Meatless May Day 3: Tortellini with 5-Cheese Sauce. Oh, and I'm ridiculous.

Penne with 5 cheeses can be found here, and it's a recipe that I used to make often.  I've made it with Penne as directed, but I've also baked it with cheese raviolis and used it as a sauce for scallop stuffed cannelloni.  I love this sauce, but I haven't made it for almost three years.  I just kind of forgot about it.  The other day, I thought about it again, and I knew it would work well for the meatless month we are having.  I planned out the weekly meals, and then promptly forgot that this recipe called for ricotta.

Here's where we get into the problem, and me being a little crazy.  I haven't made this recipe since I've started making my own ricotta cheese.  I refuse to buy ricotta because mine is so much better than the pre-packaged stuff.  I had this planned for Friday night, but didn't make any ricotta.  The recipe only calls for 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and I still rearranged dinner plans because I didn't have it.  I think this is an issue, but now I do have some lovely homemade cheese waiting for me to broil on some toast later, so that's not all that bad, right?

This meal comes together quickly, especially is you don't have to make your own cheese.  I used two 19 oz packages of frozen tortellini (cook the tortellini first), and baked it at 500 F for 15 minutes.  There is a lot leftover, but it reheats well, and I think it would freeze well too.  We never get to that point, and I guarantee that in two days only a small fraction of this will be left.

Meatless May Day 2: Tofu Puttanesca

I thought I had everything planned to make cheese tortellini with a five cheese sauce, but then I remembered I didn't make any ricotta, and I refuse to buy the store-bought stuff (more on this tomorrow).  This was around 5:00, so I needed to think of something fast for supper.  Flipping through my cookbooks, I found a recipe for a tofu puttanesca scramble.  Brilliant I thought, I have a jar of capers hanging around that I've been wanting to use anyway, so a quick trip to the grocery store for tofu and tomatoes, and I was set.

I expected this to be good, but it was better than that.  If you've not had puttanesca, it's a briny, spicy, garlicky, tomatoey sauce, usually tossed with pasta.  I know it has some connection to brothels because it was something the ladies could whip up quickly with what they had on hand.  The tofu was a great vehicle because it soaked up all the briny flavors of the olives and capers, but you could use pasta or chicken here too.  I do wish I had some crusty bread to eat this with.

I served the tofu with parsley-buttered potatoes and roasted green beans.  This is my favorite way to have green beans, just toss with a little oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a cookie sheet.  I roasted these at 375 F for about 25 minutes, but sometimes I'll roast them longer to get them softer.  

For the potatoes, use a waxy potato like yellow or red for best results.  Steam or boil cubed potatoes until tender, but not falling apart.  Toss with butter, salt, and lots of chopped parsley.

I didn't use the recipe I found, but it did give me inspiration to whip something up on my own.  So, here's my version of Tofu Puttanesca (recipe below picture)

Tomorrow: Cheese Tortellini with 5 Cheeses

Tofu Puttanesca

• 12 or 16 oz package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (you may need a little more depending on how much the tofu sucks up)
• 1 cup whole grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 12 large black olives, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 tablespoon caper brine
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• optional 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley to top

1. preheat heavy bottomed straight-sided or pan or large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add olive oil and garlic, cook garlic until brown, but watch it, it will burn quickly.  This should take a little less than a minute.
3. Add cubed tofu and red pepper flakes.  Cook in skillet for 10 minutes until tofu cubes begin to brown.  You'll need to flip the cubes a few times during this process, but be gentle, and try not to break then up too much.  Add more oil if the cubes start to stick.
4. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, and brine.  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tomatoes start to get soft.
5. Remove from heat and top with parsley if using.  

Meatless May Day 1: Learned Helplessness

About a week ago, Jason declared that he would like to eat only vegetarian in May.  Two minutes later he said "We can still have fish, right?"  We decided on no fish, but we will be eating dairy and eggs, so May is now deemed Meatless May.  Jason believes this will lead us down a path of healthier eating, but I think we'll just eat more cheese.  I have set a rule of pasta no more than once a week because I know it will be a fall back food if there's no limit.

