Snow Benny

When I hear snow day, I immediately think of college.  Snow days were the best in college.  We'd order tons of greasy comfort food, stock up on 30 racks, throw on sweats, watch movies, and have the best parties ever.  It was so much fun.

Now, snow days mean working from home with your computer on your lap, dialing into conference calls with spotty iphone service, and scavenging the house for something to compile into an actual meal.

Just as I was about to heat up some soup, I had a brilliant idea!  I realized I had some leftover potato latkes from dinner at my moms house on Saturday night and decided they would be the perfect base to a delicious eggs benedict.  

Snowy Eggs Benny

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 potato latkes

Sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

3 Tablespoons hummus

1 Tablespoon yellow or dijon mustard

Hot sauce

a few squirts of lemon juice

salt & pepper

Directions:

Make "hollandaise": Combine hummus, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste and set aside

Heat latkes in toaster or oven until warmed through

On stove, fill sautee pan with water until boiling.  Reduce heat, add a dash of white wine vinegar, and add eggs. Cover for 3 minutes.

Top latkes with eggs.  Drizzle with "hollandaise" and cheese

Grab a fork and devour.  YUM!

Chrismakkuh

Over the past week, I dove head first into the holiday spirit with some serious pre-holiday cheer.  I celebrated a late Hanukkah with the fam, participated in a yankee swap with my team at the office, attended my company holiday party, met Santa at work, came in 2nd place for ugliest costume at an ugly sweater party, and did lots and lots and LOTS of eating.

First up, Hanukkah w/the fam...

My mom made pork tenderloin, green beans w/toasted almonds, potato latkees, and a caesar salad.

My brother clearly had no problem scarfing up every bite...

(That's the momma... isn't she cute!)

And for dessert, I made chocolate chip banana bread.  Not necessarily a Jewish tradition, but my brother's favorite, and delicious!

A few days after celebrating Hanukkah, I ran into Santa at work.  Not knowing that I'm bias towards Hanukkah Harry, Santa made me take a photo with him.  Too bad he didn't let me sit on his lap and tell him all of my hopes and dreams...

That night, we had our team yankee swap followed by the company holiday party the next day.  After resting up on Friday night, my roommate and I went to an ugly sweater party on Saturday night and came in 2nd place for ugliest sweaters! Once we found out prizes were at stake we really had to step it up...and boy did we ever....

Lovely, isnt it?

Anyway, I usually dread Sunday evenings because it means Monday is looming, but for the first time in a long time, I'm actually looking forward to Monday.  I have a short three day week and then I'm off until Jan 3rd!  My boyfriend comes home on Friday and I can't wait to just enjoy some time off with him and my friends and family.  

So, with that - I'm off to do some work before I head into the office tomorrow but I hope everyone had great weekend and is looking forward to a nice long Christmas weekend!

Fievel Takes Fenway

There's a mouse in my house.  A big, grey, hairy, fat, gross, long-tailed mouse.  I first noticed the pesky little creature Friday night as I was enjoying a relaxing bottle glass of wine on the couch, but I thought I may have been seeing things so I went to bed and hoped for the best.  I woke up early Saturday morning for the gym, and saw him as I was walking out the door.  This guy isn't playing!  Then he remained in my apartment for the greater part of Saturday afternoon.  I was cooking up a storm (that will come later) in the kitchen and the mouse proceeded to play at my feet.  After I picked my roommate up at the airport, we decided to set up some traps.  My kitchen is now boobie trapped with sticky pads loaded with peanut butter, traps filled with peanut butter, and plug-in sonar detectors that omit sound-waves that scare the mice away.

After fully "mouse-proofing" my kitchen, the pesky little bugger came out to play and avoided all of our traps (I told you he wasn't messing around)!  These jerky mice proceeded to come out and play all week long.  I caught two on the sticky pads on Wednesday and another one on Friday when I got home from work.  Woof! Get OUT.  We're having our second exterminator of the week visit us on Monday, and hopefully he'll knock these suckers out.

Now that I've completed my rant, I'll share my recipe for the best soup I've made yet...

Sausage Minestrone and Orzo - YUM!!

