Mike's Amazing Humus!

I asked my friend Mike to send me more recipes, and he quickly obliged. I was looking for something quick and healthy tonight, so I made this one - oh so delicious!


I have to say, my friend Ann has been a humus fan for a while - she'd buy those tubs from the deli section of the grocery store, and she really enjoyed them as a dip for veggies, or a spread for her sandwich. I'd come over and try a bite, and bleck. It seemed too stiff, kind of chalky, and incredibly bland. Plus the prepared stuff seemed to be just as high in calories as dips I really liked, so I never really got into humus. I just figured I didn't like it.

Then, while I was out a party at the South City Grill with Mike, Jessie and a number of other fun folks, we ordered a few appetizers, some of which included humus. Others were calamari, and fried zucchini and eggplant served with tzatziki (love love love this stuff!!) Oh and this amazing feta - just sliced with oregano and olive oil on it - so good! And it was an awesome party! Anyway - the humus was lovely and I enjoyed it. I also found enjoyable humus at The Silver Leaf Tavern - served with freshly baked flatbread. For a $2 nibble at happy hour, it's tasty with pinot grigio if they have any to pour. Oh and another fabulous place is Barbounia - the freshly baked just out of the oven flat bread served with the humus and other mediterranian dips is superb!!

So now I know - humus is like a chocolate chip cookie - you can have chips ahoy, but why waste the calories - go for the home made version, and you will be so much happier!

Here are Mike's thoughts on humus, and the fabulous recipe!

Humus in 5 minutes



History:


If you ask 100 people where the origin of Humus came from you, you’ll get 100 different answers. The Israeli’s lay claim that they invented it while the Turks, Greek, Egyptians and every other country in the middle east will do the same. Who originally invented? Since no one truly knows, I’ll speak out and say I did. Why not? Everyone else is claiming ownership, I might as well throw my name into the hat. In the end, regardless of who invented it, it’s a quick an easy vegetarian appetizer that can be made in literally minutes and is very healthy for you.


The traditional way of making involved taking dry chick peas, soaking them overnight in warm water, and then boiling them down for 2 hours to thoroughly cook them. With modern technologies, food manufacturers do the work for you and the canned stuff is just as good.

Ingredients:


One 16 oz can of chick peas (also known as Garbonzo beans). *
2 cloves of large garlic chopped down to small pieces
2 table spoons of Tahini (Sesame paste)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (1 large lemon)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
3-4 tablespoons of milk

* Brand choice for chick peas is Progresso. I’ve tried dozens of other brands such Bush, Goya and other brands but the best flavor seems to come from Progresso.


Add all of your ingredients into a food processor and puree until creamy. This may take 2-3 minutes. If your mixture is lumpy, add more olive oil as needed. There is no such thing as too much olive oil.

For the Vegans of the world, take the milk out and substitute with more oil.

Serve with toasted pita bread chips or veggie sticks.

So, I served this lucious dip with roasted carrots and roasted red and yellow bell peppers as well as some little crostini toasts I had left over. Yummy!!!
 
Note: the recipe's typo has been updated. 1 16oz can is correct. Initially I mis-read the recipe - I thought it was 2 cans of 16 oz garbanzos, but no, 2 cans of 8 oz, so my 1 can of 16 oz was just fine :) I had specially purchased the tahini, and will keep my eyes open for more recipes to use this delicious seseme seed puree. And I had lemons, and milk, etc. on hand. I hadn't heard of adding milk until Mike had it in his recipe, and I like it - it's not so heavy this way - very nice. Then I realized I didn't have any garlic - I know, how could that be? But it was. So I subbed some dried. It worked out pretty good! I'm sure the fresh garlic would have been even better. I will note that I used a nice extra virgin finishing oil in this - you know - that special oil you keep for salads, etc. Oh yes - so delicious!
 