In my planning for Meatless May, also among trying to get caught up on my end of the semester grading, I neglected to remember that we always eat leftovers for lunch.  So, when Wednesday night hit, and we'd eaten all the meat products in fridge, Jason realized that he didn't know what to have for lunch the next day, and I'd be at work.  I reminded him that there  was leftover broccoli cheese sauce, but he'd have to microwave a potato.  "You do know how to microwave a potato, right?"  The disheartening reply "I don't think so."  Keep in mind, we do have a special bag for microwaving said potatoes.  He ended up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This month should be a little more interesting in the culinary department than just peanut butter and jelly, and I plan on posting our dinners daily.  Last night we had sauteed pepper, onion, and mushroom melts.  No recipe, just saute onions, peppers, and mushrooms until soft.  Spread marinara on hoagie rolls, top with sauteed veggies and sliced mozzarella, and then put into the oven until the cheese is melted.  I put these in at 400 F for about 7 minutes.  Just watch that the bread doesn't burn.

Tomorrow: Tofu Puttanesca

Iced Coffee

First of all, we're not going to talk about how much time has passed since my last post, or how I justified much of that time off because of a literature thesis I was writing, or the fact that I've had said thesis completed since May.  Instead we're going to talk about a subject that I hope will be timely for most of you and help you whether you're starting school soon, or just looking for something new to make at home.

I know that school is starting for many of you, and now that I transition from student to teacher once again, I'm thinking about the new school year.  There are a few truths that I live by, one of them is that new school supplies are always exciting (this may be why I went into teaching), and coffee is the primary fuel of teachers and graduate students.  

I live in a small town, we do have a local coffee shop, but there is not the ubiquitous green sign on every corner tempting me to drive through on my way to classes.  Even when I do stop at a coffee shop it is not often, maybe once a month.  This is not because I don't enjoy coffee shop creations as much as the next sleep-deprived and grumpy night owl who has to appear chipper during 9 am classes, but because I simply cannot justify the cost.  I have friends who have daily, twice-daily (and 3 and 4 in a few cases) coffee shop habits.  I swear it is these same friends who always complain about being broke.

Even if you don't cook, claim you can't cook, or don't have a coffee maker, you can still easily make iced coffee at home.  You will need a little planning, a few containers to soak, strain, and store the coffee, and something to strain the coffee through.  This could be cheesecloth and a mesh colander, paper towels, or coffee filters (you could probably even use a clean shirt).  The great thing about this cold brewed coffee is that it's really strong, so not only do you not have to worry about your ice cubes watering it down, you probably want the melted ice, and cream, and sugar to mellow it out a little bit, or, if you're a double espresso person like me, all you need is a little ice and a little sugar to have the perfect iced coffee.  The other great thing about this is that it's really inexpensive.  Even if you buy really good coffee at $8 a pound, you'll still come out ahead when you consider your coffee shop habit.  It also makes as much or as little coffee at a time as you want.  You can make it a cup or two at a time (I'm looking at you grad students with your tiny refrigerators), or gallons at a time (for people like me with a spare fridge).

You can see if the picture above an example of my coffee (just a little sugar), and my husband's (lots of almond milk, sugar, and a little coffee.  I usually make an entire 10 oz package at a time and keep half in a container in the fridge and freeze the other half for later use.  To sweeten, syrups are best because they dissolve easily whereas sugar remains grainy for a long time in cold liquids.  I'll be back soon with a recipe for vanilla syrup that you can use if you coffee, so hang on and stay caffeinated until then.