1lb sweet italian sausage
1lb hot italian sausage
3Tbs oilive oil
1 large spanish onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, sliced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, cut into pieces
12 cups chicken stock, plus additional as needed
4 cups tomato juice
2 bay leaves
1 can (16 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large summer squash, diced
1/2 cup dried orzo
3tbs chopped fresh basil
kosher salt and freshly group black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper or foil.  Place the sausages on the pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool on a plate lined with paper towels.  Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 - inch slices.

**I bought ground sausage and sauteed on the stove top until just browned.  I let cool and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil, garlic, celery, and carrots.  Saute' for 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato juice, bay leaves, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and cooked sausage.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes, adding more stock or water if too much liquid evaporates.  Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Add the zucchini, summer squash, and orzo.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper.

Can you say YUMMO?  YUMMO!

Walkin' in Memphis

On Weds & Thurs of this week, work brought me to Memphis for some focus group testing.  Naturally I took this opportunity to bring myself to the best BBQ joint in town!  We asked our hotel bartender for his best BBQ recommendation and he sent us to Central BBQ.  He told us we had to get the dry rub rack for 2 (comes with 4 sides) and a 1/2 dozen chicken wings 1/2 wet, 1/2 dry.

For our sides we chose Mac & Cheese, Potato Salad, House made BBQ Potato Chips, & Green Beans.  Needless to say the beans remained untouched.

We sat down with our paper towel napkins and dug right in!  We tried to ignore the stares of the other diners while they watched us devour our ribs and wings in record time. 

After we ate, and let the BBQ sit in our belly's like a pound of bricks conducted about 5 hours of focus groups, we headed downtown to Beale Street.

We ended up at the Rum Boogie Cafe for some beers and live blues.  It was awesome! Since it was a Thursday night, we were lucky enough to catch the house band who were truly great.

We only stayed for a few hours since we had to get up early for our flights, but it was great!  Good times were had by all.  Especially the super drunk guy who fell off his chair and flipped over his table filled with beers as he was trying to catch his fall.  

xoxo Memphis.

Belated Thanksgiving Post

Hello friends,
Sorry I haven't written in a while (thanks to Lizzy for the overly aggressive gentle reminder), I've been quite the busy girl!  Over the past week I've had a trip to Pittsburgh for work, enjoyed time off with friends and family, and been working like a crazy lunatic!


Now that I've had some time to catch my breath and catch up on my work, I figured I'd catch you up on what I've been up to.


It started with a lovely Thanksgiving with my family.....

(Note my 92 year old grandpa passed out at the head of the table in the background.  I love it!)


And here, we have a lovely shot of my deliciously packed 5th 1st plate of food.

Featured: In counter clockwise order, a toasted pecan roll from Cheryl Anne's bakery, delicious white meat turkey (yeah...thats skin you see, so sue me), spiced butternut squash, roasted fennel and mint salad, my uncle's delicious homemade cranberry sauce, and there's some stuffing hiding somewhere.  YUM!


Thanksgiving dinner was great.  I love spending time with my family, eating massive amounts of food, and sitting in front of the TV watching football (this year, the Pats!).


After dinner, we settled into our food comas and tortured each other sat around on the couch.

Later in the week, once my jeans started to fit again, I hung out with some high school friends and spend some quality time with my boyfriend who was home from LA for the holiday's.  I made my first trip to Frog Pond on Boston Common for some ice skating (so cheesy, I know).

All in all it was a great holiday.  Now, back to the grind.  I've yet to go food shopping for the week but I'm hoping I get out of work with enough time to make a trip to the store tonight.  I promise I'll be back in action cooking up soup a storm in no time!

Souped Up Sunday

When Friday at 5:30 came, I couldn't have been more excited for the weekend.  This past week was a total nightmare filled with late nights, early mornings, and lots of client meetings so when "the bell" rang at 5:30, I was out the door enjoying a relaxing dinner with friends.  

Saturday morning, I was up early and off to the gym.  After a long workout, I met my friend Alexis downtown for a late lunch at Stephanie's on Newbury and headed back to my apartment to hang before a night out with the girls.  

After a quick photo session, I met two of my friends Shannon and Jackie at Vlora Restaurant for a low key dinner.  We then headed to Cactus Club (dedicated to Jill and Libby) for some after dinner drinks.

