what i eat.

a blue number two.

While we may have hit a low point over here in terms of nutrition, we sure are having a dang good time.  So that's good.  And tomorrows a new day so it's okay.  And even though we're still headed to multiple potluck and cookie parties where there's sure to be multiple large tables full of holiday food, I'm okay with it.  Actually--I'm loving all this holiday eating/celebrating/tradition keeping and tradition starting.  It's totally floating my Christmas boat.

But back to the low point (nutritionally speaking.)  I think it all started at the local Bob's Big Boy (long story) and kinda snowballed from there.  We ended up at a family Christmas cookie party--a tradition that started way back when I was still saying things like, "I need 10 more minutes to do my bangs." --which means we've been doing this since the 80's.  It's awesome and weird and we try not to miss it.  We eat, we drink, and we make a lot of cookies.  And we eat a lot of cookies.  And frosting.  And food coloring.  Let's just say the next morning our youngest family member went number two and it was blue.

Electric blue.  Obama-Hope-poster blue.  It was shocking.  But not shocking enough to make me run to the store for veggies.  No.  Instead I started my errand filled day with a donut and vanilla americano which held me until I found myself in a full-blown low blood sugar meltdown in line at the craft store at 11:30. (why was I at the craft store?)  Then I found myself at the drive-thru ordering a bag of greasy non-food so I wouldn't pass out...and, you get the picture.

But like I said, it's no sweat.  We're okay over here.  Actually we're better than okay.  This holiday month has been the best so far and I can't help but keep thinking: is it really better to be safe than sorry?

 

Here's a little holiday drink idea.  And here's what you'll need:
Champagne
Fresh pomegranate seeds
-pour some champagne in a flute and float some pomegranate seeds.  It's super pretty and the seeds tend to travel up and down as the glass sits. Not sure why.  But it ends up looking really cool and pretty.

Happy Everything!
 
 

sour cream chicken enchiladas.

There isn't much to say about these except that you need to, without a doubt, make them tonight.  And for that Christmas potluck you're headed to this weekend.  Or maybe even for Christmas eve, if you're feeling a little rebellious.

My mom made these all the time for all 52 of us when we were growing up, so for me, these enchiladas aren't only delicious, they are a heavy dose of comfort.

 

There's nothing pretty or fancy here and its all a little loosy-goosy in terms of ingredients.  All you exact-measurement types just felt your shoulders tighten a little, didn't you?  Don't worry--you can do it.  You can't really mess these babies up.  Serve them with black beans and rice, or just a big scoop of guacamole and some chips. 

Grandma Suze's Enchiladas
flour tortillas
cooked, shredded chicken
lots of jack cheese, grated
1 can diced green chiles
sour cream
chicken stock (or milk will work here)
2 small cans cream of chicken soup
cilantro (you can totally skip this if you have no love for cilantro)

In a big bowl mix the soup, a couple big scoops of sour cream and either the stock or milk.  Add chiles and cilantro.  The consistency should be kinda thick and soupy.  You should be able to pour this b/c you it will go over the enchiladas at the end.  If yours is too thick just add some stock or milk to thin it out.  Stuff each tortilla with some cheese and chicken and roll up enchilada-style and put in a big glass casserole dish.  Pour the soup mixture over the top (the more the better!) and sprinkle some cheese on top too.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 until a little brown on top and bubbly, about 30-45 min.  Take foil off during the last few minutes.

yee haw.

I've known about her but hadn't spent much time on her site until the other night, and now, I feel like I really know her.  And I'm so glad I do!  She calls herself the Pioneer Woman and she lives on this unbelievable cattle ranch in Texas with her beautiful kids and her handsome cowboy husband.  And she makes really, really good food and has written a cookbook, and takes a ton of fantastic photos along the way.  Clicking around her site really does feel like you're watching a movie.  It's completely beautiful.

 

I couldn't decide what to make.  Every single recipe she documents looks delicious.  Really.  On this particular night I was craving a green veggie (rare) so this salad caught my eye.  Totally easy to make.  Tastes even better than it looks, and it looks pretty good!  I have eaten it like 4 times since I made it the other night.  So good.  I've also eaten plain noodles with just the dressing--ya know, like a sesame noodle type of thing.  Can't get enough of it.  The recipe below makes a ton of salad.  Also, I added the top ramen mix from this recipe for some crunch, which, I have to say, was genius.

