Fallen Souffle

Yes, I know it is shocking, but I have never been able to make pie crust from scratch. It has always intimidated me, I think because I have always worked with bread dough which isn’t as delicate and fragile as a tender pie dough, I never knew how to handle it. However after a trip to the farmer’s market and a 3 quart bucket of very ripe strawberries and a pound of butter in the fridge I figured I might as well try now.

This also gives me a chance to try a recipe from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book which I was sent a while ago and have been flipping through for some time now trying to figure out what to make first. Melissa’s recipe is rather basic, not unlike other pie recipes I have read but I figured this chick has a successful bakery so she should know how it’s done.

The pie was ok, not terrible not fantastic, and certainly not due to the recipe used. I used a regular pie filling of berries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. The crust should have been rolled a bit thinner, especially for the top crust. Also, I learned not to leave the butter chunks in the freezer and then proceed to talk to your Mom on the phone on Mother’s Day…yea…the butter was rock solid and took forever to incorporate. So next time I will chill it for much shorter and the butter bits should be smaller.

Overall, I think I have moved past my fear of pie crust. I may make more this weekend and instead make little hand pies instead of one big one.

I would highly recommend the Sweet Melissa Baking Book as she has a wide variety of baking essentials, many with a special twist

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* I have determined I have like zero pictures of my Mom, so this picture will have to do…I gotta get more pics of her*

Mother’s Day is a mere 2 days away so if you haven’t sent your card yet, well…send an email, your card maybe not get there in time.

My Mom is the best. No really. She wins the prize. Not only is she loving, kind and caring but she has acquired a very good sense of style (no more “Mom jeans” for her!) and she is FUNNY! I really think she has gotten funnier as my sister and I have gotten older. I think my witty sister is rubbing off on her

In honor of Mother’s Day I thought this site was appropriate. My Mom sends great emails and many from this site could have been sent from her.

Site is here and I found it from this article.

I love you Mom! I am sad I won’t be there on Sunday but know that I love you lots and am thinking of you. Hopefully Steph will make you a non-vegetarian breakfast

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I do love holidays like this because it gives me an excuse for a themed dinner! I love Mexican food too, anything with cheese and tequila is going to be good! I plan to make some homemade salsa, fajitas and margaritas for dinner. YUM! I am still searching for a mango margarita as we speak but here are some of my favorites, you must try the salsa, you will NEVER go back to the bottled stuff!

You’ll Never Go Back Salsa

1 can Rotel, drained
1 onion (I used half of a large sweet white onion)
1 large tomato, seeds and juice squeezed out (or a can of diced tomatoes, drained)
1 bunch of cilantro (just add to taste really)
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves chopped
juice of half a lime

1. In the food processor add garlic, onion, cilantro and fresh tomato. Pulse until there are no longer large chunks of tomato. Add Rotel, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Pulse until desired consistency.

2. Chill for about 30 minutes and then enjoy.

**Jen’s note: I found the salsa to be a bit on the watery side (probably due to the fresh tomato), so I chose to drain a bit of the juice off after I made it.

Fajitas Marinade
Enough for 2 pounds of meat

1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper.

2. Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cook as desired.

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Thursday was a great day. Not only did I receive my new grown up sofa and loveseat (photos to come) but I also received my brand new washer and dryer! Ahh the sweet sound of a quiet spin cycle. I have never been so excited to do laundry. Maytag is my friend and Best Buy rocks for quick delivery and installation.

So to celebrate, I wanted to make something yummy with the chicken in the fridge. I was looking through the recipes from “Guy’s Big Bite” because I wanted to book mark his pot sticker recipe (I am obsessed with pot stickers!) and I found this recipe for Cajun Chicken Alfredo. I ran by the store to pick up blackened seasoning and some fat free half and half and I was set.

