Presto Chango
17 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
I love for things to be fun. Even the simplest things, I’m happy as long as I find a way to make them fun. For instance, putting on really great music, nice and loud, while I clean the house does wonders for me! So playing with flavors and “What if’s” when I’m cooking keeps me from ever getting bored with the weeknight dinner routine.
Take this recipe for a verrrrry simple vegetable “ragu”–a sort of stewed, cooked down mixture of veggies that can be used lots of ways. The basic idea is to dice your veg, in this case yellow onion, orange bell pepper and tomatoes (use “Petite Diced” ones, it’s quick!) and saute them in a little olive oil over a medium-low heat so they cook down and mellow out nicely, for about 20 minutes. Then…use them for an appetizer: a dollop on top of toasted crusty bread spread with cream cheese! Or; make it a meal and toss the mixture with pasta, or serve it as a sauce over some grilled chicken. Get the idea? Be open to what you might use it for and you’ve got lots of new options. But that’s not all….! (just like an infomercial, right?!)
Now, let’s play with flavors and that same easy ragu can go in lots of directions:
–As it’s cooking, sprinkle in some Italian flavors like Basil, Garlic & Oregano (or use my Italian blend from the shop, called Vinnie the Knuckles! www.spicetravelerprescott.com )
–Or go Middle Eastern: Add Cinnamon, Smoked Paprika, Curry powder and Mint! Start with a little of each and adjust from there to your taste. In this case, a little cinnamon mixed in the cream cheese for your appetizer would be awesome, then top with mint.
–How about Latin American? Add a touch of Cocoa powder, Cumin and Chili powder, then some fresh Lime zest at the end.
Same three veggies, but…Abracadabra!…it’s something new : )
Keep cookin’ and have FUN!
Enough
24 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
The over-arching theme to my life lately–if it were a movie–would be “busy”. Make that waaaay too busy. An extra busy sundae with tired on top.
And while I’m out there being super woman, my mind is almost always thinking in the background about how I’m not home enough, like I used to be. I’m not cleaning my house enough. I’m not watching over homework enough. I’m not–gasp!–cooking enough. I’m not being a good enough Mom, or wife. I’m not keeping up with…anything. Yet I know each day I’m doing as much as I possibly can, I’m organized and a good multi-tasker. And I’m prayin’ for the strength to do it all. So what’s the problem?
I think it’s my definition of “enough”. As women, I think we’re prewired for this misconception. We’re either Wonder Woman and still feel like it’s not enough or; we feel guilty because we’re not “that woman”…either way we end up with the same voice in our head saying “not enough”. Maybe it’s time to examine that word. I’m not sure it’s doing us any good.
I am passionate about making good food a part of your life and most importantly, part of your family’s life. I say, “cook with your hubby and kids!” and they will grow to have an appreciation for food that’s good for them, they’ll be healthier, they’ll have skills for life. But the best part, the little nugget of gold in all that is this: they will mostly love the time spent with you. Yep…that’ half an hour together with you, where you’re not doing four other things, you are present. Or maybe a better way is to say: you are a present for them. That is “enough” (in fact, it’s more than enough!). It doesn’t have to be fancy, or complicated. It can be a simple sandwich and soup. Or a batch of cookies. The most important thing is that you are there, with them.
I was surprised to find out that my hubby doesn’t value the things I do. Sounds bad for a marriage, doesn’t it? But truly, he does not see the copious amounts of dog hair on the floor (and therefore doesn’t care), he doesn’t really care if I’m behind on laundry. What he does love is when I stop moving. When I sit with him a few minutes, kiss him hello and remember to ask him how his day went. That’s enough for him. It’s plenty, in fact.
See where I’m going with all this? I say “I feel like I can’t do it all and do it well!” So I go and go and go. If I’m constantly ‘waaay too busy’, my family will feel something missing–me! But really, it’s the small things that we take the time to do that mean the most to those around us. And they make up for the times when we truly are very busy and need to get stuff done. Sit a minute and cuddle on the couch, a note in their lunchbox. I know it’s hard (Mary and Martha, anyone?!) but I’m trying to remember that if I can just do those things, maybe I can eventually quiet that little voice completely…”enough” is enough!