Iced Coffee

1/2 quart (2 cups water) for every 1 oz of coffee  (for a 10oz bag you would need 20 cups of water)

Place coffee grounds into a container big enough to fit the amount of water you will be using (I buy large storage containers, but if you're just making a little coffee, a bowl would work).  Pour proper amount of cold water over coffee.  Stir to moisten grounds.  Cover.  Let sit overnight or 8 to 10 hours (you can leave this on the counter or put it in the fridge).  The next morning strain into a new container.  As I mentioned earlier, you can strain this through cheesecloth, coffee filters, or paper towels.  You just want something small enough to keep the grounds out of your coffee.  I usually let my grounds strain for an hour and then squeeze out the cheesecloth, but if you're in a hurry to buy that shiny new box of crayons, so you can start the school year off right, then you can strain and squeeze right away.  That's it, add ice to a glass, pour in coffee, and desired add-ins and enjoy!

The Spicy Chicken Spud

Yikes, no posts since August?  Time just slips away when you're busy and before you know it you've disappeared for much longer than intended. I'm not going to make excuses because I hate it when blogs do that.  Just know this last semester of grad school has taken more time than the others, and that I have not disappeared completely.  I have lots of ideas for future posts. I am back with an amazing combination that came about because of my obsession and frustration.  

My obsession comes in the form of a baked potato.  This is not the first time I've been obsessed with a baked potato.  I eat them when I can't think of anything else I want.  They are a constant source of joy for me.  I top them with one or more of the standards: butter, sour cream, crisp bacon, broccoli, cheese, ham, and caramelized onions and the not so standard: salsa, chili, and steak seasoning.  I've recently heard about a raw egg cracked inside a potato and baked until the egg white is set but the yoke is still runny.  I'm searching for a way to do this (if anyone knows, please tell me).  It's safe to say baked potatoes are one of my favorite foods.  

So why the frustration?  It came from a beautiful combination of baked potato toppings that I had never considered: cheese, bacon, green onions, a buffalo sauce dipped chicken strip, ranch, and more buffalo sauce.  It is amazing.  I had dreams about this potato after I had it.  The problem was not with the potato itself but the place it was served.  This restaurant, which shall not be named has terrible service.  The food is slow and comes out sporadically even when the place is not busy.  I would get annoyed every time I went there, but whenever one of my friends wanted to go I would be a little (okay a lot) excited because I knew the potato was waiting there for me.  

I have decided to take a stand and rid myself of this dependence, not on the potato, but on the restaurant.  I knew I could recreate this masterpiece not only as good as, but better than the original, and I was right.  With the addition of blue cheese crumbles, I am no longer beholden to slow service, and sometimes cold food.  

I now present to you the Spicy Chicken Spud.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it as homemade or as store-bought as you want.  For instance, I made my ranch dressing and chicken strips, but I bought the buffalo sauce.  You could use all pre-made sauces, and frozen chicken strips and then just assemble the potato.  I've eaten this 3 times over the past 3 days, once for supper, once for lunch, and once for breakfast.  They were all equally fantastic, and on an especially groggy morning, it made the day much better (buffalo sauce might be more effective than coffee).  

The Spicy Chicken Spud
Serves 1, but can be expanded to any number

Ingredients:
1 baked potato (I prefer oven baked, but you could microwave it if you're in a rush)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (co-jack or sharp cheddar are my preference)
2 strips bacon cooked until crispy and then crumbled
1 green onion, white and green parts chopped
1 cooked chicken strip (My recipe is here)
2 tablespoons or more to taste buffalo sauce (I used Frank's)
1 to 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 tablespoon blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

Slit potato open and squeeze from the ends.  Add about 1/2 of the shredded cheese, 1/2 of the bacon, and 1/2 of the green onion into the crevice of the split potato.  Place the chicken strip inside the potato.  Top the chicken strip with the buffalo sauce and drizzle some of the sauce on the plate.  Next, top the potato with the ranch dressing and the rest of your bacon, shredded cheese, and green onion.  Top with blue cheese and enjoy.

I'm still here and I made burritos!

