Weekly Wrap- Up 3/11-3/17

Wednesday 3/14/12: Corn Chowder

One of my favorite restaurants is a place in North Liberty called Red's. They have amazing food (including a burger that my father claims is the "best he has ever had"!), an incredible beer selection, and the most glorious patio. But, the greatest thing about Red's, at least according to Tim and me, is their amazing bacon and corn chowder. It is sweet from the corn, salty from the bacon, creamy (from what I assume to be cream), and has just enough bite in the form of fresh scallions. I have been promising Tim that I would try to recreate the chowder at home, and on Wednesday I decided to give it a shot. I also decided that I would try to make a healthy version (i.e., less bacon, and milk instead of cream). I started by crisping the bacon, and sauteeing garlic, scallion, and a chopped poblano pepper in the rendered fat. Then I added in some yukon gold taters, and covered it with chicken stock and brought to a boil, then reduced to a simmer. Once the taters were soft, I threw in a bag of frozen corn (this would be SO MUCH MORE AMAZING with fresh corn), enough 2% milk to make it creamy, and then I added a few tablespoons of polenta (b/c I don't have any corn meal) to thicken and bump up the corn goodness. I served it with scallions, cheddar cheese, and greek yogurt to garnish. 

At least it looks pretty! 

This would have been pretty good (not as good as Red's, but pretty good), but I was an idiot and walked away from the kitchen for a few minutes and when I came back the chowder was boiling, the milk was scalded, and the bottom of the pot was burned. I was so mad I couldn't even enjoy it... but Tim liked it, so that's good!

*Note, this is gluten free, and if the bacon was omitted entirely, it would be vegetarian and honestly it would still taste good! 

Thursday 3/15/12: Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu with Kale and Red Peppers

Last week for "vampire club" I decided to make a recipe that I had been eyeing on Pinterest for awhile. I followed the recipe pretty closely, except I doubled the "sauce", and I used this amazing marinated tofu that I get at the Coop. Also, I'm not sure what type of kale they used in the original recipe, but I used red kale which is just a bit more delicate than the other varieties, and it is super gorgeous (it should be called "purple" kale, but whatever). I only slightly wilted it, so it still had a ton of texture which is visible in the photo. I served the stir-fry with some rice noodles, but it would be amazing on its own too. 

This recipe was so amazing that I'm actually going to make it again this week, and I think I actually might succeed at getting (tricking) Tim to eat tofu! He is officially not afraid of kale anymore, and he likes red peppers, so I'm hoping if I jut call this "Stir Fry" and put it in front of him that he will be a happy camper. 

* Note,  I used chicken stock, but if I had used veggie this would be completely vegan, also it is gluten free! 

Friday 3/16/12: Fettucini with Shrimp and Bell Pepper

Friday evening, I threw together a quick dinner that turned out pretty great. I had a red bell pepper leftover from the stir fry, and some frozen shrimp leftover from last week's scampi, so I sauteed them up with some garlic and spring onion, and then tossed them with fresh fettucini noodles, some lemon infused olive oil, and fresh parm. It doesn't look that special in this photo, but it was pretty delish.

Weekly wrap up: 2/26 - 3/3

The past several weeks I have been spending what seems like every waking minute working on my prospectus. And while this leaves little time for writing blog entries (despite my New Year's Resolution to increase all types of writing activity), I did take time to cook a few times and snap some quick photos. Here are all the yummies from the last week!

Sunday Brunch for 1: Rum Raisin, Cinnamon Swirled Baked Oatmeal. Sunday morning I was really craving something slightly sweet. Because making pancakes (from scratch) for one is quite difficult, I turned this yummy looking pancake recipe into a baked oatmeal recipe! So, I soaked the raisins in rum, and added them to my standard baked oatmeal (1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup 1% milk, one egg) and then swirled in a mixture of cinnamon, raw sugar, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of water (to make it into a paste). I baked it at 350 for 20 minutes and then devoured it in 20 seconds. Oh-- I poured more milk on it before I ate it too, because I was feeling extra indulgent.