Unchartered Waters…
06 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
Sometimes you’re just “out there’. You know? Circumstances change in your life, or you’re busy handling the day-to-day, and one day you stop in your tracks and think, ‘ I don’t even know what I’m doing! How am I going to keep doing this?’ Whether it’s a new job, being a mommy or caring for aging parents, maybe you’ve been there.
It happened to me recently in the midst of what I had been seeing as a newfound blessing in my life. While trying to get my cooking class/consulting business off the ground, I got a part time job at a little shop in my town that sold, of all things…olive oil and balsamic vinegar…What a perfect fit for a full-on foodie like me! I was having a ball, and getting out of the work-at-home-in-your-jammies mode and meeting people was so much fun, too. If that wasn’t great enough, the owners came to me one day and asked if I’d like to partner with them to open up a second store, all herbs and spices, called Spice Traveler. It was like God said, “Here you go, Erin. Here’s a little gift I made happen just for you because I love you so much.” I was concerned about all I didn’t know about operating my own store. My past work experiences, although varied, did not include this! And how was I still going to be the kind of mom I want to be?
They made it clear that it was my knowledge of cooking and food that was key to this store happening. How flattering! They gave me full rein to develop the product line. Yay! They said they trusted me to design the decor for the store. Wow! Then, they left for a month-long trip to Africa with our opening date looming. They even had enough confidence in me to have me manage the olive oil store while they were gone. Okaaaay…..I decided this was not the time to let my daily prayer time slide. I knew I needed all the strength and wisdom God could provide to get through the next couple of months!
And that’s how I got through the day-to-day. But there were many days where I’d be in the middle of umpteen tasks to get our doors open, and dinner needed to be made, and soccer practice was that night. And I’d have a mini-breakdown, tears and all. They were just trusting me with SO much I didn’t know how to do, had never done before. Everyone was asking me questions, needing my decision.
I needed to be in “leadership’ mode almost constantly…and it was exhausting (and scary!).
Well…I’m happy to say opening day was a huge success! And I felt a huge relief at being “done”. But now I find myself with a “what’s next” list. Things I want to– need to–do, in order to help the store do well. And of course, it’s those same ‘unchartered waters’ again. Things I’ve never done before, things I don’t have the answers to right now.
So…for once in my life, I can look back with joy that, although I faltered here and there, I kept trusting God for the big picture. I will do that now with my “Next” list. Like Peter stepping out of the boat, I know I have to keep my eyes on Jesus and just keep moving forward.
All I can see is a million tasks, and questions and doubts. All He can see is where I’m going and what I’ll become.
From Wallflower to “Wow!”
12 May 2011 1 Comment
in Food for Thought, Recipes, Uncategorized Tags: salad vegetables grains roasted healthy
After a bit of hiatus–life got in the way!–I’m back. Still cookin’ away and finding inspiration everywhere…
Recently, on a trip back East, I had lunch at this cute little diner in Philadelphia. Hubby had a “Homemade Meatloaf Pressed Sandwich”, which he said was quite good. Little Missy had a grilled cheese. I was all excited to order a salad that just could not have been more up my hippie-leaning alley: Greens & Grains with Roasted Vegetables. My mouth was waiting impatiently for it to arrive.
Well. Let’s just say the concept was awesome, but they just didn’t pull it off well. I’m not usually a ‘returner’, but when the server asked how I was enjoying my salad, I just had to be honest. There was pale iceberg lettuce, beige grains of some kind, mushy over-roasted veggies (I actually couldn’t tell what kind of veggies they used to be!), and it was all tossed together when it arrived, looking very unappetizing. I thought: This idea deserves way better than this.
So when we got back, I gave it a shot. We now have a new star in the lineup at home and I’m happy to say it’s a doozy: good for you and good lookin’, too! Hope you like it, too:
G R E E N S & G R A I N S
w/ R O A S T E D V E G E T A B L E S
Start by cooking whatever grains you want to use. You can even cook them the day before. I used lentils and a Trader Joe’s grain mixture that had quinoa, garbanzo beans and cous cous. Anything you like will do: brown rice, wheat berries, whatever, just be sure to cook them according to the package directions and start them ahead so you’re not waiting on them.