This is so easy to prepare. The chicken was grilled instead of cooked in a pan because I didn’t wanna smoke up the house and set off the smoke alarm, that thing is so damn sensitive! And with is being absolutely beautiful outside, the grill seemed perfect. I also used spaghetti instead of fettuccine because I have a 5 lbs bag I am trying to use up. As I said I used fat free half and half and this worked well for the most part except it started to separate a bit, though I added a bit more at the end and that helped to bind it a bit as well as the cheese. It didn’t effect the taste but I would imagine the heavy cream would create a creamier sauce. I will have to adjust that next time.

The blackened seasoning makes this dish and adds a nice bit of tingle on your lips. I added a side of steamed broccoli and next time I may cook it all together. With a little bit of tweaking I will perfect this recipe to being a bit more low fat but still “saucy” enough. I may also throw in some spicy italian sausage next time…mmmm.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo
4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup blackening spice (recommended: Paul Prudhomme’s Chicken)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine (I used chicken broth, because I drank all the wine :))
3 cups heavy cream (used fat free half and half here)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked fettuccine
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

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Since I have begun eating better I have been trying my darndest to eat more protein. Not some much steaks and such, more lean proteins which means lots of egg whites, protein shakes and….cottage cheese. I have NEVER been able to stomach cottage cheese. It’s the smell, texture and taste of it that just turned my stomach. But I have learned to deal with it and found that brand does make a huge difference- Breakstone is my “favorite” right now. I have added sweet stuff, savory stuff and have pretty much decided to just add salt and pepper and gulp it down.

I was in a huge hurry this morning to get out the door and I remembered I had a sample of the new Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal, so I grabbed that. I figured I could snack on that with an apple. Once I got to the office, I found a container of cottage cheese that I didn’t eat yesterday so I decided to go daring and add the cereal to the cottage cheese. To my surprise…it rocked! Seriously,the cereal took away the soupiness of the cheese and added an awesome crunch and sweetness. This cereal is really good, albeit a bit too sweet for me to eat everyday. It also has some not so natural stuff in it, so I would try and limit to a once a week treat. But at 9 grams of fiber per cup, you can’t beat that and with the added protein of the cottage cheese, I have been full all morning.

Wow, that so sounded like a commercial, but I promise I am not being paid for my humble opinion. But I would suggest trying a sample of this. I believe you can still get it by signing up here. And if you dare…mix it with some cottage cheese

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So I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 15 pounds since January! Ahh little victories. I needed this pick me up as I have not worked out in almost a week due to this stupid back pain. Though I am feeling much better today and may try to jog a bit tonight. I’m still planning to participate in the 10k this weekend even if I have to walk it!

I am finding that by cleaning up my diet I am craving less “bad” foods. I am also finding new ways to satisfy my cravings and my sweet tooth and these granola bars are definitely one of my new tricks!

I was craving granola bars earlier this week and since I am on a mission to use up food in my pantry I figured this was a great way to use some dried fruit, almond remnants and rolled oats. These babies are so yummy! They are sorta chewy which is a nice change from other granola/energy bars I have made, and come on…they look store bought! They are a tad on the sweet side as it does call for a cup of brown sugar (yikes!) but I am going to try and play around with that to reduce the sweetness. You could certainly add whatever nuts and dried fruits you wanted, even some mini chocolate chips!

Some tips I learned:
1. Line your pan with foil or parchment, because of the sugar they were not easy to get out of the pan! I actually had a bit of a meltdown at 11:15pm because they wouldn’t come out…..ok, I was kinda cranky to begin with

2. I baked these originally in a 9×9 inch pan but I think next time I will use loaf pans, place half of the mixture into one loaf pan. That way they aren’t too thick but you have the nice “store bought” shape.

3. After cooling, refrigerate the bars to firm up, otherwise they will be a pain to get out of the pan and cut. The bars stay nice and firm after they come to room temperature so you don’t have to worry about them getting too soft.

4. I would suggest individually wrapping them after cutting to make them easy and portable.

Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup toasted oats
2/3 cup raisins (I used golden raisins- yum!)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread oats on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Line an 9×9 inch pan with foil. Lightly oil or coat with nonstick spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk egg, egg white, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in toasted oats, raisins, almonds and flour.

4. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars with a lightly oiled knife.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(based on 16 individual servings)
Calories: 130
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 14 mg
Sodium: 50 mg
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Protein: 2 g

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So I have been busy picking out new furniture for the house; couch, loveseat, lamps, desk and coffee tables. You think this would be fun but it has been stressful, I had not expected these expenses so I am stressed out about the money and it’s really hard to find decent, non-frumpy furniture! Though I have checked things off my list slowly and am now down to finding a coffee table and maybe an end table. The house should be completely furnished by the end of the month! I also had to buy a washer and dryer, which was purchased form Craigslist and after pushing and pulling the thing upstairs, resulting in a painful back strain, the damn washer doesn’t even work! Story of my life! So I am working on getting it fixed/replaced/refunded. So I have a non-functioning washer, a strained back and a 10K race this Saturday. Yeah not a good combo, not sure how that is going to play out. The good news is that the Cary Wine festival is Saturday afternoon- so I can just drown out the pain with wine

Anyways, on to a positive note…I have found my new favorite fish dish. Thai Style Halibut with Coconut Curry broth. YUM! It’s an Ellie Kreiger recipe and it is soooo yummy! I actually had a can of light coconut milk on hand and just needed to purchase some red curry paste, a lime, and some scallions. I forgot about the cilantro, but didn’t feel like the dish really lacked any flavor because of it. I also doubles the sauce, because I like things saucey and I let it reduce a bit longer so it would be thicker.

This also took no time to cook, which was even better! I think 20 minutes total, therefore I made some quick cooking wild rice (I would have preferred some coconut rice) so that I wasn’t waiting for rice to cook. I also sauteed spinach as Ellie does so this was quite a well rounded meal.

I think I will use this broth/sauce in some chicken and shrimp dishes as well, maybe throw in some chopped peanuts for a pad thai type dish. So many possibilities!

Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 shallots, finely chopped, about 3/4 cup (I didn’t have shallots or onions so I used the whites of the scallions and a couple cloves of garlic)
2 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste*, or 2 teaspoons curry powder (use the red curry paste! It is the best!)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning
4 (6-ounce) pieces halibut fillet, skin removed
Steamed spinach**
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

*Available in the Asian section of most supermarkets
**Steam or microwave 5 cups of washed baby spinach for 2 minutes

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes.

Season the halibut with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish in the pan and gently shake the pan so the fish is coated with the sauce. Cover and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 7 minutes.

Arrange a pile of steamed spinach in the bottom of 4 soup plates. Top with the fish fillets. Stir the cilantro, scallions, and lime juice into the sauce and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the fish and serve with rice.

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It’s crazy that I have had this recipe saved on my Bloglines for almost 3 years! I need to challenge myself to actually make these recipes I have been savings. I got this recipe off of Joe’s Blog. I love how he can post a recipes everyday! Wow, I wish I had that dedication. Maybe that’s another challenge…

So anyways, I was tired of making banana bread but was faced with a plethora of near rotten bananas and a need to bake something fabulous so I thought I would whip this up. It comes together very easily, I made this Thursday night after a workout and while cooking dinner. I brought it into work and it received rave reviews! I made this in a 9×13 inch pan instead of a 15×10 pan so it took about 30-35 minutes to bake. Next time I may make it in 2 round 8 inch pans and double the icing. I may also add a bit of cinnamon in the cake next time.

Overall, a fantastic cake that is moist and tender and perfect for an impromptu office treat or a special birthday.

Picture will hopefully be up tonight…

Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas for me)
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
(I also needed a splash of milk to smooth it out a bit)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

To make the cake

Preheat oven to 375

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Add sour cream, mashed banana and vanilla - mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Scoop the mixture into a 10″ x 15″ baking pan coated with nonstick spray - spread the top smooth with an off-set spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick placed in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 18 to 25 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium - continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter releases a nutty aroma and just starts to turn golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together browned butter, confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and salt until well combined and smooth. Spread frosting over the bars and sprinkle with pecans.

