I TEXTED.  “Feel like cooking tonight.  Want dinner?”

Ding, ding!  Answer:  “YES.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.  Yes, I’d still go to work and deal with the things that were stressing me out but it meant that on my lunch hour or between projects, I would get to peruse Epicurious.com, RealSimple.com, Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, etc. drool etc.   And that’s when it hit me, “OMG I COOK AND USE FOOD LIKE IT’S MY THERAPIST.”

I decided I’d make steak.  I had two filet mignons which I’d bought from Costco in the four pack for a steal, if I might add.  Great meat and four beautiful filets for $30 should make anyone swoon!    I ground up some smoked sea salt and pepper together and rubbed it right into the meat and set it out to grill.   (Always let your steaks get to room temperature for even grilling.)

I had half and half spring mix/spinach, so I’d make salad.  With shredded carrots and julienned red, yellow, and orange pepper I had at home as well as homemade balsamic vinaigrette. 

Then what.   I wanted sweet potatoes – I was thinking wedges or mashed.  But that meant I’d had to get sweet potatoes.  Then I thought, rice?  No.  Boring.  You need something to compliment the steaks.  POLENTA!  AHA!   I’d never made it but figured it couldn’t be too hard.  So I looked up a recipe, delighted to find I had all the ingredients.

I packed everything up with a bottle of wine and went to my friend’s house. 

While constantly stirring the polenta we caught up on what had happened in the last week.  While grilling, they opened the wine.

What turned out was an incredible and perfect dinner.  It was fresh, and plated beautifully.   And the polenta…ahhhhhh, the polenta.  It was a creamy, perfectly warm compliment to a juicy steak. 

Here’s the recipe from Epicurious:

(Please note, I halved this recipe and it still made a LOT, so just be careful!)
9 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter

This recipe is a lighter, less authentic version I found on the Weight Watchers site.  It calls for flank steak slow cooked in a crock pot with peppers, onion, garlic with broth and vinegar.  It comes out lively, stringy, and juicy.  I topped ours with sour cream and green onions.

I started this by layering 1/3 of the veggies on the bottom of my crockpot.  Then layering the meat.  Then more veggies.  Then more meat.  Then more veggies.  Then pouring the broth/vinegar/spices around it and setting the crockpot on high for 8 hours.  When it was done I set the meat on a cutting board and shredded it, putting it back in the broth and cooking it for another 30 minutes.  Then I let the boys go at it.

The only thing I’d add to this is more salt.  The recipe below is pretty light on the salt and when I added more, it really brought out the flavor.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you try this. 

And for the record, it’s only four Weight Watcher points a serving.  HOLLA! 

Instructions

• Whisk the broth, vinegar, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Submerge the meat, then add the onions, red peppers, apples, celery and garlic, making sure the vegetables are under, between, and over the steaks.
• Cover and cook on low until the meat is fork-tender, about 8 hours.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board; set aside for 10 minutes. Shred the meat with two forks, pulling it into strands along the grain. Return to the slow cooker; stir in cilantro. Set the slow cooker on warm and serve within 4 hours. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Before we start, can I take a poll?  What is the correct name of this?  Is it:

1. white chili chicken
2.  white chicken chili
3. white bean chili with chicken
4. chili con pollo blanco y salsa verde

Believe it or not, I’ve actually had a heated argument about this.

MOVING ON!

I love this recipe.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.  I’m a big fan of chili- veggie, meaty, the kind where you pour a whole Mexican lager and let is simmer all day, the kind with black beans and chunks of onions, the quick kind, the kind from a can, anything you got.  Chili is meant to be loved and make you feel warm and cozy, espeically as winter sneaks up and the days get chilly.  (Sorry, I had to.)  White chicken chili, however, has always been a curious thing to me.  The first time I had it was at a friend’s house after her parents whipped up a batch.  She’d been raving about it and I admit, I wasn’t into it.  I thought it sounded peculiar.  I also hated tomatillos.   I don’t anymore.

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI IS DELICIOUS.   Salsa verde is even better than real salsa to me – it’s brighter, cleaner, citrusy.   Then to make a chili from it where you use chicken and green chiles is just plain brilliant.  We topped ours with slivered green onions, cilantro sprigs, and a whopping dollop of cool sour cream.  It’s a chili to me that is cooler, fresher…something that is a treat on a cooler summer day. 

Here’s the little recipe I used:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) bottle of salsa verde, medium (I love a little kick!)
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• half a bag of frozen corn
• 1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• Cilantro, green onions, Mexican cheese blend, light sour cream for toppings

Directions

1. Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
2. Stir in broth, salsa verde, chiles, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Top with all the good stuff and eat up.

Hello awesome.  Perfect chili with just enough chile to warm you up on a chilly day.

