Taste of Summer

We certainly know what summer feels like, but how does it taste?  I believe it is safe to say that a majority of us would first recall summer tomatoes or summer stone fruit.  After having this meal, this is exactly how summer tastes to me!  Tomatoes (mind you, my heirloom tomatoes weren't completely in season so in the heart of July this will be an even better dish) and the season's first basil all in a perfectly simple balsalmic dressing.  Hard to beat. Light, fresh and tasty! 
This meal was shared with Meg and her family on our screened in porch - it was a perfect early summer evening - fresh food shared at a common table.

Angel Hair Pasta Alla Checca

3 c. chopped ripe tomatoes, summer heirlooms are best for taste and looks
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 c fresh basil, torn
1/2 c. or less if you prefer, good quality EV olive oil. 
(remember from my earlier post, good quality is important when the ingredient is a star player)
8 oz. bocconcini mozzarella balls.  I used 16 oz and had I used less, I would have been disappointed. 
2 Tbs balsalmic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb angel hair pasta

Combine all ingredients (except the pasta) in a bowl.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for half an hour.  This is your checca sauce.  Boil the pasta, in water that tastes like the sea. 
Toss Pasta with the checca sauce and garnish. 

I served the pasta and the sauce seperately - and will probably continue to do so.  Call me type A, but I do think ahead and b/c there is a chance of leftovers, as this serves 4-6 people, I always think about what the sauce will do to my noodles overnight and personally, I don't want my pasta sitting in balsalmic vinegar for any length of time.  So, I keep the two seperate at the dinner table as well as when I store the leftovers.  

Now, if only I had a picture of sweet Jude "cranking" his pasta in via his ears.  My little Lizzie still pops that trick out at the dinner table and its weeks later.  Just this morning, she "cranked" in her banana nut pancakes!  Pretty sure Jude made a lasting impression on her - what a lady killer!

Deeelicious Red Thai Curry with Shrimp

Although I refrain from titling this post "HOT HOT HOT" as I do not want to give anyone reason not to try this dish , I will not delay any further mentioning that this dish is VERY spicy if you do not take precaution with the curry paste.  As a first timer with this recipe, I followed precisely the measurements, but I'll definitely back the curry paste down to 1/2 or at the most, 1 Tbs instead of 2 Tbs. next time.  And there will be a next time.  This was a hit with Brad and next time will be with me.  I could tell it was very good, but I just couldn't get past the small inferno I ignited on my lips, in my thorat and the excessive runny nose.  I was a pretty sight!  So bad I opted for a cold bowl of cereal.  What a shame but I just don't do heat of that caliber.  I felt so awful for not being able to prewarn my trusting recipients.  They already tasted the meal before I could and thus my apology/disclaimer was a little too late. But, everyone reassured me that it was still delicious and through the heat I did like the flavor of the sauce and all the fresh veggies.  

Chicken and Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

 I love pasta dishes.  Something just hearty and soul warming about them and this week, I was feeling pasta-ish!  The cayenne pepper in this one puts a whole other meaning to soul-warming too!  Measure down if you aren't up for spicey.  Little one and I had Grandpa over for this family dinner meal and Grandpa's poor lips were on fire he said.  This coming from someone that doesn't touch mexican food and thinks Big Red gum is "too spicey to enjoy".  Not too credible if you ask me.  We love him, but he's a little tender in the taste buds.

The Official Spring/Summer 2011 Drink of Choice and Pea Nutty Noddles

Growing up, there were two drinks I loved and begged my mom to give me...a Shirley Temple and a half lemonade/half iced tea.  Shirley Temples, with 5 maraschino cherries please, are versatile and can easily be consumed during the winter holidays.  Little ol' Shirl can make any occasion feel fancy.  I only really remember consuming the half and half (now known as an Arnold Palmer) during the summer.  They were the pool-side/court-side/porch-side drink of choice for me. Beyond the half and half, summers also meant long days at the pool, honeysuckle, lightening bugs, later bedtimes, avocados, shrimp cocktails, bike rides, hammock time and night drives in my parents old convertible fiat. Summers were fun and free.

We are in the middle of spring here.  Days are getting longer.  There is a 10 inch thick blanket of pollen on just about every exposed surface.  I even saw my first mosquito yesterday. Everything is in full bloom.   

Summer is right around the corner.  I can feel it.  I don't want to rush anything and I definitely am not ready to let go of 50 degree nights, but this grown up version of the half and half might just push me there.  I am officially announcing it as the 2011 Summer Drink of Choice for this household.  It is really freaking incredible.  I made it for the first time the other weekend when we had some friends for brunch and have made it three times since. Introducing ginger-tea lemonade with basil and a sneak peak at the dinner for this Tuesday Night Swap.