This keeps great in the fridge too - whip up a batch - and share it with friends. Oh and while you buy the tahini, get some nice flatbread or pita too. Fresh though - not that stuff you find at the deli section with Ann's humus (LOL). If there isn't any fresh, you could perhaps try some naan - the Indian flat bread. I've seen that in the grocery, and it looks softer than the packaged pita. Unless of course you go the toasted route Mike suggests, then by all means, the deli pita is fine :) My favorite accompaniment continues to be the roasted carrots :)

Rick's Favorite Fish

I've written about my desire to "get" Rick to like seafood because it is so good for you. I've been sticking mostly to delicate fishes with consistent textures, and according to Rick, this recipe is quite a success.

1 lb cod or other delicate white fish
2 - 3 T olive oil mayonaise
2-3 t dijon mustard
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Mix the mayo and mustard, and spread over the fish filets. Grate a nice layer of shredded parmesen over the mayo mixture - think of this as your flavored salt layer.

Bake the fish for 15 minutes at 350, or until opaque.

It's quite nice with roasted asparagus as well :)

Enjoy!

Suzee's Huevos Rancheros

I had some tasty leftovers in the fridge, and they inspired this weekend brunch dish.

Fresh Direct started carrying La Tortilla Factory brand tortillas - they are low carb, 50 calories a piece and really tasty. I just warmed them up on the serving plate for 30 seconds in the microwave. I topped each tortilla with about a 1/2 cup of heated refried beans (120 cal), 1/4 cup shredded cheese (100 cal), 2 eggs over easy (140 cal), 2T of my homemade salsa (maybe 10 calories?) and 2 sausage links (140 cal).

So this tasty dish, filled with protien, fiber and calcium was 560 calories. Not a diet dish but a satisfying dish filled with nutrients.

And once you break open those gorgeous over easy eggs, it's a work of art!

Suzee's Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie

Took today off, so this evening I didn't mind making a hearty dinner. I had chicken left over from the weekend, and I was ready for some kinda yummy warm something.

I started with 2 - 3 T of butter, and melted it over medium heat in a dutch oven. I sprinkled 2 T of flour over the butter and made a roux, stirring and letting the flour cook for a minute or 2.

Next I added 3 cups of broth (homemade even) and a cup of white wine (Cavit Pinot Grigio). I whisked it all together and brought it to a bubble. I added 1/2 t garlic powder, 1t onion powder, 1t tarragon, 1T dijon mustard, and 2 packets of splenda. I tasted and added a little salt and a little freshly ground pepper.

Next I added a 16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies, and a 16 oz bag of broccoli cuts. I stirred it up, and put a cover on it. While that was heating, I pulled out my chicken, and chopped about 4 cups of chicken.

Meanwhile, I stared water boiling, and cooked about 4 oz of elbow macaroni a minute or 2 shy of al dente.

I mixed the chicken and the pasta into the veggie mixture. I decided at the last minute to add some cheese, so I stirred in 2 cups of shredded cheddar.

I covered it, popped it into a 350 degree oven, and let it bake for about 30 minutes.

Even though I didn't take a photo, I had to capture what I did. Rick loved it! I bet adding more stock would make it into a great stew.

If you try it, let me know how it goes! You could cut the ingredients in half too, but we are looking forward to leftovers :)

Mussels in a White Wine Cream Sauce

My friend Amber was looking for a recipe for mussels that had a nice sauce with it. This is my basic mussel recipe, and many have asked for it.

A pinot grigio you would drink - say Cavit, inexpensive but still tasty 1/2 bottle

2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped

a softball sized onion chopped

3 or 4 fat cloves of garlic minced or grated on a microplane

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

5lbs mussels, cleaned, debearded and checked to be sure they are alive (toss any with open shells)

A splash of cream or 1/2 & 1/2

juice of 1 lemon



Saute the onion in the olive oil and butter until translucent

Add the garlic and sautee for a minute or 2 more

Add the wine, cover and bring to a simmer

Add lemon juice and tomatoes, bring back to a simmer

Add in the cleaned mussels, steam with the top on until they boil over 3x

Take the pot off the heat, stir in the cream, and serve with crusty bread to sop up the juices!!



Divine!