Sunday dinner: (Leftover) Fontina polenta with mushroom saute. For "vampire night" this week, I was on dinner duty. I went to my go-to source for a great meal, the December 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine. This sounds really odd, but this magazine has given me more "winners" of recipes than most cook books I own! For a $2.95 price tag, that is not half bad. This recipe was no exception. It came together really quickly and was absolutely delicious. The leftovers weren't half bad either! I just changed a few things with the recipe-- for one, I used fontina cheese instead of fontal. Also, I used chicken stock instead of veggie, and my mushrooms were a blend of shitake and white button. Finally, I skipped the whole "put the polenta in the broiler" step and just ate it straight from the pot. And you know what? I got no complaints. 

Wednesday dinner: (sideways?) Cauliflower and Kale pasta bake and my go-to spinach salad. Wednesday I tried a recipe that I have on Pinterest. Well, I didn't so much follow the recipe as I did say "oh cauliflower and kale sound good" and made it up as I went along. I don't really know what I did here, but I know it was just okay. The star of the meal was my go-to salad. Some type of green (spinach in this case) + poppyseed dressing + a tangy cheese (gorgonzola) + a bit of bite from an onion (shallot) + some nut or seed (walnut) + dried or fresh fruit (crasin) = instant salad success! Especially when the greens are tossed in the dressing and the toppings are added later. Fool proof! 

Friday dinner for two: Kale Caesar Salad and Shrimp Scampi Rice Pilaf. Last week while working on my prospectus over at Tim's, I caught a recorded episode of Symon's Suppers (yes, my boyfriend DVR's cooking shows for me-- that is why he's wonderful!), and was inspired by the one and only Michael Symon to make a Caesar salad with kale instead of romaine. I didn't follow his recipe, but it was still super delicious. To make the dressing, I combined a grated garlic clove, the zest and juice of one lemon, an anchovy, some black pepper, parmesan cheese, and then slowly whisked in olive oil. I then tossed the kale leaves in the dressing and let it sit for close to an hour (while most salads would be ruined from sitting in dressing, the kale gets better as the acid slowly "cooks" it) and topped it with some thinly sliced shallots and tomatoes. YUM. 

Cooking dinner for Tim and I during lent is always nice because it lets me stretch my seafood legs a bit. Last Friday I made shrimp scampi rice, which is based off of a dish my mom made probably twice a month when I was growing up. It couldn't be easier, and it's sooo delicious. Basically, I melted about two TBSP of butter with another TBSP of olive oil (this was for four servings, so not much in each) and then sauteed some grated garlic, red pepper flakes, and scallions. Meanwhile I cooked up a pot of brown rice (if it was minute rice I would have just made it in the same pot as the yummy butter mixture, but it was the regular old "cook it for 30 minutes" kind instead). Just before the rice was done, I threw the shrimp in to steam up and then tossed in the yummy sauce. Last but not least, I topped it with the zest of a lemon (Tim proceeded to pick out every little piece of lemon, so next time I'll skip that step) and some more fresh scallions and finely minced parsley. So easy and delish! 

Saturday night dinner: Pantry Pasta (aka black squid ink fettucine with artichoke hearts, sundried tomato, spinach, and parmesan). Sometimes I just don't feel like grocery shopping. This is rare, since any food market is basically my heaven. But, Saturday was one of those "I can't bare putting on shoes, let alone real pants" kinds of evenings, so I had to go shopping in my pantry instead! I had half a package of black fettucine left from Valentine's day, so I put on a pot of boiling water, and meanwhile made a quick sauce of chopped canned artichoke hearts, the last couple sundried tomatoes out of a package, and half a bag of spinach (along with garlic, EVOO, red pepper, parm, and that sort of stuff). Tossed it all together and YUM. Not the worst pantry pasta I've ever had. 

So, that's what I cooked last week! I'm hoping for some equally delicious meals this week! Maybe some even inspired by the spring weather we will be having??

Eating my way through San Diego

A few weeks ago, I was at a conference in San Diego. And by "at a conference", I mean, "there was a conference?". San Diego was so incredible that I never wanted to leave. The weather was perfect (75 degrees and sunny), the people were friendly, and the food-- Oh my gosh, the food. We basically had to adapt to a "four meals a day" schedule so we could eat more. The seafood was especially amazing, and it has ruined me as a chef for the last few weeks-- all I want to eat is fresh sushi and seared ahi tuna, and tacos made with fish caught this morning.... Nothing available in February in Iowa can cut it.