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So I have been debating whether or not to even write this post but feel like I might as well put it out there as this is the real me and I am no longer ashamed. So much has been going on the last 7 months or so and it’s time to come clean with it. I am currently separated from my husband. I am about 5 months away from being divorced. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be someone to get a divorce. I come from a long line of happily married family members including my parents who are about to celebrate 30 years! However, sometimes life throws you a curveball and forces you to deal with it. So at the end of October I bought my townhouse-which I love- and moved to Raleigh with a room mate. The room mate has thrown me another curveball and is unexpectedly moving out this month. So now I feel like I am starting over again as I have to buy new furniture and deal with my finances in a totally different way. In the meantime, I put on some weight, nothing major but enough to not feel like “myself” hence the reason for the Abs Diet. While that was a great starting point, I have concentrated alot on “cleaning up” my diet, lifting weights, running more, and mountain biking. I just did a 5k this weekend and have decided to run a 10k in two weeks. Maybe I will get the guts to run a marathon by the end of the year. I’m pretty excited to be getting my life back on track, in more ways that one. I have started to see someone, which is always scary when coming off a break up, especially a marriage, but I have trust and faith in myself and am tired of having my life on hold for other people. I have the awesome support of my family and friends which have helped me tremendously through the past 7-8 months.

So that’s why there was a 2 month hiatus, that’s why I am cooking different foods, working out more, and chopping off 8 inches of hair :). I am concentrating on myself and it’s sad that it took an event like this to really focus on my well being. I am doing things now that I love to do; trying new restaurants, going to art galleries, taking long walks with Bella, and planning some really fun trips (Alaska in 3 months!) so life is definitely not boring!

Whew- feels good to get that off my chest…now back to our regularly schedules recipes…..

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I am back on a health kick, not that I was really ever off…well I kinda took February off…but now with the weather getting warm I know bathing suit season is looming and I wanna look hot! I have been working out about 6 days a week and even on the 7th day I usually take Bella for a 2 mile walk so I’m not too sedentary Easting during the day is easy, I have it all planned out and have plenty of healthy snacks at work (I have kinda taken over the fridge in the breakroom with yogurt, carrots and cheese!) but dinner is kinda a crap-shoot. I usually plan out the menu but this week has been weird with meetings and a mid week concert (Rusted Root-fun!) and working out after work (I just can’t get my butt up at 5:30am this week.) But last night I was resolved to make something healthy and you cant’ get much healthier then salmons, eggs, greens and tomatoes!

This salad doesn’t take too much time to prepare but I did use about 3 pans to cook everything- I felt kind like Rachael Ray with 3 pots on the stove and a pan in the oven. However, if you weren’t tight on time or were prepping this ahead of time, this salad is a snap to put together and would require fewer pots. The marinade for the salmon is yummy and I will definitely use it again on other fish. I also really liked the vinaigrette and was excited to finally put my bottle of champagne vinegar to use! Though if you don’t have this Ina staple, I think white wine vinegar would work just fine.

Ina used about 6 pounds of salmon as she was apparently feeding an army or maybe just some very hungry women, therefore I cut the recipe in about a third, though I didn’t measure too much. I also used bagged salad instead of the arugula and forgot about the olives- gasp…the horror! And I nixed the anchovies as well, though I would not be opposed to trying those in the future…mmm hairy fish. I kept the recipe as is though so you can scale it down however you like. I was happy to be able to make a mini salad for lunch today…mmm it’s good to eat “feel good” food.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
From Ina

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 pounds skin-on fresh salmon fillets
3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, stems removed
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (6 small tomatoes)
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2
1 bunch watercress or arugula
1/2 pound large green olives, pitted
1 can anchovies, optional

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in aluminum foil, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon. Allow the salmon to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in thick slices and set aside.

Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and break into large pieces.

Blanch the haricots verts in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Drain again and set aside.

For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Set aside.

Arrange the salmon, potatoes, haricots verts, tomatoes, eggs, watercress, olives and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter. Drizzle some vinaigrette over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.

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