February 27, 2010
Baked Eggs in Tomato-Parmesan Sauce
March appears to be working its way into 2010 like a blustery, snow blowing, hail throwing, sleet casting helluva lion. But that’s okay. Really. Because even if next month brings more snow, sleet, ice and cold, we’ve made it to March. And after March comes April and, well, need I say more? It’s all down hill from there. In the Midwest/Great Lakes region we can get ready for asparagus and spinach, then cherries and berries. Before you know it, we’ll be stuffing our faces with sweet corn, vine-ripe tomatoes and all the zucchini we can handle.
So while we hunker down to wait out the last(!) weeks of this winter weather, we’ll keep warm with another batch of this soup and this bake and these eggs. These eggs which are perfect for any time of day, are easily prepped ahead of time and cost mere pennies (ok, I can’t validate this, but it’s an inexpensive dish). These eggs which bake until just set in a simple tomato sauce spiked with garlic and rosemary and Parmesan. These eggs which pair perfectly with some hearty whole grain toast or crusty garlic bread for dipping and mopping. These eggs which, when enjoyed while cozied in your favorite corner of the couch, make watching the last of the snow drifts and swirls a bit more bearable. Bring it, March.
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February 24, 2010
Caesar Dressing (raw egg free)
I suppose it’s possible to wax poetic about this Caesar dressing. Describe in great detail the intricacies of its flavor profile. Blather on about how it elevates a simple salad of romaine and tomato to new and glorious heights. And celebrate the delightful fact that it is indeed raw egg free and you won’t miss it for one second. But I’ll spare you. Because, after all, it’s only salad dressing (albeit a good one worth trying). And, truth be told dear friends, I’m experiencing a mild case of writer’s block these past few days. While my house is tidy thanks to a weekend of dusting, washing and organizing, my mind is a cluttered mess of cobwebs. One too many hits of Clorox fumes, obviously.
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February 22, 2010
Chocolate Banana Bread
Saturday was one productive day. I awoke with an abounding desire to brighten up this home. It’s been too dark, cluttered and wintery these past few weeks and we’ve been craving some positive energy. The spring cleaning momentum was in full swing and I had every intention of taking advantage. I swept, dusted and fluffed. He scrubbed, wiped down and polished. I washed, folded and put away. We rearranged, reorganized and repurposed. The sun was shining and as long as I looked out and up (at the clear blue sunny sky) instead of out and down (at the snow piles), I could practically taste April. The kitchen underwent a nice spring cleaning, as well. The cabinets were wiped out, the pantry tidied, the fridge cleared of old forgotten food. And how could I neglect the black hole that is our freezer. Some real gems emerged this month, including soup (I think) with an illegible name and date along with an old, old, old nut roll from last Christmas (as in 2008). On the flip side, a few brown bananas showed their speckled faces. I decided the only thing better than a house filled with the aromas of Lysol and fabric softener is a house filled with the aroma of freshly baked banana bread. Especially one that included cocoa and chocolate chips.
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February 18, 2010
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
If I had to pick a favorite cooking method it would have to be roasting. Ok, maybe grilling. But around here, the charcoal grilling option is limited to about 6 months of the year, so roasting is our fail safe year-round dry heat method for yielding big flavor. A gas grill would likely expand the grilling option to about 9 months (even though nothing beats the flavor of a charcoal flame). But that is on my long list of “wants” which also includes a cook’s kitchen with a stone topped island and double ovens, and a pony (code for it ain’t happening anytime soon). So until then, we’ll roast our way through the winter months. Fine by me, especially when it comes to this roasted shrimp cocktail recipe we discovered about a year ago. It’s really more a method than a recipe. But after you realize how insanely simple and delicious this is, you’ll say buh-bye to pre-cooked rubbery shrimp and the poaching method. Forever.
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February 16, 2010
Cracked Wheat Bread
Here are some very true things you should know about me. I’m not one to boast. I’m modest. I’m uncomfortable talking about accomplishments.
Ok, with that off my chest I’m going to brag. Real quick. Just for a moment so I can get it overwith. I baked bread! And it looked, smelled and tasted like bread! And it was actually good! Whew. Though I should have prefaced this moment of puffy chested crowing by declaring that I am a self-diagnosed yeast-phobe. Aside from making an easy peasy foccacia (rarely), pizza dough (even more rare) and bagels (once in my lifetime and I am still scarred), I flee from yeast bread recipes quicker than you can say pumpernickel. Well, fled. I decided it was time to face my fear and conquer this whole bread issue. Or at least cozy up to it a bit. And so I scheduled it in my calendar (not kidding) to reinforce this commitment and on February 13, 2010 I managed to bake something edible. Hot dang.
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