....and shots.

Needless to say, I was a bit sluggish this morning.  I dragged my butt to the gym, and headed home to make some Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Barley soup.  And it was deeeelish!  

Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Barley Soup

3 Tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 parsnips, peeled and grated (I sliced mine)

1 1/4 cups pearl barley (I used a little under a cup)

10 cups chicken broth (I used about 8)

2 bay leaves

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1/2 bunch fresh dill, chopped

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Sorry for the sloppy ingredient shot)

Heat a stock pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots.  Saute' for 5 minutes.

Add the parsnips, barley, stock, and bay leaves.  bring to a boil.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium.  Simmer for 25 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and chicken and simmer for 20 minutes longer.  Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

This soup is so good and so perfect for a cold fall day.  I can't wait to eat a big bowl for dinner, and bring the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone - and here's to a short week!!

 

Spinach, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup

A few weeks ago I was in the mood for something super comforting so I decided to venture out and make Smitten Kitchen's Spinach, Sausage & Sweet Potato Soup...with a few of my own alterations of course.

This was so good, so warming, and even better the next day as the flavors had some time to marry together.  I was very pleased with the outcome of this soup and will definitely be making it again!  This time I'll use some spicier sausage, but knowing I was sharing my first batch with my roommate who hates all things spicy, I toned it down and used turkey linguica instead of regular linguica or chorizo.

Makes 8 servings

3 tablespoons EVOO (how rachel ray of me), divided
1 10 - 11 oz fully cooked smoked Portuguese linguica sausage or chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 lb white-skinned potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick
6 cups low salt chicken broth
1 9oz bag fresh spinach

Heat 2 tbs oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes.  Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain.  Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes.  Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Using a potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot.  Add browned sausage to soup.  Stir in spinach and simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tbs of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide among bowls and serve.

This was so good it barely lasted me a lunch or two that week.  I can't wait to make it again...maybe this weekend...hmmm...

PS - sorry for the fresh pedicured toe shot along with the soup.  Cute color though, right?!

Blogger Q&A

Anne from Your Kind of Salad tagged me for a Wednesday Blogger Q&A.  Here goes nothin'...

1) What's the worst job I ever had?
Wow, this one is a tie between babysitting and getting pooped on by a little rug rat and lifeguarding the early shift in college at the local JCC.  From 6am (wake up was around 4:45) to 10am, I would sit and watch the elderly folks do their water aerobics and jazzercise in the shallow end.  No diving!  Not only was I tired and cranky, but was offered many a date with "their cute Jewish grandsons...".  Shoot me, shoot me now.

2)  What was the first food blog you ever read?
I'm not 100% sure about this one.  Does food network count?  It all started when I would google random recipe's for things and stumble upon an interesting recipe on a blog.  I must say though, the first blog I actually started following was The Clean Plate Club.

3) You're cooking for the dreamy Tom Colicchio, what do you make him?
Hmm...good one.  I think I would probably have to make him my homemade Jewish chicken noodle soup with fluffy, perfectly round, matzo balls.  It is my absolute favorite thing to make and I must say, my absolute specialty.  Eat up Tommy, my Jewish grandma says so!

4) Ice Cream: Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate.  Definitely Chocolate.  Although I am way more of a salty, crunchy, snacky, chip kind of girl, I always go for Chocolate.

5)  Exercise: Love it? or Do it for Health only?
Normally I love exercise.  I love to run and spin and sweat and just feel good.  Recently though, I've been in an anti-exercise rut, mostly due to work keeping me late and being too tired to wake up in the mornings. But, I'd say I love it.  (How's that for motivation?)

Instead of tagging another fellow food blogger, answer this question in the comments section....(Alicia, I copied you....)


If it was your last meal on earth, what would you eat?

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

Anyone of my friends will tell you how much I love Spaghetti Squash.  I make it all summer long, and love it during early fall when its particularly in season.  At the food store last week I picked one up and even though its not at its peak season, I figured I could always put it to good use.

I experimented last night on my new Cuisinart Griddler (purchased by my lovely Jewish mother from Rue la la...I suppose thats a story for another day) with this fantastic recipe I found online.

