Vinegar Slaw With Cucumbers And Dill

You know that chicken dinner post from yesterday? Well this is the slaw recipe we used. It was ah-mazing. I am not a fan of Cole slaw.  Mayonnaise kills me. Seriousness. Right here. I avoid anything and everything that might possibly have mayonnaise in it.  Nobody wants me dying.

But this recipe. No mayonnaise. Not even replacement yogurt in the mix.  Just vinegar. Simple. Lovely.  

So if you have a head of cabbage just sitting on your kitchen counter. Use it.  And if not, this is worth going out and getting one. 

Vinegar Slaw With Cucumbers And Dill

by Emily Morris, From the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours refrigeration time

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced or shredded
• 1 large seedless or English cucumber, sliced in round discs as thinly as possible
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• ½ cup cold water

Instructions

Toss the cabbage, cucumber, and dill together in a large bowl. Don’t be freaked out by how big the salad looks; it settles as it marinates.

Whisk the vinegar, salt, and sugar together in a small bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in the water. Pour the liquid over the salad, and let it marinate, tossing the cabbage occasionally.

After 1 hour, it should be a bit wilted and crunchy; at 2 hours, the flavor is even better.

The salad keeps, covered, in the fridge for a week.

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Friday, Friday: Escarole and Bean Soup

I am so happy it is Friday.  If there are any more days this week I am not sure I would make it.  Yesterday morning was quite a doozy. My morning routine is fairly similar.  I get some coffee, watch the news, and check emails and blogs before hopping into the shower.  My make-up routine is also very simple, some days I skip the process altogether.  The days I do go out prettying myself up a bit it is just some foundation, powder, mascara.  I cannot do eyeliner.  My own redness of my cheeks most days make up for the lack of blush. it is a 2 minute process at most.

Well yesterday I started this simple process only to somehow squeeze my powder container so tight it jumped up between my fingers, flew 2 feet above my head, did a nice triple spin until it hit the floor.  The container was partially open and of course spewed beige colored powder all over me, my white blouse, and the bathroom.  No worries though, a bit of a shake and a rub and no one could tell.

I should have taken this as a sign to just move on and call it a day with the make up but no.  I went on to the mascara.  Of course, my hands must have had some grease on them because not two seconds after starting in on the first eye the wand slipped right out of my hand and down my front.  No shaking or rubbing would have eliminated the black streaks.  Off I went to change my clothes.  

The whole day continued in the same haphazard way so I don't think I am out of line to hope and pray that today is more smooth and I can reach the weekend.

So I don't have a list today. I have a recipe for soup.  Soothing soup that is sure to put a smile on your face after a long, messy day.  

Escarole and Bean Soup

by Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: saute soup/stew

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound escarole, chopped
• Salt
• 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each. Serve with crusty bread.

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Happy Friday!

Because the rain is BACK, spring pasta!

It was a little too good to be true, three days in a row of nothing but sunshine.  Perfect weather for the holiday weekend, except it was a bit too hot.  I was happy to wake to some rain this morning.  No worries though the sun is back in the forecast for this afternoon. 

This weekend was great.  Most people relax by not doing much.  I only get anxious when I sit and do nothing.  I accomplished so much this weekend mixed in with a little fun.  To me, this is the perfect scenario.  Top on my list was vacuuming my car.  It looks so nice!  It was not the most fun activity of the weekend but it is by far the one to make me the happiest.  I also did some cleaning around the apartment, organizing, and even so baking.  Even with the heat I couldn't resist turning on the oven. 

Today, though, I have a recipe with no oven required.  It is a hearty dinner with lots of veggies.  I loved it and even Mr. J said that we could have it again.  There was no meat so he sneakily grabbed some beef jerky as he did the dishes!

Spring Veggie Pasta
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 LB lingunie
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 zucchini, chopped in large pieces
3/4 artichoke hearts, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp pasta broth
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2.  In a saute pan, add olive oil and cook onions until they just start to soften.  Add zucchini, artichoke hearts and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes till veggies are cooked to desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Add in lemon juice and pasta broth.  Turn off heat and cover till pasta is done cooking.

5.  Drain pasta and combine with veggie mixture.

6.  Top with parmesan cheese. 

So what do you think of the new camera?  A bit more practice but I like it.  The thing is so small, I am afraid one of us might crush it. 

Frenchy green beans

There are some things I just know about myself. There is no mistaking it.

I am NOT patient. Me trying my hardest to be patient is like a baby waiting to be feed. It is just not going to happen without a certain amount of ugly faces and crying.


I NEED to eat on a regular basis. If I go a long time without eating (upwards of 5 hours), especially in the morning, I am grumpy. I get headaches. I am not a nice person to be around.


I MUST sleep for 8 hours a night. Yes, this could be problematic if kiddos ever come into the future. When I don’t sleep I cannot function. I don’t remember what I am doing or how to do it. Not a good place to be.


Rain is not my FRIEND. Whenever it rains, I am in a haze. I cannot go outside because you immediately get damp. It is not comforting or attractive to be damp. My glasses get spotted and will forever after be smudged making it very difficult to see.