I realize this picture doesn't quite display the iced tea in all of her deliciousness.  Please note adorable boy in background playing with trucks and Easter eggs.

"I Love" Chicken Schnitzle

This has been a good week.  Lizzie is showing progress on the potty, her big girl underwear came in the mail (they are Adorable on!)  and we've had lots of rain - to wash away all this nasty overwhelming yellow pollen!  Also, I've been working hard to be consciously grateful for all things I love thanks to an inspiring book my Aunt Laney gave me called "The Secret the Power" by Rhonda Byrne.  There are lots of lessons to be taken from this book, but this is just one I'm concentrating on now.  And I'm happy to report, it does make one more happy feeling to accentuate the positive (Johhnny Mercer was on to something) and be consciously grateful of people/sitatuions/events/things you encounter daily.  It is challenging, to be conscious of your thoughts and steer them into positive directions when they tend to linger (more like lurk) towards the negative.  Its only human nature, but we do need to take control more often than not.
Anyway - with the help of my new read, I'm working to mentally acknowledge things that I love and make this a daily practice.  My sweet lizzie and my amazingly helpful husband who is so tender and loving with our little girl and with me - are at the top of my list among some very trivial things like "icecream..... anytime" and "stormy nights which lead to excellent slumber".

Soy Good Salmon with Edamame Succotash

I received a great package in the mail a couple of months ago.  This was the best kind - packed with books and sent with love from one of my favorite friends.  Nestled amidst the great new reads for Jude was Laurie David's, The Family Dinner.  David is a huge environmentalist and was a producer behind An Inconvenient Truth.  Her work is impressive to say the least.  I respect her passion for the environment and was curious how it would translate to a cookbook.  The recipes, I discovered, are written by Kirstin Uhrenholdt who at one point worked for the Davids.

After setting up Jude with his new reading material, I began to leaf through my new treat.   Wow!  This is a great book.  I guess it is technically considered a cookbook, but it is so much more than that.  David weaves together recipes, conversation starters, gorgeous photos, post-dinner games and interviews of interesting people (Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, etc) about their experiences with family dinners.  It is the kind of book you want to keep picking up for inspiration.  I have especially enjoyed the section on table talk.  She encourages bringing books, poetry and newspapers to the table to stimulate conversation and offers loads of suggestions for questions to get everyone talking and sharing and having a good time.  Patrick, Jude and I sit down together for most breakfasts and dinners and I have this lofty notion that this is where we will share the most important details of our days/hearts with one another.  I can't wait for the day when our conversations evolve beyond big trucks dumping dirt and blowing bubbles.  Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying this stage with Jude, but I can't wait to really, really see what he has to say and offer to this world.

I decided to try out The Family Dinner's Soy Good Maple Salmon with Edamame Succotash for this week's swap.

Photo taken from  The Family Dinner website 

Another recipe with Ketchup?!? Turkey Meatloaf!

Here I sit, with my cream cheese bagel and lemon water, typing my post much sooner than I got the last post out and might I mention......I'm doing this post amazing and much needed yoga session with my dear friend Joan.  I hestitated leaving the house with Lizzie since we are on our 5th day on the Potty Train

* note the very proud pottier with her potty stickers and FIRST EVER marshmellow PEEP! 

not to mention the dark dreary day it is, but I (and baby) needed this time for our bodies....and Lizzie needed a little outing.  Also, Lizzie had what I politely call, potty success, before we left the house so I was feeling confident on the way out of the door and as expected......amazing on the way back in.  Win-Win.  I've digressed, so let me get back to our dinner from Tuesday night. 

Asparagus and Roasted Tomato Quiche

I am a week late in writing this post and am suffering from a serious case of spring fever.  I am going to make this short and sweet.  I like quiche.  I like it for dinner with a green salad.  I like it for lunch with a glass of tea.  I like to eat it on the back deck when the sun is out.  I like quiche.