Creamy Champagne Chicken Soup

My friends Jennifer and MJ came to visit not too long ago, and I think that's why I've been reminiscing about them lately. We went to UNH together, played and danced and did all that college stuff. After college, I was a bridesmaid at their wedding, visited when babies were born, and shared lots of dinner parties at their house and mine.

MJ is one of the pickiest eaters I've ever met (well, perhaps Rick is that picky too). At any rate, during the dinner parties, we tried new dishes and socialized at home where we could be comfortable and spend a few less dollars. MJ was always a wonderful guest, and we always had fun, but it was tradition that he would stop on the way home from dinner at McDonalds - I think he used to get a quarter pounder with cheese because he was hungry. I served a lot of fish because I loved it, but he did not. Thanks MJ for coming despite the menus I subjected to you :) You are my favorite non-eating dinner guest :)

Now Jen would make delicious meals (which yes, MJ liked haha!) and this one dish she made was called Champagne Chicken. It has been too long to remember any specifics except that it had champagne and chicken in it, and was a great use for left over champagne. I remember I really liked it.

So, for some reason the other day I was thinking about all of this as I was making chicken noodle soup. Interestingly I had a heavy 1/2 bottle of left over champagne. Thanks Jen for inspiring this yummy dish!

Ingredients:
12 C Home made chicken stock
1 lb raw boneless chicken, in a small dice ( use cooked chicken and add at the end)
1+ lb carrots, peeled and diced (be sure it's pretty small to get a few things on your spoon and to ensure they cook)
1/2 lb egg noodles
1t dried thyme
1t dried tarragon
1t onion powder
1t garlic powder
1/2+ bottle left over champagne
water

sour cream for finishing

Method:
Heat the chicken stock with the carrots.
When it starts to simmer, add the chicken and the spices.
After 10 - 15 minutes, add the champagne and the noodles. Stir to ensure all the noodles get wet, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the chicken now if you used cooked chicken. Don't mix it for these 10 minutes so the noodles don't get gummy.
After 10 minutes, it may seem a little stiff. Add water, 1 cup at a time, until it's the soup consistency you like.
Heat through.

Serve in a bowl or a mug, and stir in a spoonful of sour cream

This is a really tasty option, and you feel good for using up that champagne!

Suzee's Beef Stroganoff Soup

As a part of the Tastemakers Program with Foodbuzz, I was able to replentish my supplies of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire Sauce. I got my coupons for freebies, and shared them with my family.

My cousins, Denise and Ginny, always have great beef recipes using this really uniquely flavored condiment, and I think their mom, my Aunt Beth, would use this a lot too. It's that little something that makes you go hmmm.... yum! What is that??

I also like to make soups of the flavor of things that may be too rich to eat as just a dish. Adding water gives me more bites of delicious flavor :) So this experiment came out pretty good :)

Ingredients:
1 32 oz carton of Rachael Ray Beef Stock
1/2 lb browned ground beef
1 1/2 minced onion
10 oz package of button mushrooms, minced and sauteed
8 hefty shakes of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C red wine
1/2 C brown rice (uncooked)
2 C water

sour cream to stir in at serving time.

Add all together and allow to cook for a few hours on low. It worked best for me to pop the pan in the oven on 300 and let it go :)

I read an interesting article from the magazine which is associated with America's Test Kitchen. They tested a number of beef broths, and the Rachael Ray Beef Stock In A Box won by a mile - she actually uses 2x the beef products to make the stock. I think it also really made a difference in this dish.

I like to leave the sour cream out until you serve it as then you can determine how much you want to add, and then of course it's easier to reheat as well :)

Enjoy!!

Suzee's New England Shepard's Pie

There is no lack of Irish Pubs serving Shepard's Pie in NYC, but none are the same dish Rick and I ate in the school cafeteria or that our mom's made when we were kids. Out and about this classic is made with carrots and peas (hello? where is the corn?), but perhaps that is because corn was a North American thing?