I walked in and after the usual, “HI!  and What’s up Mom?  Dad?”, they start telling me about ‘THE LENTILS!  Tell K about THE LENTILS!

Now Mom has been making lentils for years.  She’s mastered it.  She does it with some carrot, ham or sausage and lets it sit and really soak up flavor.   It’s a hearty perfect winter dish.  So I didn’t really understand what the big deal was about THE LENTILS!   Mom pointed to the fridge, mumbling something about Pike Place Market and her coworker and some Turkish place, saying, “try it!”  I found a yellow mound in a clear bowl, took it out and examined it.  Looked like lentils.  Yellow ones.  And smelled like curry.

I took a bite and went, “huh”.  Mom kept watching my face.  I took another bite.  And by the third one, I figured out why they were so good.   The flavors seemed simple and balanced.  I knew there was curry but there was something else, which I later found out was cumin.   The more I ate, the more richness seemed to come out – the lentils almost seemed buttery.    I wound up eating a bowl as an appetizer.

Mom was so excited because she’d discovered it during a trip to Pike Place for lunch with a coworker at a Turkish place.  She couldn’t believe it was so easy so she went out to PCC and bought herself some red lentils and made it herself. 

The best part?  I was the lucky winner of 2 cups of red lentils to take home and try it out myself.

Here’s what you need:

2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed up

1/4 of an onion, chopped

2 c. red lentils (you can probably find it in any bulk section)

1 box of organic broth, chicken or vegetable (I used veg.)

1 t.  curry powder

1/2-1 t. cumin seed

pinch of salt

1 bay leaf

First, grind up the cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle.  Of course you can use cumin which is already powdered but per Mom’s recommendation (I swear, she’s ALWAYS RIGHT), it really breaks down the seeds and opens up the flavors so they’re more fresh and fragrant.  And if you’re as excited as me, you can do this to the curry powder too and then lightly toast it. 

Chop up your 1/4 onion.  I used half, not because I was feeling heavy into onion, but frankly, I’d just run 4 miles and hills and too hazy to realize what I was doing.   You can mince the garlic or mash it up like I did.  Hey – the mortar and pestle were already out, might as well make use of it.

Glamor shot of the vegetable broth and red curry before cooking.  What a pretty little protein, right?  It’s much more reddish-pinkish in person (see below).

Next sautee the garlic and onion until fragrant and soft.

Throw in the lentils stir around for about one minute.

Here is where I got so excited I stopped taking pictures. 

Next, pour in all the broth, cover, and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.   I let mine sit for 25 minutes since I was doing my nails and needed the extra time.  (I like to multitask.)  When cooked through and slightly mushy, I added a little extra water to make it more soupy.  

It’s a perfect protein-packed dinner – you don’t need much to fill you up.  I made enough for lunches all week long, and for the record, it’s 48 minutes until I get to have it again!

First you have to be in the mood for something hearty but light…exotic but not too much work, nor foreign.  Spicy (if you’re feeling up for it) and warm in your belly.

Golden Curry - I found this at my local Viet Wah. I'm sure you can find it in Uwajimaya or sometimes at your local grocery store. It comes in mild, medium, and hot .

Second!  Start with some red potatoes and cut into chunks.

Then slice up an onion.

Grab some spinach (and try to find some leaves as pretty as these!)…

and make sure it’s all good and clean.

Saute your potatoes and onion with some baby carrots a little like this (other veggies would be great too - broccoli is good, cauliflower would be terrific):

And when the onions are nicely browned, throw in some beef broth or chicken broth according to proportions on the Golden Curry package, replacing the water it suggests.  The curry itself lacks a lot of flavor but using a broth really helps pick up the spices.  You won’t need to add salt or pepper when its done either.  I promise you.

Next, lower the heat and allow the vegetables and broth simmer for at least 15 mintues, covered. 

It’ll all go a little somethin’ like this:

When the potatoes are tender, stir in a couple blocks of the curry until dissolved (again, according to the proportions on the package).  

Simmer for at least five minutes.  And then this is the point where I perform a magic trick by stirring in A WHOLE LOTTA SPINACH and watch it  wilt down to practically nothing. 

Once wilted and warm, you’re ready to go!  Grab a cute Asian bowl and spoon the curry over noodles, fragrant jasmine rice (mmmmm), or even eat by itself.

I made enough to last me all week long and I am just hoping I don’t eat it all in one sitting.  Shameful, I know…but true.

I don’t know about you, but something happened over the holidays after all my new year hoopla that was not at all friendly to my waistline.  I’m not going to blame the assortment of cheeses I couldn’t keep my hands off of or the fact that I got really lazy and barely bothered to run.  I’m not going to blame airline food, birthday cake(s), chorizo, flat whites, or the GOOSE FAT my aunties roasted our Christmas potatoes in. 