So, let's go on my food tour of San Diego! 

Stop 1: Cafe 222

After escaping a particularly awful session at the conference, my friend Abby and I went out in search for lunch. Thanks to my smart phone, we realized that we were only steps from a cute looking cafe called Cafe 222. The second we sat down (on their sunny patio!) and looked at the menu, our plan for lunch switched to a plan for a very late breakfast. 

Orange Pecan Pancakes

Oh. My. Gosh. There really aren't words to describe what this amazing little cafe has to offer. If you are a Food Network junkie like I am, then you have probably seen The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Well, as it turns out, Cafe 222 is home of the best breakfast Bobby Flay ever ate! Do you realize what this means? Bobby Flay ate at the same restaurant I did! <insert nerd dance here>

Bobby's favorite dish was the peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast, which Abby ordered. I opted for the orange pecan pancakes. Both were so amazing that we didn't say much during the meal other than "augh, ithsoooooo goooood" (pardon the lisp, my mouth was full). Abby actually took our other friend Elaine back the next day for more-- that time they ordered the pumpkin waffles, and the oatmeal, and our other friends tried the banana bread french toast (BANANA BREAD FRENCH TOAST??? WHY DIDN'T I ORDER THAT?)  I would go back to San Diego just to eat here again (like, every day), and they also have given me many ideas for a good meal to try at home!

Stop 2: The Hopping Pig 

While exploring a run-in with a homeless woman who claimed to be named Janet Hitler and threatened to kill all of us, a few friends and I decided we needed a drink to celebrate our survival. Luckily,  the Gas Lamp district which is full of fantastic bars and restaurants. We chose which pub to try based on two key features: 1) sunniness of patio and 2) silliness of the name. The Hopping Pig was the big winner (though the Tipsy Crow was a close runner-up, and we are still mad we didn't go back). 

Sadly, we didn't eat at the Pig, even though the menu looked amazing (local, organic vegetables; gourmet burgers; sweet potato fries), but we did have some fantastic beverages.  Their entire beer menu was all local beers from California, most of which aren't available in the Midwest, so we were almost forced to try something new. . Since it felt like summer outside, I was in the mood for something light and fresh, and I began my vacation love affair with pear cider. 

I can't seem to find the pear cider on their menu now, but I know it was California brewed. It was a little on the sweet side, but who doesn't want a little sweet on a beautiful summer January day? 

Stop 3: RA sushi

The great thing about having your mind in Iowa and your body on the west coast, means you are hungry for dinner at about 4 in the afternoon. While that may not sound like a good thing at first, when you consider the fact that 4 pm is happy hour pretty much everywhere, it turns into a great thing. At RA sushi, we found that not only were their drinks (which weren't too tasty as it turns out) on specials, but so were all of their appetizers and sushi rolls. So, we proceeded to eat more sushi than I have ever seen. I'm not kidding. I had to unbutton my pants mid-meal, and was rocking a "sushi baby" for the rest of the night. But let me tell you, it was worth it! 

For an appetizer, I split some veggie tempura with Abby. This included sweet potato, asparagus, Japanese egg plant, and (our favorite!) Japanese pumpkin. 

For the meal, I had the Rainbow Roll (on the left) and the California Roll. The rainbow roll was incredible. The fish and avocado were not only inside the roll but on the top (as you can see in the photo). It was some of the best tasting sushi I have ever had. I am regretting not getting something more adventurous than the California Roll, but I figured I was in Cali, so why not try it out? It was still delicious, but I felt less bad about leaving a few pieces on the plate at the end of the meal. 

Other big winners of the evening were the Pacific Roll which came with a fresh mango salsa on top and the Viva Las Vegas Roll which was DEEP FRIED and piled high with fresh jumbo crab meat. I am kicking myself for not taking a photo of it, because it was truly unlike anything I'd ever seen. 

Stop 4: Yard House

We actually went to Yard House twice across our five day trip.. and while this began as an accident (I was just looking for a place to accommodate 14 of us for an Iowa psych reunion), when I realized the restaurant I was booking was the same place we'd had drinks the night before, I was totally okay with it.  