At any rate, if we want some of that original deliciousness, we gotta make it at home. And that's ok, because it is a homey meal :) This recipe serves 2, but you can easily make a larger portion and reheat for leftovers. Our problem would be we would eat it all if I made more than 2 servings!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb low fat hamburger
1 small or 1/2 large onion
1 can cream style corn
2 large or 3 small potatoes (I like yukon gold best for this)
1t olive oil
1T butter (salted please)
1/4 C milk or whatever you put in your coffee
1/2t garlic powder, divided

Method:
Peel the potatoes, and cut into similar sized pieces. Put them in a pot with water covering them, and boil while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Mince the onion small - you want a few onion pieces to be in every bite

Sautee the onion over low heat in the olive oil - allow it to go for a 1/2 hour or so, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and sweet

Move the onions into a bowl, and start browning the ground beef. Add almost all the garlic powder to the meat as it is browning. Once the meat is cooked through, add back the onions, mix and put the mixture in the bottom of the casserole (I use a 2 quart dish).

Check your potatoes - if they are cooked, turn off the stove, drain, and add the butter and milk to the pan along with the cooked potatoes. Put the top on the pan to keep warm.

Add the creamed corn over the beef mixture in the baking dish.

Mash the potatoes in the pan, and top the casserole with the potatoes.

I actually put the casserole in the fridge at this point, but you could pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Since I took it out of a cold fridge, I baked for 50 min, covered at 350. It was really tasty :)

If I were to make any changes, it would be to add more corn to the mix - it adds this sweetness to the savory beef - really good!

Suzee's Cheesy Chicken Casserole

I was looking for a chicken casserole to make today. Rick's always up for the chicken and rice, but I wanted something different. I was cruising around the web looking for something, and found nothing, so started cruising around my fridge.

I'd bought some of that Kraft melty cheese shreds, and they have a recipe for macaroni and cheese on the back. Hmmm....I could beef that up. Or chicken it up! (hehehe - couldn't help it!)

Here it is:

3 Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
3 cups melting cheese, 4 cheese blend
1 cup milk
1 sweet onion
1 10oz package frozen spinach
2 cups dried pasta - a small shape which will still catch the sauce like Lumachine or small shells.
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4c white wine
1T butter

Heat water to boiling for the pasta.

Heat the butter in a pan, and chop the onion in a med dice. Add the onion to the pan, and sautee.

Heat the spinach in the microwave until defrosted. Squeeze out the water.

Cut the chicken in to bite sized pieces and brown. Remove the chicken, and deglaze the pan with the wine. Reduce the liquid to half.

Add the onion, spinach, chicken, milk, wine mixture, and spices to a bowl.

Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook to package instructions. Drain and add to the bowl.

Add the cheese to the bowl, and mix all well until cheese melts.

Serve or move the mixture to a casserole. To reheat cover with foil and pop in the oven at 325 for 20 min or so.

I really liked this casserole (cheese? hello?) Hope you do too!

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

Finally - it's getting cooler out!!! I have a thin cotton cardigan on and it makes me very very happy :) I wanted to use some left over roasted chicken (Isn't simple roasted chicken just the best thing ever?), and I was considering a casserole. I'm just in the mood for something warm and comforting you know? Then I was thinking about the poblano peppers I got from Fresh Direct. But as I went through the pantry for something or other, I came across the pizza sauce! Oh yes! We love Rick's Pizza Chicken recipe, and haven't had those flavors in a while! Here they are in a really tasty and hearty soup :)

1 lb mixed dried beans - I used a 16 bean mix prepared in water according to package directions with 3 small bay leaves (remove after cooking)
1 quart of low sodium chicken stock
1 14oz can of pizza sauce
3 T McCormick's Spicy Pizza Spice
1 5 oz pkg hormel pepperoni bites (these little circles are so adorable!!)
2 C cooked chicken, shredded
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach
1 cup shredded cheese blend

After you prepare the beans, drain the old water, add all other ingredients and heat through.

Delish!