Then, preheat the oven to 350° and start cutting up veggies. I was looking for a visual punch so I used red bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and mushrooms. Cut them all approx. the same size, around 1″ pieces or slightly larger. Put them on a cookie sheet and season them nicely with olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Pop ‘em in to roast.
They should only need about 20 minutes–roasted but still a little “al dente”. Too much and you’re back to mushy veggies.
I found it was nice with both the grains and the veggies just warm, not hot, and certainly not refrigerator-cold (if you’ve done them ahead). So while those are cooling down or warming up, depending on what you did, make a quick dressing: 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar (I used balsamic for some sweetness), salt, pepper, garlic and some dried thyme. Whisk it all together. It could be any kind of dressing, but I would keep it light, not a creamy dressing.
Now, you’re done! Fix the plate with a bed of spinach mixed with spring mix–really nice and colorful (and way more nutrition than iceberg lettuce!). Spoon some grains onto the middle. Then spoon some of the veggies across the top. Drizzle a little dressing and there you go!
When you serve it, it’s a feast for your eyes! And–I’m even guilty myself–usually a salad-as-my-dinner doesn’t satisfy me and I’m looking for something more in an hour, but this one is different. The grains do the job and it’s really a wonderful thing : ) Enjoy!
The View from the Ground Up
16 Jul 2010 1 Comment
in Food for Thought, Uncategorized
It’s been quite awhile since my last post! I’ve been in that sometimes overwhelming process of relocating. Packing, moving, unpacking, readjusting….and once things settled again, rethinking. Our recent move brought us to the home of our dreams…
We went from the dry, parched desert to living on a farm! We’re still in the desert, just a higher elevation where it’s actually green, and things can grow. I’ve found life on this little farm gives me no choice but to focus on the land–which I’ll gladly do!
We have chickens to feed and they peck on the ground, the weeds and the treats that we give them. Their gift to us is the best eggs I’ve ever tasted! We have a miniature donkey who roams most of the property. Now that sunflowers have popped up and bloomed everywhere, we have to play hide and seek to find him sometimes (he’s shorter than most of them!) We’ve watched and learned what blooms when in the yard. And…finally planted a decent garden! So much of what’s holding my attention these days comes from the ground, and I can’t help but look up with a heart of thankfulness!
In order to maintain a sense of ‘normal’ for my family in the midst of all this newness and busyness, I’ve been depending a lot on the recipes you find all over this blog. They’ve wanted what they consider comfort food…from “mamas cafe”! That’s why it’s great to have some good solid recipes in your bag of cooking tricks. Without taking up tons of my time, I know I’ve fed them good food that’s good for them, while getting through seemingly endless to-do lists! I hope I can inspire you to do the same…
As you can see, I’ve redesigned the site to better fit with my new website www.awingandapear.com
I’ll be adding dates for upcoming cooking workshops and a ‘menu’ of services for private consulting, smaller Let’s Get Cookin’ workshops and more. There’ll be lots of opportunities to get hands-on in the kitchen and I can’t wait to get started inspiring moms, dads, friends and families to fall in love with good food!
The Freshiest Fresh Fresh Salad Ever
04 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in Recipes, Uncategorized Tags: beans, edamame, grains, healthy, rice, salad, tomato
..is ‘freshiest’ even a word? I don’t know. But I do know this is a fantastic salad that just screams…you guessed it: FRESH! It goes great with anything you’re grilling for a light summer dinner. And leftovers make a great lunch all on their own or with some cold grilled chicken added in. There’s not much to it, mostly beans and grains. But that leaves lots of room for improvisation! Plain rice is fine to use, but this is a great time to investigate using other kinds of grains. Think wheat berries, barley, quinoa. They have various cooking times so adjust accordingly. Just get your grains cooked and cooled off ahead of time and then combine all the ingredients when you’re ready for the salad. This looks so pretty and appetizing when it’s all put together you’ll want to keep it all for yourself, but trust me–show it off at your next BBQ, it’ll be a surprise hit!
