Thursday, February 26, 2009
I'm so glad I found this out...
So I have a new favorite pizza place.. The other night after the gym I went to Whole Foods to get a salad for dinner. I had never really paid attention to the other food stations besides the hot food bar and the salad bar, but I noticed they had pizza. I decided to get a slice and was very pleasantly surprised. The pizza is a thin crust pizza with big slices (kind of NY style) which I love and it was amazing. The best part is that you can get an entire pizza for less than $10. I have to admit this shocked me because everything else at Whole Foods is usually so expensive, so it was very exciting for me to discover the one reasonably priced thing in the store. Also, the pizza was cheaper than any other pizza place around (that has decent pizza) and was very high quality. I definitely recommend checking it out! Have a happy Thursday!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Missing fast food
Given today is Ash Wednesday, thus the beginning of Lent and I have decided to give up fast food for Lent, I thought I'd post some of my favorite lunches that are quick, easy and delicious. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes I just need Wendy's for lunch but for the next 40 days I'm not going to give into that craving and am going to have to get very creative with my lunch choices.. Here's one of my favorites:
Hearty Greek Style Salad:
1 bag mixed greens (the prewashed kind)
2-3 carrots chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 small can sliced black olives drained
1 bell pepper chopped
1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
Crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
In a large bowl add the lettuce, vegetables, chickpeas and cheese. In another bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard, salt, oregano and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the dressing to the salad and toss. (Or go ahead and pack your salad and put the dressing in another plastic container and add to the salad when you want to eat it)
Enjoy!
Hearty Greek Style Salad:
1 bag mixed greens (the prewashed kind)
2-3 carrots chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 small can sliced black olives drained
1 bell pepper chopped
1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
Crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
In a large bowl add the lettuce, vegetables, chickpeas and cheese. In another bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard, salt, oregano and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the dressing to the salad and toss. (Or go ahead and pack your salad and put the dressing in another plastic container and add to the salad when you want to eat it)
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Oven fried chicken and a laser pointer
So the bf spent quite possibly the best $5 of his life today when he invested in a laser pointer to harass the cat with. Little did we know that the dog would be more entertained by the little beam of red light. We've already spent way to much time watching the dog and the cat run around the living room chasing it.. The funniest thing I've ever seen in my life.
All of the harassment aside, I decided to make a proper dinner last night. Since my dinners usually consist of some sort of one pot wonder, I decided to make something for dinner last night that used more than 2 pots. I originally wanted to bake a chicken, but didn't feel like going to the supermarket so I decided to make oven fried chicken instead, which is served with mac and cheese and green beans. Here are the recipes:
Oven fried chicken:
1 lb package of chicken (whatever kind you want, I used boneless skinless chicken breast)
1 cup skim milk + 1 cup skim milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoons + 1 tablespoons + 1 tablespoons pepper
2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon of the following:
Emeril's Essence
Sage
Granulated Garlic
1/4 cup cooking oil (whatever kind you've got will do)
Mix 1 tablespoon of pepper, essence, sage garlic plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt with 1 cup of the skim milk. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 400. In a shallow bowl, add the flour 1 tablespoon of pepper, essence, sage, garlic plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix. In another shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the pepper, essence, sage and garlic, plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well. In another shallow bowl add 1 cup of the skim milk.
Place the bowls in the following order: Flour, Milk, Bread crumbs. Remove the chicken from the milk mixture. Place in the flour bowl. Coat well and shake off excess. Place in the milk bowl. Coat well. The place in the bread crumbs bowl. Coat well and Shake off excess. Place in a baking dish filled with the cooking oil. Bake for 30 to 45 min or until done turning once.
Green Beans:
1 large can green beans (I like the Italian cut)
2-3 potatoes sliced
1/2 onion chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2-3 slices of bacon chopped OR 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add all ingredients to a medium pot or dutch oven. Cook over med. low heat for 45 min or until the rest of dinner is prepared.
Mac and Cheese: note this recipe was previously posted in Jan. but this version is smaller.
1/2 box of short cut pasta
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cups cheese
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 handful fresh thyme finely chopped
2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, heat a large dutch oven over med. low heat and add the oilive oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute until soft. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour. Stir well and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the pasta to the boiling water.