Am I Being Punked? Pumpkin Soup

I really liked this soup - I like the sweet/spicy flavor combination, and it's a great multi nighter with easy reheating. Rick on the other hand said to me "Am I being Punked?" :D I don't think he cared for the fruit in it :) Ah well - he ate it 2 nights in a row. I love that about him :)









1 lb roasted pork tenderloin, sliced thinly and cut in bite sized pieces
1 c short grain brown rice
2 c water
1 incredibly large apple or 2 normal sized apples, peeled and chopped (don't leave these too large -  you want them to cook and soften)
1 softball sized onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 can pumpkin puree
2 cans low sodium/low fat chicken broth
1/2t garlic powder
1 t cumin
1/2 smoked chipotle

Cook the rice with the water according to the package directions.

Sautee the onion in the oil on low - caramelize the onions low and slow. Stir occasionally, and don't let them burn.

Heat the pumpkin and broth, and whisk them together to make a smooth  soup. Add spices and apple, and simmer 15 minutes or so. When the rice and onions are done, add them to the pot. At the end, add the pork, and heat through.

Enjoy!

Suzee's Sausage Cassoulet

I was perusing food blogs today, loving all the "classics" on the project food blog, and I came upon a blog which posted about Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinners. That post inspired this post - I haven't read the book, but wanted to mention it because it was so highly recommended.

This delectible dish was conceived when it was reasonably cool out (this morning),  but whew, the oven just heated the apartment to almost unbearable. This would be fabulous in a crock pot too, though not an all day affair.

Here are the ingredients:
1 lb sausage (I used chicken sausage here, but I would definitely change to sweet italian sausage next time)

4 plum tomatoes chopped (or a pint of grape tomatoes - today I only had 2 plum tomatoes, so I added 8 oz of tomato sauce)

1 large onion cut in 1 - 1.5" chunks

4 large garlic cloves, sliced (not too thinly)

3 T olive oil

1.5 T balsamic vinegar - if you have the good stuff, don't hesitate to use it - it's only a small amount and it makes a huge difference!

2 t dried thyme

3 small bay leaves

s&p

1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed

1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach

1/2 C water

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat to 350. Mix all ingredients up to and including the salt and pepper in a dutch oven. Roast about an hour, until the tomatoes break down and make a nice sauce.

Remove from the oven, add the beans, spinach and water, and simmer on the stove top for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve in a bowl or on a plate - your choice, but add a light drizzle of fruity olive oil over the top - it makes the beans sing :) Enjoy with crusty bread and a nice Rioja :)

Mikey's Izmir Kofte

I met my friend Mike back at my first job in NYC. See him above? He's the one in the middle of Damian and Jocy. He's a project manager, and a fabulous story teller. Although I haven't had the pleasure of partaking in his cooking, I hear via the grapevine it's amazing :) When I was working on the Project Food Blog, and before I got axed, I asked Mike for some tips and perhaps a recipe for something Turkish, which is his background. He sent me this recipe, and it sounded so fabulous I needed to make it :)

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground lamb
1 cup large onion, minced as tiny as you can (I actually grated the onion - seemed easier)
1/4 bread crumbs (I use Panko) (me too!)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch italian parsely - minced (you need about a handful, not more)


Mix all of the ingredients lightly in a large bowl.

Make thin eggshaped meatballs (2 inches long, 1/2-3/4 inch wide) - Form a normal meatball, then Roll it in the palm of your hands to get the shape.


2 lbs of russet potatos (sliced into steak fry shapes - 1/2 inch think, 1 inch wide)
8-9 plum tomatoes (quarters, length wise)



Sauce

8 oz crushed tomato
medium sized shallot minced
4 large cloves of garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano (dried)
1/4 teaspoon basil (dried) - double it if you use fresh
2 tblspoons butter
2 - 3 T olive oil

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and 2-3 tblspoons olive oil on high heat

Add garlic and shallots, cook for 1 minute

add crush tomatoes and seasonings

Let cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.