• SALAD INGREDIENTS:
• 1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
• ½ heads Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ heads Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
• ½ bags Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
• 1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
• Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
• 3 whole Scallions, Sliced
• 3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
  
• DRESSING:
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
• ⅓ cups Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapeno's, Chopped (i skipped this)
• Chopped Cilantro

Mix the dressing ingredients together, dump all the salad stuff in a bowl, pour the dressing over everything and eat. 

 

7 years thankful, w/ a little turkey anger.

In the last 4 days I have watched at least some part of about seven different Thanksgiving related cooking shows.  I've been getting ready for our annual pre-Thanksgiving-Thanksgiving dinner with friends--a tradition seven years strong now-- and I needed some ideas. 

 

Well actually, I needed some tips.  While I've cooked a turkey before a few times, I've never done it with much confidence.  And I think the turkey knows when you're feeling a little scared.  The turkey senses your insecurity.  I've learned over the years that this can be pretty problematic.

So this year, as we were getting ready to feed our friends some seriously good food, I decided to act a little cocky.  I also decided to whole-heartedly trust my food network friends who all assured me that cooking a turkey is, in fact, easy.  After googling "turkey cooking times" about six hundred times, I prepped our bird and stuck her in the oven.  325 for three and a half hours.



It really was a lovely day of food prep.  Quiet and relaxing, with that Ive-got-no where-to-be feeling.  We made scalloped potatoes with roasted garlic and rosemary, whipped sweet potatoes with bananas and honey, green beans with shallots and bacon, cider gravy and brioche buns.  Brad brought his stuffing that i look forward to ALL year long.  And for dessert there was this brown butter vanilla bean pear crumble from Smitten that stole the show. (I won't lie, I ate it for breakfast this morning.)

The turkey had been in for over 2 hours when I decided to check it.  I don't know why I felt the need to take it's temperature.  Maybe because I kept asking myself, "If cooking a turkey is so easy, why the hec are there so many turkey-cooking horror stories?  why the need for a turkey hot-line??"  So with a full hour left of cooking time I took our bird out and checked it.  Good thing I did because as it turns out that baby was done.  D.O.N.E. with a full hour left.  At first I felt so relieved.  That, you know, I pulled it out in time.  And that we all got some really great tasting turkey on our plates later.  But as the bird sat on the counter and rested I started to feel a little peeved.  Cooking a turkey IS tricky as it turns out.  It's unpredictable and that bothers me.  And makes me a little angry.  Sigh.

I got over it though, and we had a beautiful evening.  It was one of those nights with good food and good friends where it was real easy to feel thankful--at the beginning, middle and end of the night.

 

Knock the socks off your friends and family and bring this cranberry sauce to your gathering:

From Bon Appetit Magazine, tweaked
Cranberry-Mustard Sauce
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
splash of water
1 TBL dijon mustard
1 TBL grainy mustard
Cook the cranberries, sugar and water over medium heat until the cranberries start to pop open.  Take off heat and let cool completely.  Stir in mustards and serve.
 

a chicken stock intervention.

I have the great privilege of living in the same small town as a dear friend which means it's not out of the question to end up at the grocery store at the same time. This happened the other day and as we were checking out and chatting up a storm I glanced at the contents of her cart.

 
  
There, in her cart, was enough boxed chicken stock to feed a small country.  I think there were 4, maybe 5, boxes of stock.  You know the kind.  And there's nothing wrong with it really.  Except that it tastes like nothing.  So basically you're buying water in a box and hoping for the best. I didn't say all this to her right there.  All I said was, "you totally need an intervention."  Because, ya know, you want to help the people you love, right?

I have been making this super easy chicken stock consistently for the past few months and it has significantly changed the flavor of our food.  You have to do this!  I make this A LOT and sometimes I pick up one of those rotisserie chickens at the grocery store for the chicken.  Then I throw it in a stock pot with a carrot, some celery, an onion, some garlic, maybe some fresh herbs if you have them, salt and pepper and a ton of water and a couple hours later there is the best chicken stock you have ever tasted.