Add the milk, stirring constantly. Allow to thicken slightly and add the spices. Add the cheese stirring constantly until the cheese melts. Once the cheese has melted add the pasta. Top with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Drizzle with some oilve oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
All of the harassment aside, I decided to make a proper dinner last night. Since my dinners usually consist of some sort of one pot wonder, I decided to make something for dinner last night that used more than 2 pots. I originally wanted to bake a chicken, but didn't feel like going to the supermarket so I decided to make oven fried chicken instead, which is served with mac and cheese and green beans. Here are the recipes:
Oven fried chicken:
1 lb package of chicken (whatever kind you want, I used boneless skinless chicken breast)
1 cup skim milk + 1 cup skim milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoons + 1 tablespoons + 1 tablespoons pepper
2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon of the following:
Emeril's Essence
Sage
Granulated Garlic
1/4 cup cooking oil (whatever kind you've got will do)
Mix 1 tablespoon of pepper, essence, sage garlic plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt with 1 cup of the skim milk. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for a couple of hours.
Preheat oven to 400. In a shallow bowl, add the flour 1 tablespoon of pepper, essence, sage, garlic plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix. In another shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the pepper, essence, sage and garlic, plus 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well. In another shallow bowl add 1 cup of the skim milk.
Place the bowls in the following order: Flour, Milk, Bread crumbs. Remove the chicken from the milk mixture. Place in the flour bowl. Coat well and shake off excess. Place in the milk bowl. Coat well. The place in the bread crumbs bowl. Coat well and Shake off excess. Place in a baking dish filled with the cooking oil. Bake for 30 to 45 min or until done turning once.
Green Beans:
1 large can green beans (I like the Italian cut)
2-3 potatoes sliced
1/2 onion chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2-3 slices of bacon chopped OR 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add all ingredients to a medium pot or dutch oven. Cook over med. low heat for 45 min or until the rest of dinner is prepared.
Mac and Cheese: note this recipe was previously posted in Jan. but this version is smaller.
1/2 box of short cut pasta
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cups cheese
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 handful fresh thyme finely chopped
2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, heat a large dutch oven over med. low heat and add the oilive oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute until soft. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the flour. Stir well and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the pasta to the boiling water.
Add the milk, stirring constantly. Allow to thicken slightly and add the spices. Add the cheese stirring constantly until the cheese melts. Once the cheese has melted add the pasta. Top with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Drizzle with some oilve oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Pizza
I love pizza. It's one of my favorite foods both to eat out and make at home. I also love that I can get all kinds of pizza dough at the supermarket, which makes my life a lot easier. I also love the pre-made pizza crusts available at the supermarket as well. Here are some of my favorite homemade pizza creations:
White Pizza (always a classic)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning or fresh basil
1 onion thinly sliced
1 to 1.5 cups shredded cheese (either Italian Blend or Mozzarella)
pre-made pizza crust or premade pizza dough
Bake the pizza crust according to package directions. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with the Italian seasoning and garlic. Add the cheese. Add the onions.
Bake at 350 until the cheese has melted.
Spicy Asian Style Grilled Chicken Pizza
1 package thin-sliced chicken breast
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
pre-made pizza dough or crust
2-3 tablespoons spicy chili sauce (enough to cover the pizza dough, this is like the tomato sauce)
1/2 bell pepper sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup green onions chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley chopped
1 to 1.5 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cook pizza crust according to package directions. Season chicken with steak seasoning and grill on tabletop grill.
Once the pizza crust has finished baking (or has at least partially baked) add the chili sauce. Slice the grileld chicken. Add the cheese and top with the chicken, bell peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, green onions and parsley.
Bake until the cheese is melted!
Enjoy!!
White Pizza (always a classic)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning or fresh basil
1 onion thinly sliced
1 to 1.5 cups shredded cheese (either Italian Blend or Mozzarella)
pre-made pizza crust or premade pizza dough
Bake the pizza crust according to package directions. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with the Italian seasoning and garlic. Add the cheese. Add the onions.
Bake at 350 until the cheese has melted.
Spicy Asian Style Grilled Chicken Pizza
1 package thin-sliced chicken breast
2 tablespoons steak seasoning
pre-made pizza dough or crust
2-3 tablespoons spicy chili sauce (enough to cover the pizza dough, this is like the tomato sauce)
1/2 bell pepper sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup green onions chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley chopped
1 to 1.5 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Cook pizza crust according to package directions. Season chicken with steak seasoning and grill on tabletop grill.