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

1 Small - Medium Spaghetti Squash (you want 2.5 - 3 cups)

1 cup onion, minced

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Black pepper to taste

Nonstick spray and/or butter for the pan

Sour cream or yogurt for the top

Salsa for the top

To bake the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 375.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.  Bake the halves face-down on a lightly oiled tray or baking dish for about 30 minutes or until the skin side of the squash can be pierced with a fork.  You don't want the squash to be too soft, it will continue to cook in the pancakes.

Let the baked squash cool, then scoop it out of the skin, place it in a strainer and squeeze out some of the juices to try it a little.  

Place the squash in a medium-sized bowl and separate the strands a little with a fork.  Use the fork to mix in the onion, flour, and salt, and then to beat in the eggs.

Place a skillet or griddle over medium heat.  When the pan is hot, spray it with nonstick spray or butter.  Add the batter in 1/4 cup amounts to make 2 1/2 inch pancakes.

Cook the pancakes until golden brown on both sides.  These can be turned more than once, you want to get them really well done on the outside.  The finished result should be tender and light, but crisp.  I cooked mine for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot, with our without toppings.

I served mine with a random mish mosh of seafood (shrimp, scallops, and pan seared tuna) and some lemon and garlic sauteed spinach.  

The pancakes were delicious...and made me sooo full!  I enjoyed a few leftovers for lunch today and a few more for dinner tonight.  Yum.

Spinach & Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Last weekend as I was shopping for the week, I noticed a sale on Acorn Squash so I picked one up as I've been wanting to try this recipe from http://yourkindofsalad.wordpress.com/.  Realizing I didn't have the necessary ingredients for the above recipe, I adapted with what I had on hand.  I must say the end result was delicious and perfect for a cold November weekday evening.

1 small/medium acorn squash halved and de-seeded
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup of dry quinoa
2 Tbs of tomato sauce
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion 
1 cup spinach 
1 Tbs cream cheese 

Pre heat oven to 375

Spray squash with some cooking spray, spray butter, or olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.

While the squash is baking....

Combine quinoa, chicken broth, tomato sauce, garlic, onion, salt, pepper in medium sauce pan until boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until all liquids are absorbed.  

Once all liquid is absorbed, turn off heat and add spinach until wilted.  Add cream cheese and stir until melted.  Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Remove squash from oven, should be fork tender, not mushy.  Add mixture in squash and top with some shredded cheese.  I used yellow cheddar because its what I had.  Put back into oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

...And devour.  

Funny, I was so full from the first half (and from eating almost half the cream cheese quinoa mixture before it made it into the squash) that I brought the leftover half to work the next day for lunch.  If you're ever looking for an awkward way to NOT impress your co-workers, bring in half an acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and spinach.  Definitely did the trick for me ;)

Tomato, Butternut Squash, and Herb Soup

Seeing as this is my first post on my first and fabulous food blog, I figured I had better start with a recipe that would WOW you.  (or at least one that will make you check back for more food fables)  Anyway, the following recipe comes from my most favorite place in the entire world, the http://www.newenglandsoupfactory.com/.  For my birthday, my boyfriend gave me the New England Soup Factory cook book (how cliche' right?! ...jk jk) and I decided it was time to give it a go.  Today was a beautiful, yet windy, fall day and I decided this hearty soup would be the perfect treat.  


Ingredients:
3 Tbs Butter
3 Whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 Lbs butternut squash, peeled and cute into large chunks
2 cans (14 oz each) whole tomatoes
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used chicken)
1 cup sherry
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a stockpot melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and butternut squash.  Saute' for 10 minutes.  

Add the tomatoes, stock, and sherry.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the squash is tender and soft, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the basil, cilantro, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Puree in the pot using a hand blender or in a regular blender working in batches until smooth.

...and Voila! Yumminess in an instant!  This was perfectly thick, hearty, and flavorful.  I almost had to serve it in one of the million bagillion soup factory take out containers I have just for the full experience (don't worry, I refrained).  Delicious!

**This recipe makes 12 servings and I am now swimming in soup.  While that normally would be my dream, I fear I may turn into a tomato shaped butternut squash before finishing it all.  Next time I make this recipe, I'll definitely be cutting it in half.  Anyone want some soup?? :)