The other day I realized that I hadn't posted a blog since, well since the beginning of summer.  While I am always a little annoyed to read bloggers say how busy they were, I can honestly say that I had the time to blog, but it skipped my mind.  I have been cooking and taking pictures, and most importantly eating, but I forgot to blog.  I'm back now, and I will not leave you for such a long time again.  Now onto the food.

I love breakfast, but I also love sleeping, and will literally hit the snooze button on my phone for over an hour if I can get away with it.  Because school is starting soon and my assistance-ship, I may have to  get myself out of bed before 10:00 am, and actually put on real clothes before 4:00 pm.  This kind of practical nonsense is going to dramatically cut into the amount of time I have to make myself elaborate breakfasts every morning.  My choices are to either grab cereal bars or brownies on the way out the door (What?  Brownies contain eggs, which is a breakfast food.), get fast food (too expensive) or to figure out a way to get a hearty breakfast quickly.  I could buy pre-made frozen items, but I think making them myself is a better way to go.  

These breakfast burritos were easily put together, and if wrapped in foil could probably be eaten in the car, or bus for school kids, without too much trouble.  For fillings I choose eggs with hot sauce, sausage, potatoes and onions, and cheese.  For 9 burritos I used 1 dozen eggs, a pound of sausage, half an onion, and one large russet potato.  You could put in any filling you like, but personally I would avoid salsa, sour cream, and guacamole because these do not heat well, in my opinion, and are better left on the side.  These could be made vegan with scrambled tofu, vegan cheeses and veggies.

First, I cooked all my fillings and placed them in bowls on my kitchen table where I made a burrito assembly line.

Sausage

Potatoes and onions

 Scrambled Eggs

 The assembly line ready to go.  If only I was as organized in everything else. 
 I started with the eggs.  Be sure not to over fill the burritos or they won't fold.

 Then the sauage

 Now the potatoes and onions

 Finally the cheese

 Then I rolled the burritos and placed them on parchment lined baking sheets.

The burritos were then placed in the freezer until frozen solid, and then I put them in a freezer bag and put back in the freezer until they will be used.  These can be microwaved from frozen.  I would try anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes depending on your microwave.  I will probably bake mine for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.  I'll pop one in the oven while I'm getting dressed, and it will be ready to go as I rush out the door.  This will allow me to hit snooze just a few more times.

Finally, Hashbrowns! (and a new post)

First, I must apologize for my absence.  I have recently completed my first year of graduate school, so I was busy writing papers and reading literature theory.  Then I immediately started my summer job, so I'm still adjusting to my new sleep schedule that has me waking up at 6:00 instead of 9:30 or 10:00.  I have still been cooking, and I have a lot of delicious food to share.

Hashbrowns, a food that is deceptive in its complexity.  I have been trying for at least six months to make crispy golden brown shredded potatoes.  During those six months my husband and dog have eaten many terrible attempts at hashbrowns. Each weekend morning when I would mention breakfast my husband's face would grow excited and hopeful until I mentioned that I was making another attempt at hashbrowns.  Some were crispy on the outside but soggy and gray in the middle.  Some were gray on the outside and raw in the middle, and some were burnt on the outside.  I tried baking them, cooking them in cast iron, non-stick, and stainless steel pans on the stove top.  I tried Russets, red, and Yukon Gold potatoes.  I always shredded the spuds on a box grater and wrapped them in a kitchen towel to ring out the moisture.  I tried soaking them in water first.  I tried frying them in bacon grease, butter, olive oil, and canola oil.  Finally, finally with the help of my electric skillet I made perfect hashbrowns.  The key is a medium high heat and a pan large enough to spread out a very thin layer of the potatoes.  They must be left alone and only flipped once.  They were cooked with a lid for about half the time, and they took a good 20 minutes.  When I slipped these hashbrowns on the plate along with bacon and eggs I felt a surge of triumph. I had finally defeated my nemesis.  My husband was happy that he didn't have to eat gray, soggy, mystery potatoes.  The dog, however, was not pleased as he knew he would not get as many leftovers as usual.