Once the pizza crust has finished baking (or has at least partially baked) add the chili sauce. Slice the grileld chicken. Add the cheese and top with the chicken, bell peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, green onions and parsley.
Bake until the cheese is melted!
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
As promised..
Here's one of my favorite one pot dishes. Its a great use up for leftover cheese, pasta, vegetables, etc. It's like a complete meal in one pot and is ready in less than 45 minutes. I call it pot o'crap
Ingredients:
2 cups cheese (anything you've got on hand, i used leftover ricotta and it was awesome)
1lb chicken (cooked or uncooked, doesn't matter)
3 slices of bacon (if you've got some on hand)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 can evaporated milk plus some regular milk if necessary
leftover vegetables (fresh, frozen, cooked, whatever you've got) chopped
1/2lb to 1lb pasta (whatever you've got)
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 handful of fresh herbs finely chopped (whatever you've got on hand)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs (if you've got some)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large dutch oven cook the bacon. Add some additional olive oil or butter to the pot and add the garlic, onions, and carrots until soft. Add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, reduce heat to med. low and add the milk. Add the spices and cheese and allow to thicken.
Add the pasta to the boiling water. When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being done add the vegetables and allow them to steam in the pasta water. Drain. Add the vegetables and pasta to the cheese mixture. Top the pasta mixture with the bread crumbs and additional cheese if you'd like. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly on top.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cups cheese (anything you've got on hand, i used leftover ricotta and it was awesome)
1lb chicken (cooked or uncooked, doesn't matter)
3 slices of bacon (if you've got some on hand)
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 can evaporated milk plus some regular milk if necessary
leftover vegetables (fresh, frozen, cooked, whatever you've got) chopped
1/2lb to 1lb pasta (whatever you've got)
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 handful of fresh herbs finely chopped (whatever you've got on hand)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs (if you've got some)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large dutch oven cook the bacon. Add some additional olive oil or butter to the pot and add the garlic, onions, and carrots until soft. Add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, reduce heat to med. low and add the milk. Add the spices and cheese and allow to thicken.
Add the pasta to the boiling water. When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being done add the vegetables and allow them to steam in the pasta water. Drain. Add the vegetables and pasta to the cheese mixture. Top the pasta mixture with the bread crumbs and additional cheese if you'd like. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly on top.
Enjoy!
A bit of a confession
So I must admit, sometimes I seriously eat like a 5 year old/frat boy. I never met a buffet I didn't like and actually was extremely excited that my Valentine's Day dinner consisted of an extra large pizza from my favorite pizza place.
That said, I must also admit that I'm still obsessed with cup-o-noodles. With a fridge full of fantastic leftover risotto, last night for dinner I chose to eat a cup of instant lunch. Which isn't surprising considering that I'm still on a student's budget, I mean cup-o-noodles is $0.25 of amazing!
Anyway, I just wanted to confess my love of cup-o-noodles, look for a dinner recipe post later tonight!
That said, I must also admit that I'm still obsessed with cup-o-noodles. With a fridge full of fantastic leftover risotto, last night for dinner I chose to eat a cup of instant lunch. Which isn't surprising considering that I'm still on a student's budget, I mean cup-o-noodles is $0.25 of amazing!
Anyway, I just wanted to confess my love of cup-o-noodles, look for a dinner recipe post later tonight!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A special dinner for an interesting day
Since it was so pretty outside today, the bf and I decided to take the dog Paddington to the dog park. Since he got me such a nice Valentine's Day present I decided to make him his favorite, mushroom risotto for dinner, meaning that we needed to stop at the supermarket on the way home from our favorite dog park.
Now, I usually try to focus my posts only on food, BUT today was so interesting that I absolutely have to post about it (followed by the risotto and steak recipe of course). So I was sitting at the dog park minding my own business, reading some Partnership taxation watching Paddy play when I hear people starting to shout. I thinking that some dogs have gotten into a fight or something so I call Paddy over to me and put her on her leash. I also see the bf start running to the crowd of people and dogs that had assembled. Of course, I wasn't having any of that, but I was curious so Paddy and I walk closer to the crowd and see that its not two dogs fighting but that its actually two middle age men fighting. These men did not want to be broken up and were beginning to shout at those who were trying to break up the fight. Since the incident did not appear to be breaking up anytime soon, I decided to call the police and was told that the incident had already been reported. Turns out, the aggressor and the other dude's dog had gotten into a fight and the aggressor threw the other dog. The other dude's daughter told the aggressor to not throw her dog and the aggressor pushed her (apparently she was 15). The other dude's son then hit the aggressor who kicked the other dude's wife in the chest. The other dude then attempted to subdue the aggressor. So, apparently the aggressor then tried to escape on foot (and was able to do so) and the police came and the incident cleared up.