I do quiche the easy way.  I buy a pie shell (gasp) and I oftentimes buy roasted veggies to fill it with (double gasp).  Yes, I am a culinary short-cutter at times.  I am not ashamed. To me, quiche should be an easy meal.  One that can be made quickly and enjoyed without feeling tired from a kitchen fuss.  Quiches are great for a meal swap because a) pie shells are typically sold in twos and b) two can be assembled just as easily as one. I know I am boldly stating the obvious here, but sometimes these things elude me and I kick myself every time I dig up a solo frost bitten pie shell in the freezer.  Would be so much nicer to reach in and find a bottle of cold gin an already made quiche for dinner instead.  Anyhoo...here is the recipe.  It is a mash up of different quiche recipes I found online.  I like the replacement of cottage cheese for the typical cream and other dairys.  I feel like I am getting some extra protein, but be careful with how much salt you add to the recipe when tweaking.  The quiches can me made ahead of time and reheated at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Manicotti, Mani-got......PotAtoes, po-tatoes

Sorry for this VERY late posting.  I've gotten caught up in spring fever, all things homeschooling and most importantly....DESSERTS.  Not sure what has gotten into me.....ok, maybe I do know what is IN me, but this resulting sweet tooth has got me hankering to bake!  I've spent a lot of free time the past two weeks doing just that.  Strawberries are popping up in the stores and I love to serve strawberries over panna cotta - so check, that's one I've made, actually not once, but twice.  And, One Hungry Mama posted a tempting Nutella Brownie Bites recipe that I just had to try - easy and delicious - best a day later as the brownies were a little crumbly fresh out of the oven.  But they set up better after a days rest.  And, lets not forget the Banana Pudding.  No crazy fancy recipe for this chica - just Jello brand vanilla pudding, wafers and bananas.  Yummo - gotta love the soggy wafers!  And while we are talking desserts, I might as well tell ya what desserts are planned for the future because yes-um, I have future desserts planned....a dessert wish list of sorts.  To be served for afternoon snack on St. Patty's Day - I have a Shamrock Shake up my sleeve from one of my favorite bloggers, The Naptime Chef. 

Rigatoni with Roasted Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch

Last week's swap had me at pine nut crunch.  Seriously, anything would taste good with a pine nut crunch topping.  I spotted this recipe in Bon Appetit's March 2011 issue.  I find one-pot pasta dishes especially appealing because you can cook and assemble everything early in the day or late the night before and throw it in the oven before dinner time.  They are easy to bring to a friend who needs a little mealtime love, perfect for next day leftovers for an always hungry husband, interesting for an adorable two year old and simple for a mid-week neighborly food swap.

Picture of pasta before putting in oven.  Please note delicious pine nut crunch topping.

Ketchup - is it a magical ingredient.....sometimes?

So - I had a lackluster week in the kitchen and wasn't feeling too inspired so I fell back on an old family favorite, Vegetable Beef Soup.  I have always liked it with a good piece of dense bread and butter in hand for dipping and our weather cooled a little bit so soup seemed perfect.  Not to downplay the recipe (and i know I already don't sound excited about it) but something is really off with my taste buds this pregnancy and things I normally found comforting and tasty, don't have the same affect mid-pregnancy.  So that was how it ended up with this soup.  But, my husband said it was good and he loved the healthy portion of beef so there were no complaints from him.  I also found some great organic free range cubed beef at Trader Joe's so I used that for this recipe and it didn't disappoint. 

Sure Things

There are a handful of  really important yet simple things in my life that are just sure things.  I trust them.  I know them to be true.  Some of these sure things include:

1) My love for Jude.
2) My love for my husband.
3) Yoga makes me a nicer person to be around.
4) An afternoon ride in the woods on my bike resets my energy.
5) There's no place like home.
6) Cheese is delicious.

It would be nice to have every decision and choice in life result in a sure thing.  But life is, excitingly, complicated and uncertain. As much as I crave routine and predictability, I fully recognize that by always playing it safe, life has the potential to become stale and boring. As I sat down to plan out my meals on Sunday morning for the upcoming week (hello, routine) I made a concerted effort to venture away from my old standbys and reach for cookbooks that haven't been cracked in a few years.  I know, I know, I live on the edge.
I settled on a new-to-me recipe for Southwestern Sheperd's Pie.  I thought it sounded perfect for the Tuesday night swap.  In retrospect, the name should have clued me in that this would be a bust. I don't know why I thought a gooey mess of veggies and chicken under a pile of chile mashed potatoes sounded awesome, but I was trying to shake things up and try something new.  Long story short, the dinner was not so hot and while this blog is a simple chronicle of the meals exchanged between Jenny and me, I do not want to endorse any less-than-delicious meals.

I would like to add the following to the sure thing list above:

7) Meat pies of any variety, but especially those of the shepherd and southwestern variety, are gross.

This swap bust won't deter me from taking chances in the kitchen in the future.  I want to buck routine and my need for playing it safe and try new recipes and find new passions. In the meantime, I will leave you with one of my hands-down favorite dinner sure things ever.  This dish is fresh, absolutely delicious and wildly simple to make. I will close with one more sure thing for the list...

8) Salmon Bulgogi with Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms is damn good.

"Honey, help me out and please cut the carbs"!