This week has been nothing but rain. Starting last Saturday and forecasted through this coming Saturday there is not thing but rain. YUCK! I could not live in the upper Northwestern state. Bye bye dreams of Seattle.


 

To help me out of the long-lasting rain funk, I used GREEN.

I wore GREEN sweaters.


I put a GREEN background on my computer.


I ate GREEN.


Breakfast = Green monster smoothies


Lunch = lots of salads


Dinner = broccoli and green beans



Green beans might be my favorite side dish.  One of the simplest way to prepare them is as follows.

Clean green beans and place in sauce pan.

Add 1-2 Tbsp whole peppercorns

Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil

Add 3,4 or 6 smashed cloves garlic

If you have fresh lemon slices add as well.

Cover pan.

Heat on stove top for 15-20 minutes on medium shaking occasionally.  We tend to go on the short side to have the beans remain somewhat crispy.

I may or may not be known for having this a main course for dinner.  Yum!

Making it as a vegetarian

I felt a bit lazy this week so I suggested that Kari over at Jogging with Fiction write a guest post.  I am always trying to think of ways to sneak in vegetarian meals into our weekly routine.  The problem being is Mr. J is a big man who likes meat and potatoes.  Here is what Kari has to say...

When Emily asked me to guest blog on Life on Food. I wasn't sure what I'd talk about since I'm more of an exercise/everyday events-type blogger. I just put a loaf of my fantastic banana bread in the oven, though, so I figured now was as good a time as any to start writing.

I'm a married, twenty-something vegetarian married to Mike, a non-vegetarian. One of the biggest hurdles in Mike and my marriage is what to eat. Raised in a home where dinner isn't considered a dinner unless meat is involved, I've had to get creative.

On top of trying to create filling man meals, both Mike and I are avid runners. Right now, I'm in the midst of some serious marathon training. You definitely work up a serious appetite running over 50 miles as a week.

Dinner in our house has to be hearty, meatless, nutrient rich, and, of course, delicious. Oh yeah, and to make things more complicated, I'm a vegetarian because I don't like the taste of meat, which means no meat "substitutes" for us.

So what the heck do I make? Well, I can tell you that my two must-have staples in our house are beans and peanut butter. Nutrient power-houses that are also DELICIOUS.

Here are some of my go-to recipies:
1. Peanut Butter Stir Fry

2. Quesadilla Casserole

3. Spinach and Feta Calzone

4. Vegetarian Chili

Veggie Fried Rice

What are you up to today?  I had a wake up call at 3am to catch a plane to Indiana.  Sounds like fun huh?  I then have a 2 hour drive to Illinois.  If it weren't for the 3am wake up I might be more excited to see the Midwest.  If it weren't for the 2 plus feet of snow on the ground I could almost see this as an enjoyable trip.  But those are ifs, and let's face it it is winter and I have to get up at 3 am.  Or at the point of when this will post I would have been up 3 hours and in the air.  OK, I am done pouting.

To go along with the cashew chicken the other day we made fried rice.  Jordan really likes fried rice and has been known to order it as a meal when we get official Chinese food.  Fried rice is amazingly really simple to make and has a million variations.  You can constantly change it up for something new. 

Veggie Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Brown rice (cooked according to package for 2 servings)

1 carrot, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup bok choy, chopped (can use Napa cabbage as well)

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 egg

1. Saute onions and carrots till just softening.  They will continue to cook throughout the process.

2. Add bok choy and garlic.  Cook till bok choy is wilted.

3. Add rice and combine with veggies.  Add soy sauce and stir till mixed through.

4. Make well in middle of pan.

5. Crack egg in middle of  well and let sit till the whites turn white.  Break yoke and wait a bit long till it starts to cook, then stir till egg is mixed in and there are no shiny egg parts in mixture.

To make as a whole meal add chicken, pork, or tofu at the end that has already been cooked and seasoned.  Using two servings of rice makes 4 side servings or 2 big servings.  It is delicious!

Wish me luck that my flight makes it!

New Taste part 2: Brussel Sprouts

Jordan and I always try to have Sunday night dinners as something special. When I was planning this meal I was thinking something special. I had been eyeing brussel sprouts at the grocery store for the past couple of weeks. They are one of the few things which are pretty common that I can say I have never tasted. My dad doesn't like them and we never had them growing up. The strange part is I am not tainted by my dad's disliking in any way. I just have no clue how they taste. I asked Jordan about them and his dad doesn't like them either. Turns out his mom makes them for herself but only steams them. The look of steamed brussel sprouts never appealed to Jordan so he didn't eat them either. Well, we decided to give them a try. After a little only research by Jordan we decided something very simple.

Cut off the bases. Mix with olive oil ought to coat the each brussel sprout. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30-45 minutes in an oven heated to 400 degrees. Toss around 1/2 through cooking time.

Simple, simple, simple.
They were very, very good and we plan to have them again. The crispy brown portions were the best!

I love it how every time I make pork chops I think my looks like a state. For the most part they all look like Texas but it really struck me tonight. So sad it is time for work again. One more week and things should start to slow down. I am in the state of Connecticut though for the whole week. Perfect timing for the new bed - I actually get to enjoy it.