Things I wish I knew Before I learned to Cook

Sometimes, trial and error in the kitchen can be fun. That story about the time I ______, hilarious. However there are some things I wish I had known before I started cooking, especially when I was a poor, starving college student, and ruining dinner (and the leftovers it was supposed to yield) meant I would only be eating $.15 ramen for a couple days.

So here are some tips and tricks that have made my life easier, please share yours!

~ First and foremost, The Always's:
Always cook with a glass of wine.

Always salt your pasta water, A Lot.

Always taste your food! While you're cooking, not when it's plated. By then it's too late to fix anything.

~ Recipes (or cookbooks) with cutesy names never have the staying power that the tried and true standbys do. If you want to add a cookbook to your library and you don't already have all 25 of the ones in this slide show, you have no business buying one titled Eat Your Feelings: Recipes for Self Loathing (this honestly exists).

 ~ Make way more spinach than you think you need. This way you will not find yourself in the position of having one cupcake-sized mound of sauteed garlic spinach for your whole party of four to share.

~ Buy  yourself a pair of kitchen scissors. I know you think those regular scissors in your junk drawer are just fine, but trust me, it's much better to have a pair dedicated to food. You will use them to chop herbs, cut up those chunks of canned tomato, snip the bones of that gorgeous roast chicken, etc...

~ Sometimes it pays to be Type A: When having guests over for dinner, do everything you can in advance. No matter how easy or mindless the task seems to be, no matter how many times your husband (or wife) says, "Why don't we just do that later?" If you disregard my advice and do nothing in advance, at least do this one thing; start your evening off with an empty dishwasher. You will thank yourself later when you've had one too many and the sight of all those dishes kick starts a headache.

~ Add acid. A drizzle of vinegar, a spoonful of tangy buttermilk, a simple squeeze of lemon or lime will always add brightness to an otherwise boring and flat dish. I believe it was Mario Batali who once said: the easiest way to pretend you know what you’re doing in the kitchen is to talk about the “acidity” level of a dish.

~ Learn the correct way to deal with an onion and avocado. Onions are the staple of so many dishes that knowing how to properly dice one is imperative. And who doesn't like a delicious, creamy avocado in their salad?

~ Be flexible, it’s ok to substitute! Don’t let not having a particular ingredient stop you from trying a new dish. You won’t get arrested if you leave out an ingredient or replace it with something that’s not called for. In fact you might create a version you like even better, and that will increase your confidence in the kitchen. And if it doesn't work, you'll have another funny story to tell.

~ When shredding up a block of cheese, put it in the freezer for 5 minutes before hand. This firms up the cheese and makes the task much more manageable. You can do the same thing with a filet if you want some really thin slices for carpaccio, an ice cold steak will slice much nicer than a refrigerated one. HOWEVER…

~ Always bring your remove your meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Meat will never brown properly if you add it to the pan when it’s freezing cold and wet. (And browning properly is where you’re going to get most of your flavor, brown foods taste good.) It should be patted dry and room temperature.

There you go, a couple tips to make life in the kitchen a little easier. I'll add more as I think of them, feel free to post yours in the comments!

Party Foul

Today I was supposed to participate in my first ever Linky Party!

But I can't read. Nor can I follow directions. So I failed.

The idea was to "Bake it or Make it", from something that you Pinned and pined for.

So I had planned to make this little darling: Cabernet Braised Short Ribs with Gorgonzola Polenta.

Because cooking is making right?

Wrong.

Making means crafting this time. And I failed to read that. Because all I did was look at the pretty little banner up there and draw my own misguided conclusions.

So next week I will be better prepared. I have this beautiful stand mixer that really needs to be switched on so maybe, just maybe, I will cross over to the sugary, carb loaded dark side and bake something...

Simply Perfect Breakfast

I am an early riser.

A very early riser.

During the week I get up for work at 5:15 a.m., and while I agree that

breakfast is the most important meal of the day,

I am not going to wake up one minute earlier just so that I can take time to prepare myself a morning menu.

So my consistent go-to breakfast is simple, quick and checks all the boxes for a healthy beginning to my day.

1/2 cup of 2% Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of berries and a tiny drizzle of honey.