Cut the carbs?  Lord help me!  So, this may sound like an easy and simple request, but for this carb loving, and 4 months preggo, girl, this could be difficult!  My sweet sweet husband is trying to lose some of the lbs put on during my first extreme carb craving period of life, that would be prenancy numero uno and thus his time each night spent with P90x alone will not suffice.  I have to help him cut the carbs and in addition, quit adding to the issue at hand and tempting him with yummy desserts.  Unfortunately, eventhough I did chose a light and healthy main meal, I had a weak moment and used the leftover sour cream pound cake cupcakes I had made this past weekend to make a mixed berry trifle spiked with amaretto for dessert!  Does dessert really count as a carb?  nahhhh......its just the pefect ending to a almost carb free dinner!  Poor guy, doens't have a chance in this household!  Hey, I did share with  three of our neighbors so that we would only have one serving each in the house. 

Birthdays, Blogs and Bacon

What do birthdays, blogs and bacon have in common?   Not much beyond the fact that I love all three and that it is a lame attempt at having a catchy post header.  Let me see if I can string the three together.  Last week I was recovering from a wild weekend/start of the week celebrating this wild man's second birthday.

Yes, that is a Peter Pan collar.  Yes, he was wearing shorts.  It was an unusually warm day.  Neither of the aforementioned articles of clothing will be worn again during the month of February and, if Patrick has anything to do with it, the former will never be seen again.

We had a big time.  Family came to town.  We borrowed a bounce house.  Jude was given a play horse that takes up our entire family room.  Happy Birthday was sung over a police mega phone.  Muffins and smoothies and some cupcakes were consumed by Jude and friends.  Suffice it to say by the time Jude's actual birthday rolled around, I was wiped out.  I had worked it out with Jenny beforehand to switch our Tuesday night swap to Thursday.  I was feeling low on motivation about what to cook for my family and share with hers until I stumbled upon a blog boasting about a baked potato soup.  Please welcome the third part of this post's alliteration...bacon.  

Bacon, chives, sour cream and cheddar cheese debut as toppings for the soup.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

I have had this recipe for over 9 months now and just haven't felt quite inspired enough to make it.  However, after a few relaxing days in warm sunny Puerto Rico last week followed by a blustery cold snap back to reality, this manicotti dish felt oh so appropriate!  Not to mention, I am ready to jump back in the kitchen after having a full week off from cooking!  Sure was a pleasure/vacation in and of itself, not having to cook!  Don't get me wrong, I do love to cook, but anyone who does it for a family, knows that its not just a matter of throwing something edible into the microwave 15 minutes before the hungry mouths start crying!  "Cooking" actually is the final product of a sequence of many small events.   First comes the menu planning, then the grocery list, then the actual grocery shopping, followed by unloading the groceries and organizing the refrigerator (yes - this is an important step - you gotta see whatcha' got - and throw away what is sprouting legs and eyes and is about to talk back to you!)  Then as the week progresses, you are thawing, prepping, washing, chopping, marinating, and then of course, the actual cooking.  This is an art form I'll have you know!  One I love, but one I always will  welcome a small vacation from.  We never eat out and I mean NEVER, so this Puerto Rican vacation was all kinds of a vacation for me!

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

Moving a bit slowly over here. We awoke Monday of last week to a blanket of snow.  It was gorgeous.  A tree-branch-bending-with-the-weight-of-the-snow, hushed stillness kind of gorgeous.  We sat watching from the front window.  We gobbled up blueberry pancakes.  We eyed the snow some more.  We put on long johns and sweaters and snow pants and boots and jackets and mittens and hats and more socks and headed outside.  We threw snowballs and went for a walk and took a few trips down our neighbor's front lawn on a cardboard box.  It was a great snow day.

By the time Tuesday rolled around, the snow had turned to ice and cabin fever set in. Instead of dropping off dinner, we invited Jenny and her crew to join us.  Lizzie and Jude got to grab toys from each other play and the adults got some much needed human interaction.  In between cries of, "no, mine", we did manage to catch a shot of the little sous chefs amicably and enthusiastically supporting our mealtime efforts.

Appetizer for the night was the crowd pleasing clementine. 

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes and Cannelini Beans

So, truth be told, I'm still not feeling up to snuff these days and once 4 pm rolls around, firing up the stove and cooking dinner seems to turn my stomach just a bit.  But, this recipe is one of our old stanbys.  One of Brad's and my mom's too.  It is oh so easy and healthy!  You can add whatever you like to it, we just always have beans, tomatos and spinach on hand.  Actually, we have a healthy bounty of spinach in our garden this fall/winter - so spinach is always plentiful.  That is, if lizzie hasn't picked all the leaves and eaten them straight from the garden!