I whipped up. With my impending travels, it was time to play another round of “use up all the fresh produce before I leave so it doesn’t go to waste.” This time, I had a sweet potato that had been laying on the counter since last weekend when I snatched it up at the market thinking it might be fun to do something with it, only to never have time during the week to do so. Immediately, the wheels in my head began to turn as I tried to concoct a recipe for my lone sweet potato. Thanks to the wonder that is pinterest, after a few minutes of drooling over photos I found out: a sweet potato black bean burger.

You may recall, I made my first foray into the homemade veggie burger scene a couple weeks ago with this guy. He was good, but proved to be very hard to keep together, even during the cooking process. With the summerlike temperatures and the griddle still out from the morning’s pancake failure, I was easily convinced to proceed down the veggie burger route again.

This recipe proved to be relatively simple and quick, after I got the potato softened and peeled. I’d also scooped up an avocado during a mid-week market pit stop that I was thrilled to be able to incorporate into the meal as well. Happy Grilling!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger

[Adapted from this version]

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1-14 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the sweet potato. If you are in a hurry, microwave it for 5 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 5 minutes. The sweet potato should be soft. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato chunks on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until soft
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sautee pan. Add onions and sautee for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Set aside.
3. Place the drained and rinsed beans in a small bowl. Using a potato masher (or the bottom of a mug), mash the beans until they are a mixture of whole and smashed
4. When the sweet potato is done, use the potato masher to finely mash them
5. Mix together the sweet potato, beans and onions
6. Add the cumin, curry, salt and pepper to the mixture and stir
7. Heat a griddle to 300 degrees F or a large skillet over medium heat. Spray using a non-stick cooking spray
8. Form the potato/bean mixture into patties, approximately 4-6 ounces.
9. Cook burgers until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side

These patties were a lot more flipper friendly than the last ones!