See, there's my big jar up there in that picture.  I usually have one of those in my fridge and it's super handy to have--for soups, or for all those other recipes that call for like 1/4 cup of stock.  So save your chicken bones people.  You'll be glad you did. 

turkey chili sweet potato shepard's pie.

Okay.  So I heart-with-a-slash-thru-it Halloween.  I really don't like it.  Pretty much hate costume parties.  Try to avoid them actually.  And when it comes to Halloween-themed food, I hate all that stuff even more.  You know what I mean, right?  You can't turn on the Food Network or the morning news right now without watching someone try to turn meatballs into googly eyes, or hot dogs into bloody fingers.  Please explain to me what part of you wants to eat something that resembles blood or an eyeball?  C'mon, some of you might say, have a sense of humor.  Okay, okay, I'm open to that feedback.  I'll think about it.  But in the mean time, here's my nod to Halloween.  A version of shepard's pie that's um, orange.  See.  I do know how to have fun.

I think I caught the tail end of a Rachel Ray (more on my feelings about her later) show where she made a version of this and I thought it sounded interesting.  It's basically your best turkey chili recipe with some smashed sweet potatoes on top with a little cheddar cheese.  Here are some loose guidelines but feel free to tweak this however you see fit.  It was over-the-top satisfying.

Turkey Chili-Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie
--serves 4

Chili:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 good sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef or chicken stock (I used chicken, worked great)
1 big can chili beans
1 small can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes:
3 good sized orange fleshed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt, worked great)
pat of butter
some orange zest if you have an orange hanging around--I skipped it.
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400.  Bake sweet potatoes until done, 40-60 min. Meanwhile, brown the meat and then add the chopped onion.  Cook until onion is translucent, a few minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for about a minute.  Add the stock and scrape up any brown bits.  Add the tomato paste, beans, tomatoes, and spices.  Simmer for 10-20 minutes.

When the potatoes are done and cooled, scoop all the pulp into a bowl and mix in the sour cream, zest, butter, salt and pepper.  Pour the chili into a casserole and top with sweet potato mixture.  Top with cheese and stick into the oven until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

 

lunch is the new breakfast.

I was inspired lately, while in the beautiful city of San Francisco, to eat what I truly love.  All day long.  No more scrambled eggs in the morning (gag) because they are high in protein and they'll get you through to lunch, blah, blah, blah.  Instead I've been nibbling on a hunk of bread and some good cheese. 

I've been choking down breakfast foods with my coffee most mornings for years and I'm not sure why.

We had this salad at the Ferry Building at a place that bases their menu on what the local farms have to offer.  The food was de.lish.ous. And simple, which is so freaking satisfying it made me want to hug our waiter.  There are 3 ingredients in this salad plus a vinaigrette that takes 2 seconds to throw together.  I've been eating it for breakfast since I've been home.

Ferry Building Salad, SF

couple handfuls arugula
half of a nectarine, sliced
handful of roasted almonds, roughly chopped
light drizzle of vinaigrette (recipe follows)

vinaigrette:
couple glugs good olive oil
few splashes white wine vinegar
squeeze of a fresh lemon
sprinkle of salt

no joke.

A blind professor, a lactation specialist and a computer department manager all get on a bus.

 

Sounds like the beginning of a joke, right?  Well, it's not.  My husband, the computer guy--not the lactation specialist--often rides the bus to work and has made a few friends who have the same commute.  I'm told they talk about lots of things.  Global warming, the Middle East, homeschooling, ya know, that type of stuff.  Oh, and cinnamon roll recipes.

 

This peaked my interest.  When my husband came home one day talking about cinnamon rolls, and how the lactation specialist never proofs her dough in the oven and the blind professor sometimes mixes whole wheat flour in with regular flour, I listened.  I think I even nodded alittle.  Really, though, I was nervous.  My experience of baking with yeast has been super hit and miss, especially when it comes to the cinnamon roll-sticky bun family. A few months ago I thought I would surprise my husband with a homemade batch, but failed majorly.  Twice.  In.One.Day.

So yesterday, when he said, "Come on, we'll make them together, I'll be your sous chef, " I got all caught up in the moment and said yes.  A cooking project on a Sunday does happen to be my FAVORITE thing to do so I couldn't resist.