For one thing, they have more beers on tap than I have EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. It was amazing. Continuing with my "it's summer!" theme, I tried their house honey blonde, and another pear cider, this one made by Wyder's out of England. This cider was amazing. It was almost as clear as water, and had strong, crisp pear flavor without being over sweet. 

This is only one side of the bar-- the taps wrap around. Not kidding.

For another thing, the food was outrageously good. They had enough options on the menu to accommodate all 14 in our party including multiple vegetarians. I had the Ahi Crunchy Salad and I have been day dreaming about it ever since. Basically, it was a bed of greens mixed with a crunchy slaw in a soy vinaigrette, surrounded by perfectly seared rare ahi tuna. While I know I can't get the same quality of tuna here in Iowa, I still want to try to re-create this perfect salad. 

Hello, gorgeous.

Finally-- I cannot say enough about the service at Yard House. Both nights we were there, every aspect of our experience was perfect. Without a reservation, we got a table for 14 people in only 20 minutes, everyone was friendly and accommodating, and our waiter Matt managed to give us all individual checks without a single mistake. I know that Yard House is a chain, so my new goal for the future is to get a job somewhere they have a restaurant-- it looks like they are expanding to a lot of big cities (including Chicagoland and Atlanta...) so worst case, I will just have to stop by when I'm in town.



Stop 5: The San Diego Zoo


Okay, so we didn't actually eat anything at the zoo, but we did see this ADORABLE panda eating some lunch, so I just had to include the photo.

The zoo was incredible- not only did we see pandas, but we saw Elephants getting pedicures. Like for real... apparently preventative foot care is important for them since they weigh so much and spend so much time on their feet. I guess it makes complete sense, but it was just super funny to me when I saw it happen. Other favorites were the meercats, the skinny polar bears, and the red panda (who we also visited right at lunch time!)


Stop 6: Karl Strauss Brewery

After the zoo, we were tired and exhausted and made it to Karl Strauss Brewery just in time for happy hour! (And just in time to avoid an "I'm hungry" meltdown on my part). We each ordered one of their appetizers (half price for happy hour what what), and basically went to town. Everything that was put in front of us was absolutely amazing. I'm angry at myself for only taking photos of a few of the items.

They had two types of sweet potato fries on the menu. I ordered the chili lime fries (pictured at left) which were the perfect mix of sweet and savory and spicy. I thought they were the greatest things I'd ever tasted, until I tried Abby's "stinky" sweet potato fries which were tossed with gorgonzola cheese. Sweet jebus, those things were amazing!




Aaron had luck with some BBQ (the sauce was made with their Red Trolley Ale) chicken wings, and Mandy got the greatest hummus I've ever tasted. The hummus itself was had a spicy kick from some roasted jalapeno, and the fresh taste of cilantro, and there were finely chopped kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and chopped almonds on the side. Even without the unique and fantastic taste of the jalapeno cilantro hummus, I loved the idea of serving it with these extra little toppings. Each bite was different and special -- I can't wait to try to re-create this at home! Our final appetizer of the day was Elaine's spinach artichoke dip. While almost all spin-dip is amazing, this one was special because of the fresh Cali artichokes and oven roasted tomatoes. I'm kicking myself for not ordering grilled artichokes at some point while in San Diego, because it was on the menu almost everywhere we went. I love making a healthified version of artichoke dip at home, and someday I might get crazy and try it with fresh chokes instead of canned. It really made all the difference in this delicious dip!

You are probably thinking-- wait, you went to a brewery and only ordered food? Don't worry, my friends. I couldn't resist sampling one or two of the amazing beers they offered. My favorite (pictured above) was the Woodie Gold. It was light and smooth and rich in flavor and accompanied our smorgasbord of appetizers perfectly. Others sampled their Red Trolley Ale (which sounded amazing) and their Hefeweissen (which did not sound amazing to me because I think that Hefeweissens taste like ear wax... don't ask). I wish I could have figured out how to bring a growler of their beer on the plane back with me-- I think that would have been the perfect souvenir from my trip! Oh well, I guess I will just have to go back to San Diego for more!