In a medium to large size square pyrex dish (lasagna tray is a good substitute), place alternating meat, potato, tomato pieces the length of the tray (direction of line not important)

Once you fill the tray out, pour your sauce over it

Cover dish with tin foil

Cook in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (it's done when the potatoes are tender). (I cooked for 55 minutes, but my potatoes didn't soften - I'll cook the left overs for a while to get them soft)(plus my oven is a million years old)

Can be served with white rice or as is.

The flavor was amazing! Do try this dish - it has a pleasing flavor - I'm looking forward to the leftovers!

Suzee's Leftover Casserole

Last week I made a casserole based on a recipe I got from a magazine - Cooking Light I believe. The original recipe was in a huge 9x13 pan, and contained low fat everything. I'm pretty sure it was less than 150/calories per slice. Feel free to go that route if you so desire - sub egg whites for some whole eggs. I figure those yolks have lots of good folate, and I am old enough to have seen eggs go from nutritional "perfect" food (seriously yes, they called them that in the 70's) to cholesterol craziness where everyone avoided them, to now, where if you want some eggs, great they are cheap and a great source of protien.

This is kind of like a crustless quiche, and the addition of the cottage cheese makes the end result so creamy, that it doesn't feel like left overs to me. Try it out :) Re-heats well too.

6 jumbo eggs
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1.5 cups of shredded cheese (pick your flavor)
1/4 - 1/2 finely minced herbs (again pick your flavor - optional)
4 cups left over or pre-cooked veggies and meats

Mix the eggs in a big bowl.
Once they are scrambled well, add both cheeses and herbs and spices if using.
Fold in the left overs

Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish sprayed with Pam or the like.

Bake at 350 for an hour. If the egg is not set after an hour, add 10 more minutes.

Serves 6 at around 250 cal/slice

My flavors were sauteed vidalia onion, canadian bacon and american cheese blend. I didn't have quite 4 cups of the filling (more like 2.5) but it still worked fine.

My next one might be onion, spinach, zucchini, feta, mint...

Or perhaps onion, garlic, mushroom, crab and dill havarti.....

I know Rick will be looking for the sausage, pepperoni, meatball, mozzerella topped with pizza sauce before long....that will be more than 250 calories each though :)

Suzee's 30 Minute Meals

I love watching Rachel Ray – I think she makes cooking very accessible for many folks who may not try some of the cuisines, spices or combination. Lots of people say that watching Food TV is Food Porn. I disagree. Life is to short to have meatloaf every Monday night of your life, and Spaghetti and Meatballs every Wednesday.

But her meals always take me longer than 30 minutes. Mostly because I count the very important part that she doesn’t. The Clean Up. I hate cleaning, but I hate a dirty kitchen even more. Cooking on a weeknight should be no more than 30 minutes of active time in the kitchen, and that to me includes what happens after you eat.
There are key pieces of equipment required for Suzee’s 30 minute meals.

The first is a heavy professional sheet pan. I almost always use the sheet pan for my 30 minute meals.

And I line my pan with tin foil. (note to self – I have now removed the need to wash my pan – that’s worth 5 minutes right there).

I also judiciously use my dishwasher. I will put everything that I think will possibly come clean in it. The good news is my dishwasher is freaking amazing. When I do the remodel the kitchen, I sure hope I’m able to afford a dishwasher that actually heats the water and steams the dishes prior to washing them. I hope they still make such a luxury.

I have kitchen shears which come apart and go in the dishwasher. I use these to cut open the vacuum locked meats I usually get from Fresh Direct, and to open veggie packages. I wash them after every use. I got them from my Cutco Sales Kit I bought at least 25 years ago when I was a kid trying to make a buck. Really good shears if you have a kid in your neighborhood trying to make a buck.

I have a pair of OXO tongs and an OXO spatula– both get tossed in the dishwasher and come out gorgeous after I’ve used them to remove roasted meats and veggies from the pan.

I have a porcelain oven to table dish – simple white, and whether I serve in it or bake/broil in it, the dishwasher always makes it clean. It may not be shatterproof like corning wear, but I’d rather have the easy clean anyday.

So those are my tools.