 

We decided to ditch most of the bus-friends' advice and laid our fears at the feet of my Baking Illustrated cookbook following it's cinnamon roll recipe to a T.  We even let 'em rise in a sunny corner of the living room, peeking every so often like the pan was a sleeping newborn.  We were very proud.  Overall it was an excellent day--and one that I'm sure was discussed on the bus this morning on the way into town.

Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
from Baking Illustrated
--makes 12.

Dough:
1/2 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4-4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface

Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Filling:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dough:
Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter melts.  remove from heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm (about 100 degrees).  In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the water, yeast, sugar, egg, and yolks at low speed until well mixed.  Add the salt, warm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour and mix at medium speed (adding more flour as needed) until the dough is smooth and freely clears the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.  Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Shape the dough into a round, place it in a very lightly oiled large bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Leave in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

For the icing:
While the dough rises, combine all the icing ingredients in the bowl of the a standing mixer and blend together at low speed until roughly combined, about 1 minute.  Increase speed to high and mix until the icing is uniformly smooth and free of cream cheese lumps, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the icing to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.

To roll and fill the dough:
After the dough has doubled, press it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 X 12 inch rectangle, with a long side facing you.  Mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the far edge.  Roll the dough, beginning with the long edge closest to you and using both hands to pinch the dough with your fingertips as you roll.  Lightly dust the roll with flour and press the ends to make a uniform 16-inch cylinder.  Grease a 13 X 9 inch baking dish.  Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces using dental floss and place the rolls, cut-side up in prepared baking dish.  cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

To bake the rolls:
When the rolls are almost fully risen, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350.  Bake the rolls until golden brown 25-30 minutes.  Invert the rolls onto a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.  Turn the rolls upright on a large serving plate and use a rubber spatula to spread the icing on them.  Serve right away.

 

lemon-vodka cream pops.

It's been hot here so I made these.

 

lemon-vodka cream pops (from Fine Cooking magazine) :
yields 8 pops

3 or 4 lemons
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 granulated sugar
1/8 t. salt
2 Tbs. citron vodka (You can skip this but I'm not sure why you would.)

Using a vegetable peeler, remove all the zest from 3 of the lemons in 3-to-4-inch-long strips.  Set lemons aside.  Combine the lemon zest, cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to simmer for 5 min until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Let steep, stirring occasionally, for 20 min.

Squeeze 2/3 cup juice from reserved lemons.  Stirring constantly, pour lemon juice into cream mixture in a slow stream.  Stir in vodka.  Strain mixture to remove solids and then divide among 3 oz. pop molds (I used tiny glasses.)  Freeze until barely set, 5 to 6 hours.  Insert sticks and freeze until completely set, about 2 hours more.

I just lost a decent chunk of time in blog-ville--you know when you click from one blog to another to another until your about 62 clicks in looking at someone's life who lives in a different country.  This just happened to me which doesn't sound all that bad i realize, except that at LEAST the last 5 blogs I looked at all had these unbelievably torturous pictures of what appeared to be the most perfect summer experiences imaginable.  Let me give you a "for example."  The last photo I looked at was of a perfectly lit beach-day, I think the sun was setting.  There were several little kids off playing in the distance and a stylish woman wearing a stylish beach outfit sitting on a beautiful homemade quilt, next to her sleeping baby while she knit something gorgeous.  On the blanket next to her (and her sleeping baby) was the most amazing well-thought-out-sand-free lunch/dinner in cute little jars and bundles.  Not kidding, nothing was sandy.  I panicked for a minute but then I shook it off.

It's okay though because over here at What I Eat we've had a great time of our own this summer.  Just a really great time.  Here's what we've been up to:  walks almost daily on the beach, homemade hamburger buns, potty training, Sea World, camping, 4th of July fireworks from our front porch, grapefruit martini-buzzes, a new beach town, swim lessons, a kick-ass garden that has exploded with the most satisfying stuff, farmer's markets whenever possible,a ton of wine tasting, anniversary planning, the local candy store, family visits, tons of cousins, West Wing season 7, So You Think You Can Dance and Top Chef Masters.  And lots of sand in our ears. And sometimes our teeth.

 

It goes without saying that there was a lot of food eaten over here this summer too.  So keep checking back for some of my favorite recipes because I still have a lot to tell you.

Can you believe that bowl of lettuce?