Stop 7: Ocean Beach

The last day we were in San Diego, I realized I hadn't seen the ocean yet, and that was just NOT okay. So, Abby, Mandy, and I hopped in a cab and headed to Ocean Beach (even though the bell hop at the hotel whose passion was surfing told us that Mission Beach would be "funner, dude"). I'm sure glad we ended up where we did because we had a picture perfect afternoon.

 The beach itself was gorgeous. I mean, it's hard to get a bad view of crashing waves, the vast blue of the ocean, and a slowly setting sun, but it was truly gorgeous.

We spent about an hour walking through the sand, occasionally getting too close to the shore and getting surprised by a big (and FREEZING cold) wave.

I would have been content people watching for hours, but we (I) got scared away by a giant flock of seagulls that was chasing a little girl holding a sandwich. It was equal parts hilarious and terrifying. To avoid the birds and get a better view of the couple dozen surfers, we walked out along the long pier (see photo). From there, we realized that there are tide pools on the other side of the pier so now we *have* to go back so we can explore! We also managed to plan our walk along the beach and out on the pier perfectly so we got to watch the gorgeous setting sun over the waves.




No stop in San Diego would be complete without a meal. I think we called this "lunch", but it was at 4 pm, and probably the fourth meal of the day... but with food this good, who is counting?? Honestly, I don't even know the name of the restaurant we stopped at (though I suppose I could spend a little quality time with google maps and figure it out). I just know we couldn't get in to the burger stand that was featured on the food network because the line wrapped around the corner, so when we saw a sign that said "fish tacos" and "margaritas" just across the street, we jumped at the chance!

I made this picture as big as possible so the tacos look life size and I can pretend to eat them again.

I had a mahi mahi taco and a lobster taco, and I feel like all other fish tacos will be ruined for me for the rest of my life. The fish was so fresh and perfectly prepared that it just flaked apart. The pico de gallo was fresh and light and citrus-y, and I could have probably eaten about five more of these babies and still not been satisfied! I was also excited that Mandy-- who does not like fish-- both ate and LOVED a lobster taco. Abby and I definitely felt like we were a positive influence in Mandy's culinary life! I have yet to figure out how to recreate these fish tacos at home, mostly because I don't know how to possibly get fish that fresh and delicious here in the Midwest. 

And that wraps up my culinary tour of San Diego! I'm hungry (well, and full) just thinking about every one of my stops. Now I can't wait to do some cooking of my own to bring back some sunny California feeling to my life! 

Shrimp, Scallop, and Veggie Kabobs with Mint Pesto

I'm tired of blogging. I need to stop procrastinating and just write about things when they are fresh in my mind! But, it's too late for that now. Last Wednesday I made some kabobs on the grill and they were pretty tasty.

I made shrimp, bay scallop, cherry tomato, and one with red onions and green peppers. I marinated the shrimp and scallops in a mint pesto (mint leaves, parsley leaves, almonds, water, olive oil, and garlic-- in food processor) which was surprisingly good. I would make it again-- especially on a lamb burger or something!

I served the Kabobs with a spinach and arugula salad with edamame, pecans, and goat cheese. It was kind of a weird combination, but all I had on hand. The dressing was balsamic vinegar mixed with some of the mint pesto. I saved the extra to drizzle on the Kabobs.

I have nothing else to say about this and feel like I sound like a robot. So.... I'm going to be done now.

Chorizo and Seafood Paella

I love me some paella! Actually I love any one-pot meal that is flavorful and spicy and healthy and full of surprises. I always forget about making them (probably because they are not very friendly if you are cooking for one or two, and require a crowd of at least six), but last weekend I was inspired. By no means is this dish a traditional paella in any way other than the type of sausage and seasonings I used. If I were to swap out the chorizo for andouille and the saffron for cajun seasoning, this could have just as easily been jambalaya! I didn't follow a recipe when I made it, nor did I measure anything, so this is all just from memory... hopefully it's accurate, because man oh man was this yummy! If you are making your own paella, definitely experiment! You can skip sausage altogether (but in that case you should sautee the veggies in 2 TBSP of olive oil), you can add chicken, you can add other seafood, and you can definitely switch out the veggies!