So after such an exciting day at the dog park, the bf and I were starving and I made steak and mushroom risotto. I have to thank foodnetwork.com for help with the risotto recipe, but I tweaked it to make it cheaper and to make it more steak friendly.
Horseradish Crusted Steak
1 package steak (any kind you want, I used petite sirloin b/c it was on sale)
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the mayo, bread crumbs, horseradish, pepper, salt and cheese in a bowl. Season the steak with some additional salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet heat some olive oil over med. high heat on the stove top. Place the steaks in the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Top each steak with the horseradish mixture. Place in the oven and back for 10 - 12 minutes or longer depending on how well done you like your steak.
Remove from oven and allow to rest before serving.
Mushroom Risotto (thanks Food Network)
2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup red wine
6-8 cups beef stock (warmed)
1 onion minced
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 lb mushrooms (any kind you like) sliced
2 bay leaves
handful of parsely chopped
hanful of thyme finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
In a large skillet or dutch oven saute the onions and garlic in some olive oil. Once softened add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have browned. Add all of the herbs and spices. Cook for a minute more. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and allow to cook for another minute.
At this point begin adding the warmed stock one cup at a time. Allow the rice to absorb all of the liquid before adding more. Keep adding stock until the rice will no longer absorb any more liquid. Then add the butter and parmesan cheese.
Enjoy and I hope your day was less exciting than mine!
Now, I usually try to focus my posts only on food, BUT today was so interesting that I absolutely have to post about it (followed by the risotto and steak recipe of course). So I was sitting at the dog park minding my own business, reading some Partnership taxation watching Paddy play when I hear people starting to shout. I thinking that some dogs have gotten into a fight or something so I call Paddy over to me and put her on her leash. I also see the bf start running to the crowd of people and dogs that had assembled. Of course, I wasn't having any of that, but I was curious so Paddy and I walk closer to the crowd and see that its not two dogs fighting but that its actually two middle age men fighting. These men did not want to be broken up and were beginning to shout at those who were trying to break up the fight. Since the incident did not appear to be breaking up anytime soon, I decided to call the police and was told that the incident had already been reported. Turns out, the aggressor and the other dude's dog had gotten into a fight and the aggressor threw the other dog. The other dude's daughter told the aggressor to not throw her dog and the aggressor pushed her (apparently she was 15). The other dude's son then hit the aggressor who kicked the other dude's wife in the chest. The other dude then attempted to subdue the aggressor. So, apparently the aggressor then tried to escape on foot (and was able to do so) and the police came and the incident cleared up.
So after such an exciting day at the dog park, the bf and I were starving and I made steak and mushroom risotto. I have to thank foodnetwork.com for help with the risotto recipe, but I tweaked it to make it cheaper and to make it more steak friendly.
Horseradish Crusted Steak
1 package steak (any kind you want, I used petite sirloin b/c it was on sale)
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the mayo, bread crumbs, horseradish, pepper, salt and cheese in a bowl. Season the steak with some additional salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet heat some olive oil over med. high heat on the stove top. Place the steaks in the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Top each steak with the horseradish mixture. Place in the oven and back for 10 - 12 minutes or longer depending on how well done you like your steak.
Remove from oven and allow to rest before serving.
Mushroom Risotto (thanks Food Network)
2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 cup red wine
6-8 cups beef stock (warmed)
1 onion minced
3 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 lb mushrooms (any kind you like) sliced
2 bay leaves
handful of parsely chopped
hanful of thyme finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
In a large skillet or dutch oven saute the onions and garlic in some olive oil. Once softened add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have browned. Add all of the herbs and spices. Cook for a minute more. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and allow to cook for another minute.
At this point begin adding the warmed stock one cup at a time. Allow the rice to absorb all of the liquid before adding more. Keep adding stock until the rice will no longer absorb any more liquid. Then add the butter and parmesan cheese.
Enjoy and I hope your day was less exciting than mine!
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