What I've Been Eating!

Here's a quick little glimpse into a few meals I've cooked over the past couple of months that I've really enjoyed. I know posts have been a little sparse around these parts; I think I tend to go through phases where I get more caught up in the preparation and consumption of the food I make, and the photo taking and blog writing fall by the wayside a bit. That being said, I realized today that there has been some really tasty stuff being eaten that I should have been sharing with you all, so I'm going to try and do that right now. Sound good? Ok then.

Let's start with the Sea Bass with Swiss Chard and Piquillo Pepper Sauce pictured above. The recipe for that came from Cindy Pawlcyn's Big Small Plates cookbook, which I absolutely adore. I also absolutely adore Cindy Pawlcyn, who is a local celebrity chef, and the owner of 3 restaurants in the Napa Valley. I've seen her out and about at the farmer's market a few times, and at her restaurants a couple of times, so I think I can say that the two of us are friends now right? She even signed my copy of her cookbook, so I mean, yeah, were friends.

So my friend Cindy has some pretty great recipes, and this is one of them. The fish is simply prepared with salt and pepper, sauteed in a little olive oil, and served over some spicy Swiss chard with a flavorful and smooth piquillo pepper sauce. Yes I realize the sauce in that photo appears a very strange neon color, but trust me that in person it doesn't look as if it was something out of a zombie movie. Another meal that didn't exactly photograph brilliantly, is this oh-so-gosh-darn-good seafood curry:
I don't think that curry is one of those things that usually photographs well though, especially the brown and red ones. Even though they may taste amazing, they can be a little unappealing visually in my opinion. But maybe that's because I'm kind of late to the game when it comes to curry, and never really tried it until last year. I didn't know what I was missing out on though. It has quickly become one of my favorite things to eat, and this recipe that I tried out of Bon Appetit magazine has quickly become one of my favorite meals.

The curry paste is easy to make, and just involves a quick blend of some ginger, jalapeno, herbs and spices. That gets sauteed in a pan for a few minutes, and then a can of coconut milk goes in, and you've got a delicious green curry sauce. Just toss in some veggies & some seafood (I usually do green beans, red pepper, shrimp, and scallops), and you've got yourself a delicious dinner. I don't usually repeat recipes that often, but I've made this at least 3-4 times over the past few months.
And then there was the day I ate these pancakes. Hoo boy these were ridiculous. Ricotta pancakes, topped with toasted almonds, mango, strawberries and an orange maple syrup. They were very loosely adapted from this recipe in Food and Wine Magazine, and were light and fluffy and I loved the combination of orange and maple syrup. Yum.

Now back to dinner foods. I made these Chipotle Winter Greens & Buttermilk Grits one cold and yucky night and they warmed us right up. Once again, maybe not the most appealing looking bowl of food, but trust me when I say it was delicious. Smoky and slightly spicy winter greens, served over a healthy helping of creamy grits. I sauteed some mushrooms with the greens for a little extra protein, and added Parmesan cheese to the grits, because cheese is always a good thing.
Last but not least, I want to share with you the meal I made for Valentine's Day this year. Clockwise from upper left, Fried Chickpeas with Sage & Lemon, Parsley and Endive Salad, Homemade Pasta with Lobster Cream Sauce, and Champagne, which is an essential part of the cooking process. I loved every single one of these recipes, and will definitely be sharing them with you all in full detail in the future. But for now here's just a taste.
Thanks for letting me share! Hope all of you out there are enjoying some good eating yourselves!

Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro

For the most part, I try and eat healthy. Sure there is the occasional Short Rib Sandwich and Gigantic Chocolate Cake; and I have been known to go through a couple of pounds of butter at a time when I go on a baking binge. But I usually try and force those treats on others so as not to eat them all myself. And when it comes to making meal choices, I try to balance the good with the bad. Because when I eat healthy I do feel better. That's not to say a piece of cake can’t make me feel good once in a while as well.

This month’s Food and Wine magazine is geared towards healthy eating, with an entire issue devoted to recipes that won’t make you feel bad for consuming them. I was excited after reading it, because not only are all of the recipes healthier than normal, but they still look just as delicious. Of course wouldn't you know it, that I gravitated towards the one recipe that involved noodles? Because what can I say, I’m a noodle nut.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

In my fantasy life, I sleep in as late as I want, spend the morning reading magazines, and spend my afternoons crafting delicious homemade three-course dinners.  Unfortunately I don't live in fantasy land, and I know as much as anyone that cooking during the week can be a struggle.  Luckily, I grew up with a working mom who taught me a thing or two about getting dinner on the table, even when a meal from a Haagen Daazs carton seems like it'll suffice.

Enter the crock pot. Those 50's housewives were onto something, because the crock pot is foolproof.  Prep your meat, turn it on, and walk away.  There's no flame or gas, so you can literally leave the house for hours, and come home to a delicious finished dinner.  When I flipped to this recipe in this month's crock pot recipe in Real Simple, I had to wipe my drool.  The pork shoulder has a rich "falling off the bone" texture, and the sweet and spicy flavors balance perfectly with the braised bok choy.  Not bad for a day at the office.

Start with a big hunk o' pork shoulder.  This one had a bone in it, but the meat will fall off the bone once it's done slow-roasting.  Use a sharp knife to remove any fatty areas from the roast.

 

Now prep your sauce.  Soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, ginger, Chinese five-spice, salt, pepper.

Now pay close attention, because this is where things get very complicated...