Chorizo and Seafood Paella -- serves 6 (or in my case, 2 with many leftovers)

• 2 (local!!) chorizo sausages*
• 1/4 lb shrimp
• 1/4 lb bay scallops
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 Spanish yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3-4 threads saffron
• turmeric
• paprika
• cayenne
• parsley (save some for garnish)
• secret ingredient: 1 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice 
• chicken broth

*My chorizo sausages were made from local pork (so exciting!) and were uncooked. They were about the size and color of brats. Typically, you will find cured or smoked chorizo near the deli counter which will be thinner and much darker in color. You can basically follow the same instructions as the fat will still be rendered from them. 

Slice the chorizo thinly and put in the bottom of a large pan (I started in a cast iron skillet, but had to switch to a larger dutch oven by the time I added the rice). As the fat is rendered out of the sausage, add in the onions and garlic. When they are translucent, add in the peppers and the seasonings. Add the chocolate in too-- this was the first time I've ever put chocolate in paella, but I saw it on an episode of Grill It with Bobby Flay and decided I had to try it!  Then, pour in the frozen peas, the canned tomatoes, and the rice. Allow the rice to cook without any extra moisture for a few minutes so it can absorb some yummy flavors. Then, pour the broth over the whole thing and let it simmer for 20 minutes; add more broth as necessary, or if there is too much, just let it cook longer. This dish is high maintenance in that is has many ingredients, but it's low maintenance in that it cooks in one pot, and you really can't over cook it (well, the only thing you can overcook is the seafood but if you followed my directions you haven't added it yet!) Right before serving, put the seafood on top of the rice mixture and allow the flavorful steam to cook it. I put the shrimp on about 7 minutes before eating and the scallops on about 5 minutes before and they were both perfect! Garnish with parsley, and enjoy! (But watch out, it's very hot).

Fish Tacos

***This post is ten days overdue and out of order. 

Tonight, I made fish tacos. I wanted them to be awesome. Tim thought they were, but I was left wanting more (literally- I have eaten like ten things since).

I seasoned the tilapia and shrimp  with one of my favorite Penzey's Spice (a little plug for Penzey's-- they have the best herbs and spices) blends called Arizona Dreaming (a little cayenne, a little chipotle-- you get the idea) and grilled it up really quickly, and then chopped up all the meat and piled it on corn tortillas. The toppings were: chipotle crema (1 canned chipotle in adobo blended up with a cup of sour cream), cilantro, salsa fresca, white onion, and red cabbage.

It just fell flat for me. It didn't taste great (though this version of the chipotle crema was much better), and I am still so hungry. Ugh. And I have 3/4 of a head of red cabbage in my fridge that I have no idea what to do with. Neat.

Shrimp Quesadillas and Warm Acini di Pepe and Corn Salad

***this post is 2-3 weeks late, and is very much out of order. oops!

Last night's dinner was good. Really good, in fact. So good that I ate leftovers for breakfast! I made shrimp quesadillas (inspired by Pionner Woman's Quesadillas de Camarones) and this warm corn and pasta salad my mom used to make.

Shrimp Quesadillas --  (serves two with leftovers)
The quesadillas were a little higher calories than I'd normally like to eat for dinner, but I think the future I could just use one tortilla and a little less cheese. Otherwise, they are very healthful. Lot's of veggies, a little protein-- what's not to love?

• 8 shrimp, deveined and peeled
• half a yellow onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 small red pepper (I used half a large, but same idea), diced
• four whole grain tortillas, sprayed lightly with cooking spray
• olive oil
• red taco sauce
• colby jack cheese 

Pioneer Woman does a fantastic tutorial for how to assemble these, but basically you sautee the veggies til they are soft, then cook the shrimp in the red sauce and chop it all up. Then you assemble quesadillas-- tortilla, cheese, veggies, shrimp, cheese, tortilla. Cook long enough to heat through and melt cheese. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Acini di Pepe and Corn Salad
Have you ever seen acini di pepe in the past aisle? They are like tiny dots of pasta-- as if someone took spaghetti noodles to a mandolin. They almost act like couscous in this dish, which I'm sure could be used instead. Also, at some grocery stores it's easier to find pasta stars. As long as you use something grainy that is smaller than a corn kernal, you are set!