My 30 minute meals are simple, generally involving a 350 degree oven, some protein and some fresh vegetable.

Proteins include boneless, skinless chicken breast (25 min), pork tenderloin (20 min at 400) or white fish (10 min at 400). The point here is simple protein, off the bone for quick cooking. I add one of the myriad of spices out there to make it taste a little different from the last time. McCormick’s Montreal Roasted Garlic Chicken Spice is a favorite on Pork, Tarragon and garlic powder is tasty on chicken, and to fish I’ll add a bit of Jamaican Jerk seasoning. Or I’ll add a relish or sauce, such as salsa, cilantro cream sauce or jarred marinara sauce (heated gently in an easily rinsed out and dishwashed pan) at the end just before serving.

On my tinfoil lined sheet pan, I’ll add a veggie – lately it’s be asparagus, or brussel sprouts, or broccoli, or cabbage ribbons, or onion, or fennel, or zucchini – or some combination there of. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil on and roll it about a bit, and add either a dusting of parmesan cheese or sea salt. The veggies are done in 20 min in 400 degree oven or 30 in a 350 oven. Notice all these choices stay pretty well in the fridge for a few days. If I add a sweet potato or butternut squash, I pre-bake in the microwave so it’s at least ½ - ¾ of the way done (5 min on high or so), and bake them with the other parts of the dinner on the sheet pan.

So – most times I’m able to plop it all on the pan, and go enjoy a cocktail with my feet up for the next 30 minutes or so. Prep is less than 10 minutes. When it comes out, I let the meat rest while I set the table ( 5 min), and then I slice and serve on the individual plates for the meat, and add a home style bowl if there are more veggies than our luncheon plates can really hold.

After we eat, it’s maybe 5 minutes to rinse plates and fill the dishwasher, and put away anything ( like that sheet pan) that needs put away. This includes prepping the coffeemaker for tomorrow.

Should I rename this entry to Suzee’s 20 minute meals? Nah – I like it when you think you got a time bargain :)

Suzee's Tuna Tartine

Tonight was a laid back supper night. Rick's been low-carbing it, so on Sunday I prepped some go-to snacks for us. And, believe it or not, he asked me to make some tuna salad with onion!

Tonight it's cold and wet out, so we probably would have ordered soup or something warm, but we weren't that hungry. I put together these tartines, and Rick decided he wanted some too. He liked the Wasa Crisp Bread cracker base, and the savory flavor of the fresh avacado, and the tomato and cucumber lighted it up.

Here is how I made them
3 Wasa Light Crisp Bread, Multigrain
3 heaping tablespoons of tuna salad
1/2 an avacado sliced
1/2C or so chopped tomato and cucumber

Layer the ingredients as listed, and enjoy.

Suzee's Steak and Cheese Omelet

This morning Rick and I did laundry and had coffee, but didn't really eat anything. When noon came along, I figured it was time to do something about that! We had some left over steak from a previous dinner, and I always try to keep eggs and american cheese in the house. Rick's doing the atkins again and you can always make something low carb with eggs and cheese.

I used my new circulon fry pan that replaced my last teflon pan. I really try to replace non-stick pans annually - having bits of teflon in your food is probably not too good for your health. Perhaps this one will last longer. So, this 10" circulon pan really runs hot, so I cook my omelets on the lowest flame I can fathom on my gas stove.

Ingredients:

2 jumbo eggs

2 oz cooked steak, warmed in a skillet and cut into a pretty small dice

1 slice of american cheese

1t butter

1T sugar free ketchup

Whisk the eggs in a bowl until the whites are yellows are all the same. Melt the butter in the pan, and add the eggs. When the eggs are setting a bit on the bottom, but the top is still liquid, use your fork to scootch back the edge of the eggs, and tip the pan to allow the raw egg contact with the pan (please note - scootch is a very technical term!). Do this all the way around the pan until the egg is mostly set. Add your steak pieces and scatter them fairly evenly. Break the cheese slice in half and place it over the steak. By the time your egg is cooked, the cheese should be starting to melt. Fold the omelet, and serve on a dinner plate with ketchup.