Simple

Pure

Delicious

Chili, meet Pumpkin

Chili (chil-i) noun: a spicy stew of meat, red chilis or chili powder, often with beans and tomatoes.
But who knew it could also be made with pumpkin?!
I know, you are probably thinking, gross. But I was curious, so I tried it. And let me tell you, it ain't half bad. In fact it's pretty darn good. And very easy, another of those 1 pot wonders that everyone loves. You will too. Promise.

Fall blew into San Diego today, feistier than usual. She gave everyone the cold shoulder, cried a few tears, exhaled heavy sighs of discontent that rustled the trees and promised more was to come over the next few days.
For me, this was the perfect opportunity to nestle in my kitchen, and whip up something that would bring a bit of cozy to this sulky autumn weather.
Enter Turkey Pumpkin Chili

When I first read this recipe on Pinterest (hello gorgeous new addiction), I must admit I scratched my head and thought, uh uh. Nope. Couldn't work. But for the rest of the day, my mind kept mulling over the idea. 

Pumpkin is low in fat and calories and rich in disease-fighting nutrients such as: Alpha-carotene, Beta-carotene, Fiber, Vitamins C and E, Potassium, Magnesium. We could all benefit from adding more of this fruit to our diets. 

  A chili whose flavors were subtle, warm and comforting instead of punching you in the mouth and searing your tastebuds with violent heat intrigued me. I kept thinking of what I could do to change up the recipe, make it even more outside the box.
I'll add cinnamon! Cardamom! Oh I think I have some all spice leftover from last Christmas... If I was going to make a chili with pumpkin, I was going to make it unlike any chili I had ever had before.
And so I set to work. 

The ingredients in the original recipe were few enough, so I started there. But then as I was cooking, creativity took over and my spice drawer flew open. A shake of this, a pinch of that, I just kept adding until my nose told me to stop.

Allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cardamom and nutmeg crashed the party. I really wanted this to be something different. Everyone played nicely together for about 45 minutes...

Then it was time to eat.

 The flavors were well rounded; there was some heat from the cayenne, but it was tempered by the velvety pumpkin. The cinnamon and nutmeg seemed to get along surprisingly well with the jalapenos. Garlic and onion go with everything in my book. If I have any criticism, it would be that this chili could use a bit more acid, maybe some lime juice to brighten it up, and I would go lighter (or skip altogether) the cayenne powder. It seemed to overpower the other, more delicate flavors.
All in all, this goes in the make again pile. Any recipe with potential deserves a second try, rarely does one hit perfection the first time.
So when autumn comes knocking on your door, and you're feeling adventurous, give this a try.

Pleaser Teaser

The weatherman is reporting that temps are going to drop below 70 and rain might sprinkle down on us this week. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is true because I have 2 recipes I am dying to make that are just waiting for autumn to really set in. So should we get what is promised check back later this week when I tell the tale of Turkey Pumpkin Chili and her little friend Pumpkin Spice Cake.

Quick and Easy weeknight dinner

I hate cleaning the kitchen, which poses a huge problem since I love cooking. And if you've seen me in the kitchen, I have several times been compared to the Swedish Chef on the Muppets who makes a bit of a mess (bork bork bork). So it should come as no surprise that some of my favorite meals are those that require only one pot.

Last night I made this little dandy: Enchilada Casserole.

Presentation wise, it ain't much to write home about.

But as Dave says, you eat with your mouth, not your eyes. And your mouth will love it.

And so will your dishpan hands for only have 2 dishes to clean.

Enchilada Casserole

-1 Package 97% lean ground turkey (about 20 oz)

-1 large yellow onion, chopped

-1 can sliced olives

-2 fresh jalapenos, diced or 1 can store bought diced green chiles.