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• sea salt
• 4 oz acini di pepe (or whatever you use)
• 1 cup or so frozen corn kernels

Boil acini with package instructions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan and then cook garlic until translucent. Throw in the scallions and plenty of sea salt. When the pasta is done and drained, add it and the frozen corn to the pan and toss around. The corn cooks almost immediately, and you don't want to over cook it because you want to keep it nice and crisp. Garnish with more scallions on top, and enjoy!

Salmon Patties-- all grown up!

Growing up, we had salmon patties in the house probably twice a month. They were one of the first dishes I prepared on my own, actually! Salmon patties always consisted of a can of salmon (you know, with the bones that you can crush with a fork and add calcium to your meal?), whatever variety of onion was on hand, some celery, egg, and breadcrumbs or crackers. When I saw Ina Garten on tv making salmon patties with  fresh salmon, I felt like my eyes were open for the first time. I couldn't wait to try the new grown-up, all fresh ingredients version of my childhood favorite!

Salmon Patty (on a bun)

Salmon Patties- adapted from Ina Garten's Salmon Cakes 

• 1 salmon fillet (around 1/3 lb)
• olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 rounded teaspoon capers
• 1/4 cup (or maybe a bit more) fresh parsley, rough chopped
• dash tobasco
• 1 teaspoon (or so) worcest-that-thing-I-can't-spell
• toasted bread crumbs (mine are home made)
• 1 TBSP dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP mayonnaise (NOT miracle whip.)
• 1 XL egg  

First, you cook up the salmon in the oven or on the grill (mine was grilled) and then let cool completely. So, if it's not entirely obvious, salmon patties are a fantastic use of leftover salmon! Okay, anyway, throw everything from olive oil to Worcestershire sauce into a saute pan and let it cook til the veggies soften. Then, allow THAT to cool.

Once everything is cooled, flake up the salmon with a fork and add to the veggies. Then add mayo, dijon, and an egg. I like to keep bread crumbs til last so I can add the exact right amount. They should even out all the liquidy stuff that you added and make it possible to form this mess of ingredients into little patties.

I formed cakes using a 1/2 cup measuring cup. My ingredient list made exactly six patties of this size. I typically would make them smaller, but Timmy has an affinity for sandwiches so I tried to make them the size of the buns I had on hand. You can just form them and immediately drop them into a hot skillet, or you can put them in the fridge until you are ready.

Salmon Patty Fail

Add a touch of oil to the pan if it's not no-stick, and heat over med-high heat. Then drop in as many patties as can comfortably fit. Cook time is around 6 minutes, flipping half way through, but this will definitely change depending on how big and thick your patties are.

I had one pan of disaster patties that I tried to flip too early and they completely stuck. But, the second pan-ful turned out great. These were definitely different to the salmon patties I grew up with. I liked using fresh ingredients and having the colorful bits of peppers in them, but in the future I think I'd like a greater salmon-to-stuff ratio.

Typically, my mom would serve peas as a side dish to salmon patties. While I love peas, my dinner guest for the evening does not. So instead, I made frozen green beans on the grill (foil packet + 1 TBSP smart balance + salt and pepper), and some taters.

Parmesan Chive Mashed Potatoes

• 5 B-sized red potatoes, skins on
• 1 TBSP smart balance
• 3 TBSP plain yogurt
• 3 TBSP finely shredded parmesan
• 1 TBSP chopped chives

I boiled the crap out of the potatoes-- side note, I have a hell of a time with getting potatoes to be done at the same time as the rest of the meal. They always take longer than recipes suggest and completely infuriate me. So, the way I make mashed potatoes work is that I boil them way longer than they will need. Once they are fork tender I turn the pot on low until I'm ready to drain and mash. It's not an idea solution, but it works for me.

Anyway, once they were drained, I put the "butter" in the pan and threw the potatoes back on top. Then I threw in the rest of the ingredients and mashed away, and garnished with some more chives.

These were surprisingly delicious. I love Parmesan in all of its salty, nutty glory. The flavor was subtle but definitely came out in this dish. I will definitely repeat it, as it's pretty healthy too!