Bon Appetit!

Suzee's NYC Style Steak

Rick and I love a good steak with some veggies and a nice California Cabernet, preferably one aged in our wine cellar so it's at least 6 years old, but not more than 8.

Moving to Manhattan, we gave up the grill (I miss you my lovely Webber!) and we gave up the wine cellar. So it took me a while to find a way to cook beef that would satisfy us in a similar way, since nothing is like grilling, but grilling.

First, I like to buy thick cuts of meat. The thicker, the better in my book, because in order to get a nice caramelization on the outside, and still have your meat medium rare, you need that thickness. If your steak has a bit of bone still in it (like this bone in shell steak pictured here), all the better. The bone adds flavor, and you can pop the bone in the freezer for stock later.

Second, I gave up liquid marinades. I pull the meat from the fridge around 2 hours prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. When I take it from the fridge, I dry it with paper towels, and season it liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then I let it sit until it is time to cook.

Third, I always use my magic All Clad 12" pan. I set it on the stove, with nothing in it. Then I turn the burner to high to heat the pan, and using a timer, I leave it there for 15 minutes.

Yes. 15 minutes. Very important!

I also turn on the oven to 350.

Next I place the beef in the pan, and do not touch it again for 5 minutes (timer again). Yes, keep that heat as high as it will go. Then I turn it, and leave it there for another 4 or 5 minutes. Once the second side is caramelized, I pop the magic pan into the heated oven for 10 minutes or so. When the beef comes out, I allow it to stand for 5 or 10 minutes, and then slice it to serve. If we are cooking smaller sized steaks, like a filet mignon, I just serve as is.

Enjoy!

Suzee's Baked Stuffed Scallops with Fennel

I ordered fresh sea scallops from Fresh Direct because they were on sale, and because Rick once said at a restaurant that he didn't think they were too bad. The arrived today, fresh as a daisy, and I decided to continue my fennel / seafood theme :)

I arranged the scallops so they were touching in the baking dish - I ordered a pound, but Rick wasn't "that hungry" today. I swear I should just order enough for me and just give him a couple :) Actually - he was so cute and proud that he ate 4. They are pretty big, and I don't mind having another 6 for lunch tomorrow :)

I chopped a fennel bulb in a 1/2" dice and sauteed it in a little butter. I crushed about 8 saltines in a bag to make crumbs, and tossed them in the pan with a knob of butter. I mixed it all together and piled it on top of the scallops. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked them for 15 minutes in a hot oven.

They were sweet and delicious - quite nice with the fennel crumb and the Babich Marlborough Savignon Blanc. The wine was a little sweet for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fruity nose. And it did marry well with the scallops.

I figure if Rick will eat it, so will your non-seafood eating loved ones :) Enjoy!

Suzee's Tarragon Chicken Tartine

After my trip to Le Pain Quotidien on Friday, I was inspired to make my own tartines for lunch today. I wanted something fresh, light and delicious as we lounged around the apartment.

I pulled a small loaf of par baked Italian demi baguette from the freezer and popped it in my preheated oven as directed. I get these yummy loaves from Fresh Direct - they do a great job on par baked bakery items. I diced up some left over chicken, about 2 cups, and mixed it with a couple  heaping teaspoon scoops of sour cream and a couple heaping teaspoon scoops of olive oil mayo, along with a few healthy shakes of dried tarragon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. I mixed up the chicken salad and popped it in the fridge while the baguette baked.

Once the bread was done, I sliced it up on the bias, and spread a generous dollop of chicken salad over each slice. I topped each with a thin slice of tomato, and a little more salt and pepper. I served these tasty little treats with a glass of Montinore Estate Pinot Gris from the Willanette Valley in Oregon, and it was a perfect pairing.

Rick agreed we should have these again soon :) I'll have to figure a way we can bring them on a picnic lunch before it gets too hot to have a picnic :) I think if I bring everything prepped and in separate containers, and assemble on site, it would be very tasty indeed!