“F R E S H I E S T” B E A N S A L A D
1 cup of cooked grains, cooled in the fridge.
Use all one kind like wheat berries (crazy good for you!), or I used a mixture I found at Trader Joe’s of brown rice, barley and spelt. Anything goes…
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of edamame beans, shelled. Use fresh or frozen, just thaw them first.
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 (yes, only one this time!) clove of garlic, finely chopped.
1 big handful of fresh herbs, mint & italian parsley, chopped
salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Optional: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and about 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest, finely chopped.
HERE’S A SIMPLE VARIATION:
A quick version of a similar salad is this:
1 can of white canneloni beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup of edamame beans, same as above
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 good handful of fresh italian parsley, chopped
Approx. 3T extra virgin olive oil (just enough to moisten everything)
salt & fresh ground black pepper.
Mix all these together. The contrast between the creamy white beans and the fresh edamame, along with the sharp taste of the parsley is just…heavenly : )
Summer in a Bowl
26 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
in Recipes, Uncategorized Tags: broth, easy, fresh, garlic, italian, light, seafood, summer, tomatoes
I could pretty much eat this dish all summer long, I love it so much! It’s basically an Italian dish somewhat like a dish called “cioppino” and it’s full of “fresh” goodness! You can go fancy with it, adding crab legs, lobster, scallops, etc…Or; you can go on my (budget) side of the tracks and use salmon or tilapia, plus a few clams and shrimp to “special” it up! Either way, it’s one of the fastest, most satisfying meals you’ll ever make. A nice cold glass of white wine–something “crisp” not sweet, along with it really makes this sing. Serves 4 as I’ve written it, but feel free to expand.
S U M M E R T I M E C I O P P I N O
Prepare enough fish and/or seafood for each person (cut fillets of fish into servings, wash & prep clams or shrimp, etc.)
8 Roma tomatoes
Olive Oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
Red Chili pepper flakes, or fresh chilies, sliced fine
1 zucchini (or yellow squash, or mix the two) sliced into 1/4″ slices
2 good-size glasses of dry white wine (the rest of the bottle is for later!)
Salt & fresh ground pepper
2 good handfuls of mixed FRESH herbs like basil, italian parsley, fennel (in this case I would only use fresh herbs), chopped
1/2 Lemon
First, slice some nice crusty Italian bread into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a cookie sheet and toast them a little in the oven (you could do this in the toaster, or even on the grill, but keep an eye on them!). Set them aside when they’re done.
Then, put a pot of water on to boil (you’re going to blanch some tomatoes) When it boils, pop your Roma tomatoes in for about 1 minute. Drain the water, let them cool enough to touch, then make an “x” in the top. The skin should mostly slide right off. Take the core out and then roughly chop them into fours. They’ll be ready when you need them.
Next, get a nice big saute pan because the whole dish will be done in it and you can even serve in it. Over medium-high heat, drizzle in some olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan and sauté your garlic for about a minute. Add the red pepper flakes or chili’s, and the zucchini slices. Keep stirring so your garlic doesn’t burn and after another minute pour in the wine. Once that gets going, put in your chopped tomatoes. As they heat up, start pushing down on them with your spoon (this’ll start to make a light sauce).
Now, depending on what seafood you chose, you’ll start to put it in the pan in the order you need it to cook. For instance, a very thick fillet of fish might need an extra couple of minutes before you put shrimp in, which cooks quickly. So, now start putting in your seafood on top of all that’s in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add a lid and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Right at the end of that, add a few fresh lemon slices and your yummy fresh herbs. Once your shellfish are open (like clams or mussels) you’re done. Get rid of any that didn’t open, and season it all with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of that lemon.
To serve it I like to bring it right to the table with the lid still on. Once everyone’s ready–give them the show when you take off the lid..it looks SO pretty and SO appetizing you’ll feel like a famous chef (for a minute or so anyway!). Put a piece of toasted bread in the bottom of a bowl and spoon some broth and seafood on top. That’s it!
Mmm…now I’ve done it. I’ll just have to make this soon myself!
UPDATE: Yep…I didn’t last the week…I made this on Saturday! Delicious, as usual : )