-1 28oz can Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce (sometimes called Red Chile Sauce) choose your heat level

-1 19oz can Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce

-1 package whole grain tortillas, cut into 1-2" pieces

-1 package corn tortillas cut in 1-2" pieces

-3 cups shredded cheese (I like to use 2 cups sharp cheddar and 1 cup pepperjack)

-1 package taco seasoning or make your own with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Optional Ingredients:

Cilantro

Greek yogurt or sour cream

Avocado

Green onion

Preheat oven to 350

In large pot on stovetop brown turkey meat. Remove once brown and add onion and 1 TBSP olive oil. Saute onion until soft. Add meat back in. Mix in taco seasoning until onions and turkey are coated. Add olives and jalapenos. Stir. Pour in both cans enchilada sauce plus 1 cup water. Bring to boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in tortillas.* Now get your large casserole dish (I use 10x15) and ladle half of the tortilla mixture into it, spread evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle half of your cheese across then ladle the rest of the tortilla mixture in and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered until sides start to bubble. Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes to set. Serve and top with optional items above along with a salad. Makes 8-10 servings

*I don't usually use all the tortillas, I find that it makes the casserole too dry. I use about 8-9 of the whole grain ones and about 15-18 corn. You have to make the call, you want the mixture to be the consistency of thick stew, but not so your fork stands up in it. It will lose more moisture as it cooks in the oven.

Simple Soup, Step by Step (Oooh Baby)

I feel it. Do you? The change in the air? Autumn is coming, and with it, cold nights. For me, cold nights mean soup for dinner. I love soup. It's simple, healthy and delicious. I may have jumped the gun a bit (it only just dropped below 70 degrees) but I miss soup, so tonight's dinner was one of my favorites; Curried Zucchini. I got to break out my old friend Mr. Le Creuset Knockoff, and fill our home with savory smells of chilly nights to come.

Because prep time for this dish takes maybe 20 minutes, it makes it a great weeknight go to dinner. The only real work is chopping the onion, garlic and dicing the zucchini. If you have frozen stock (either your own or a really high quality one you've purchased) this is the place to use it. With so few ingredients, using high quality stock will make a huge difference. But should you not have access to that, I have used Trader Joe's reduced sodium organic chicken broth in a pinch and it works just fine. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, simply sub vegetable stock instead. 

Mise en place: I used a shallot as well because I happened to have it

To begin

Add some oil to your pot (I prefer coconut oil because it likes high temps, but olive oil works too.) Turn heat to med-hi.

As oil is heating, chop your onion. Add to pot and stir to coat. 

As onions are cooking, chop one clove garlic (and a small shallot if you prefer). Once onions have softened, reduce heat to med (you don't want to burn the garlic, yucky) and add garlic, stir. 

Now dice your squash. I quarter mine then slice in 1 inch pieces. 

Add to pot and increase heat back to Med-Hi. Add salt, pretty liberally, zucchini is a high water content veg and you really want to draw that liquid out. I apologize for not measuring, I just eyeball it. Better to go light, you can always adjust your seasonings later if need be.

Stir.

Saute the zucchini for about 5 minutes to soften it, once it starts to loosen up, add in about 1 1/2 TBS curry powder, and again...stir.

This is when your house begins to smell divine. For that reason alone, I love making this soup. After the veg are all nice and coated in curry, pour in your stock, enough to cover just the top of the zucchini. 32 ounces should do it.

Here is where I encourage you to break away from the recipe. Dave likes things spicy, so I add in a few shakes of chili flakes and some cracked black pepper. Feel free to try your own version.

Now crank that baby up to high, slap a lid on that pot, BTB (bring to boil), RTS (reduce to simmer) and relax for about 25 minutes. 

Once the zucchini get to the point of such softness that they look ready to fall apart, and you look into your pot and think "Man that's one ugly soup", it's time to puree.

There are 2 ways to do this, the easy way and the hard way. The easy way is with this

 This is an immersion blender, one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets.

The hard way really isn't that hard, just use a regular blender, Carefully. Hot liquid and blending can be dangerous. Do it in batches and keep the lid on tight.

Once you have pureed your soup, taste it. 

Does it need more salt? More pepper? More heat? You could add some cream for richness, butter for a satiny finish. Keep it healthy and try Greek yogurt. The options are only as limited as your imagination. I like to finish mine with a little smoked paprika for color.

Finally it is time to enjoy.

Curried Zucchini Soup (basic recipe Ingredients)

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

sea salt to taste

4 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slices

32 ounces chicken stock