(Check out the Ziplock containers…HA!  And you thought I was just being dramatic about the goose fat!)

I didn’t mind the extra pounds until I came home from my two weeks in Australia and COULDN’T FIT INTO MY FAVORITE JEANS.  January 2nd and I was being forced to make resolutions by a pair of pants.  Talk about unfair!

Weight Watchers again.  Diet.  No sodas.  Or cheeses.  Or birthday cakes. 

On top of already committing to big-time new year budget restrictions…this was gonna be tough. 

After thorough analyses of my cookbooks alongside my checkbook, I decided I was going to revert back to a tried and true solution, brought to me by my mom when I first went to college:  the salad wheel.

The what?  Check this beautiful baby out:

shredded carrots, green peas, cubed ham, avocado, green onions, chickpeas, and in the middle, feta cheese

Tell me that doesn’t look good. 

So this is what ya do after you wheel is ready to go.  It’s Monday morning.  You get a one of those big containers when you pack your lunch.  You toss handfuls of salad into it (I prefer Costco’s Organic Spring Mix…it’s $3.99 for a huge package.  Seriously.) and then a little of everything from the wheel.  Sometimes I switch things up and get a little crazy trading in the ham for chopped green and red pepper, or cucumbers, or mushrooms…or leftover shredded chicken, cilantro for Asian salads, or whatever it is you fancy.  In the fridge for salad-week, I always have a couple dressings to on hand, as well as croutons or candied nuts for a little crunch and texture.

What I’ve discovered:  two handfuls and each of the toppings is so filling that I’m full until dinner, having had a good mix of protein and tons of vegetables and the wheel lasts all week if I take 20 minutes to prep it on Sunday.  It’s a diet-win-budget-win!  

All you need is that Tupperware container (Mom found mine at a thrift store for C-H-E-A-P) and the toppings.  Ooh, and don’t forget you have pre-chopped items in case you cook something later and don’t have the time to do all the prepwork.

Oh wheel, you’re so pretty.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

As usual, I needed something easy.   My week was jam-packed with trainings, and working late, and as I typically do, I had planned something for every evening, including inviting my parents over for a review of Top Chef, Season 6.  To top it off, I had to figure out something to eat that wouldn’t overdo my diet for my upcoming marathon…in five days.  I was tasked with dinner, so this is what I picked to do.

I found this recipe here on the website I frequent, not to mention, I read their magazines curled up in bed with cup of hot tea when I’m feeling blue.  I don’t need novels on a cold, rainy night.  I need Real Simple.

I followed the recipe, almost to a tee.  With the exception of breading the shrimp…my version there was fresh rosemary, lemon zest, grated parmesan and shy little sprinkling of chili powder.   Just in case something needed some zip.

I can’t even explain to you how incredible it all turned out with a squirt of lemon on top and some wheat cous cous. 

Ingredients:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Mix the breadcrumbs, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Transfer shrimp and any excess crumbs to a baking sheet. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beans, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the arugula, and toss to combine.
3. Divide the beans among individual plates and serve with the shrimp. Sprinkle any extra breadcrumbs from the pan over the top.

Oooh and here’s a bit more yummy for you all to look at too!   Heirloom tomatoes tossed with fancy schmancy organic olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper, and green onions…ohmygoshIloveyou.

Mmmmm! Tastes like summer.

While on vacation, my friend Bethany text messaged me from what I assume and hope was a beach chair by the lake, “Real Simple.  Page 167.  Go.”

Blueberry tart.  The girl wanted me to make her her own blueberry tart.  She’s so demanding.  It’s a good thing I love her, her family, and her dog.

Blueberry Tart
Real Simple,  August 2009

1 oz. sheet of frozen pastry puff, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
1 T. granulated sguar
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. grated lemon zest
3 T. powdered sugar
2 c. blueberries

Heat oven to 375.  On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheet of pastry and roll i t into a 10-by-12 inch rectangle.  Transfer to a partchment-lined baking sheet.

Using the tip of a knife, score a 1-inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through.  Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.  Bake until golden and puffed, 18-22 minutes.

Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the cream, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoon of the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly within the borders of the pastry. 

Arrange the blueberries in a single layer of the filling and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of powdered sugar. 

*we added a light drizzle of honey atop the berries which was brilliant.  Also, if you use less cream cheese or lighter cream cheese, I amost think it would taste better and not as heavy…it’s still terrific though!

Right after I finished preparing the tart, I had to take a picture.  The only camera I had was the one on my BlackBerry phone so of course, being the FOOD NERD that I am, I took the picture and posted it. 

On my blog? 

No.

ON FACEBOOK.

I know you’re laughing, but just check out the comments from my friends within the next hour:

-”How does one get included in the ‘people’ pastry group?!  Looks tasty!”

