Greek Frittata

I ate at Yolk restaurant in Chicago this past July and had their Bleu Bayou frittata - HEAVENLY! I usually make greek omelettes, but then decided to try my hand at a frittata. 

WARNING: I ruined my cast iron skillet because I didn't season it well enough. You will need a skillet that is oven-proof.

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz diced grape or sweet cherub tomatoes

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

dash of red pepper flakes

1 large handful of spinach

4 oz feta cheese

1. Whisk eggs and salt and pepper in a measuring cup.

2. Heat a well seasoned oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Saute tomatoes, onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp olive oil for 2 minutes. Add egg mixture, red pepper flakes, spinach, and cheese and stir to combine. Allow eggs and veggies to cook for 5 minutes, or until the top appears to be hardening.

3. Place skillet in a low heat broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the frittata is brown on top.

4. Allow frittata to cool for 3 minutes then cut and serve as pizza slices. Or eat it out of the skillet. I won't judge.

Fresh Mex

Not so fattening, really.

Inspired by the many mexican cuisines I've consumed.

Pico de gallo (1 part chopped tomatoes, 1 part chopped onion, minced garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, minced cilantro)

Juice of one large tomato

1c uncooked brown rice

1lb chicken tenders, chopped

2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp oregano, divided

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves

1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4c frozen corn

guacamole (optional)

1. Chop tomatoes, onion and garlic into tiny pieces. Mix in minced garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Refrigerate to combine flavors while you make the rest of the meal.

2. Bring 1-1/2c of water, squeezed tomato, and a scoop of pico de gallo mix to a boil. Combine spices and add half of spice mixture to boiling water. Add rice and cook as normal.

3. Add other half of spice mixture to chopped chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or while rice cooks.

4. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes. Add bell pepper through corn and cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

5. Grab a handful of tortilla chips and heat in a microwave for 25 seconds. Scoop rice and pour a portion of the chicken and veggie mixture over tortillas and rice. Add cold pico de gallo and optional guacamole. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Asparagus Pasta with Sage

Autumn, my favorite time of year, is around the corner, which means squash season!!! I bought a butternut squash and felt determined to harken autumn weather with a "rain dance" of cooking.

A Conundrum.

I love roasted vegetables. Fragrant flavors and melt-in-your-mouth yumm that makes my whole apartment smell amazing. But I've always had an issue with roasted veggies mixed with firm pasta. The contrasting textures are just unappealing to me.

However... sautéed vegetables appear more filling with a pasta. But I can't imagine how sauteed butternut squash could taste better than if it were roasted.

So I improvised and created two separate recipes for practically the same pasta: roasted v. sautéed. Tune in for the surprise result!

Sautéed

Roasted

1 lb pasta, noodle optional

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1" pieces

1 lb of asparagus, diced

1 onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter

Fresh sage leaves, minced

Sauteed

1) Cook pasta as directed. Keep one cup of starch liquid.

2) Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirl to coat pan. Sauté onion and garlic for two minutes. Add squash, asparagus, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon to skillet. Sauté for 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove skillet from heat and add melt butter into sauteed vegetables.

3) Spoon vegetables over pasta and add sage leaves for desired taste. Add starchy water to leftovers to keep from drying out.

Roasted

1) Preheat oven to 450F. Add vegetables thru cinnamon to glass baking dish or baking pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and mix well. Roast for 30 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to vegetables and stir to melt.

2) Cook pasta as directed. Keep 1/2 cup of starch liquid.

3) Spoon vegetables over pasta and add sage leaves for desired taste. Add a little starchy water to leftovers to keep from drying out.

And the winner.... ROASTED veggies with pasta! I could not get past the roasted flavor. Next time I want to roast the veggies on a baking sheet, rather than a glass pan, and create a sauce with a low fat cream.

Pork and Veggie Stir Fry

(Egg roll not included)

It took a few tries to get this just right. After frying the marinated pork, scrape the dried bits in the pan as you add more oil before mixing in the vegetables. It helps if you put the lid on for 30 seconds to steam the bits. They add a ton of flavor to the veggies. Finally, the sauce has a thicker consistency when you add a touch of cornstarch.

For the meat marinade

1 lb. butterfly pork chops

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ginger

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp canola oil

For the veggie marinade

2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

1 bell pepper, julienne

1 medium white onion, sliced

8 oz. White mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots cut into matchsticks

3 garlic cloves smashed and slivered

2 Tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp honey

1. Trim fat off pork chops. Cut chops in half lengthwise and slice into ½ inch thick slices. Whisk soy sauce through honey until well blended. Pour over pork slices in a bowl and let marinate for 45 mins in room temp.
   
   
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a skillet or wok over medium high heat, swirl to coat pan. Spread pork into one layer on skillet. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove meat and reserve burned bits in skillet.
   
   
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in same skillet over medium heat, swirl to coat pan. Add vegetables stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to scrape at brown bits. Cook until slightly tender. Add soy sauce combination and cover skillet for 1 minute. This will trap moisture and forcefully liquidate brown bits. Uncover and stir until vegetables are completely tender. Add pork to skillet and turn off heat. Serve over brown rice.

Apple Breakfast Bread

It's potluck breakfast day at the office tomorrow. And, of course, I waited until the last minute to think about what to make. So, I scoured my recipes for a dish that featured ingredients I already had. Apple breakfast bread. Bingo.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until it's nice and creamy. Beat (iiiiiit, beat it....) in the eggs.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Then, mix this into the butter mixture until moistened.

It may seem a little thick, but trust me, it all works out in the end.

Finally, fold in your apples and transfer it into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Here's hoping the co-workers like it!

Creepy... or Science?

Just when you thought Sarah might, just might try meat again...

Rather, just when you thought you were browsing this blog because you were hungry...

Salt in soy sauce causes cells to react as the salt disintegrates. I didn't know this could happen!