-”Heavens to Betsy!  Gimme!”

-”Excuse me, but where is my invite?  You know how blueberries and I get along.”

-(Kristel)  “…and lemon.”

-”What?!  I think we need to have a serious talk.”

-”Your mobile uploads always make me hungry.”

Doesn’t that make you want to go get your very own tart now?  It’s so worth it.

*cue the angels*

I have been crazy for omega 3s ever since.  Why, you ask?  Let me tell you in a very non-doctor way:

1. good for joint inflammation – somehow it regulates inflammation cycles…my guess it does this by being so magical.
2. healthy brain functioning, improving memory and reasoning – helloooooo, awesome.
3. helps with depression – I have no idea how but have a feeling it has something to do with seratonin levels similar to how exercising makes you happy.
4. heart healthy!  It lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure by counteracting bad fats in arteries and veins.   Big fat yay.

Know why this is so exciting? I read this as one giant excuse medical people are giving me to eat fats.  In fact, it seems a little like they’re encouraging me and cheering me on!

A couple foods with omega 3s:

• salmon (cod, tuna, shrimp)
• walnuts
• flax
• cruciferous veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage)
• soy

I now try to incorporate more omega 3s into my diet, just because they seem to do SO MANY good things for you.  And while I would love to have someone make me a delicious grilled fresh-caught salmon every night, that is not always practical…so back to the list I go. 

Sometimes I’ll sprinkle some ground flax seed on my cereal.  Sometimes I’ll snack on some raw broccoli with tzatziki.   Once in a while I’ll steam edamame.  But my favorite, by far, is this recipe for homemade walnut granola.  Omega 3s galore in the flax, walnuts, and walnut oil.

I admit, buying all of the ingredients for this recipe is a bit daunting but I can promise you I have used all of them for other recipes.  Walnut oil is terrific in a salad dressing.   Flax sprinkled over cereal or in muffins.  Walnuts in trail mix.  Oats for oatmeal cookies.  I could go on…

The ingredients are by far the scariest part.  Once you have everything on hand, all you really need is a little time and an arm to stir.  That’s pretty much it.  Once you stir a little here, spread a little there, bake, stir, bake, pick off and nibble, you’re done.  It’s so easy, I promise.

• 4 tablespoons walnut oil, divided
• 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) coarse kosher salt
• 3 cups organic old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup walnut halves, broken in half
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal*
• 1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped or torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup honey
• I added golden raisins to add a little “chewy” with my crunchy

Enjoy topped on yogurt.  Or in a bowl as cereal.  Or just crunch as an afternoon snack.   You get the picture.

Up first:  muffins!

I have been eyeing a banana loaf recipe for a couple months now.  It seems that when I buy bananas, I can never eat the last two of the bunch.  It’s like I get bored of them or something.  Since I don’t like throwing them away, I usually stick them in the freezer thinking I’ll need them at some point. 

I’ll tell you what.  That was a GREAT idea until my freezer got so full, I opened it and a nice cascade of hard, frozen, black bananas came tumbling out onto my foot.   This means war… and by war, I mean banana bread.

Now here’s my quirky thing about banana bread:  I really, really don’t like pouring oil into batter for food.  Butter is ok.  Cream is fine.  Oil is just plain weird to me, and most traditional banana bread recipes call for it.   So instead I found a recipe from a blogger for lowfat banana chocolate chip muffins – the lowfat part being absolutely brilliant…applesauce!  Check it out…plus, they were so simple to make.

Since I wasn’t in the mood to sit and wait for a loaf to bake, I decided on muffins.  Muffins are also good because they’re handy and I can tote them around for breakfast, snack, or post-run pick-me-up. 

I simply peeled my unsightly freezer fruit after delicately defrosting them, and tossed them into a bowl, gently mashing them.   Very therapeutic!   Then I literally dumped all the remaining ingredients on top (I used Splenda sugar blend and half wheat flour) and proceeded to stir.  I greased the muffin tins, dropped 1/3 cupfuls into each slot. 

(*ahem* I like my muffins with a little muffin top, if you know what I’m sayin’.)

After exactly 19 minutes for each batch, I had 14 beautiful banana chocolate chip muffins.  As I always do in tradition, I popped one out of the tin and ate it.   I swear it was like a warm chocolate chip cookie with a hint of banana sweetness.  And the best part…I didn’t feel guilty after eating it and my freezer says, “thank you”.

Ingredients
4 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar (I used Splenda Sugar Blend)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
4 tablespoons applesauce
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Mash bananas in a bowl.
2. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour into greased loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes if making muffins (or 50 to 60 minutes if making a loaf), or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Yields 16 muffins or one loaf.

Thank you, Nosh With Me!