8. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Pasta with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
8. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Granny's Standing Rib Roast
“Oh, hiya Suzanne. Happy Easter to you too. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing well. How’s your day?”
“It’s good so far. Rosemary’s coming to pick me up soon.”
“That sounds like fun. I’m making dinner for the roommates today.”
“Oh yeah? What are you making?”
“Well, I bought a rib roast. But I don’t know what to do with it. Can you tell me how to cook it?”
“Hm. Well, I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”
We giggled.
“Well let’s see, is it bone in or bone out?”
“Bone in.”
“Okay. First slice up some garlic cloves. And get some parsley. Do you have parsley?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Then take a long, sharp knife and make a bunch of slits in the roast. Then stuff garlic and parsley down each slit. Get it in there as far as you can.”
“All right. Then what?”
“Then rub the outside with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper all over. Put it in a baking dish, fat side up, insert a meat thermometer and cook it at 350 until the temp reads 130 degrees. Then take it out and let it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes before you carve it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep. That’s it. Call me if you have any more questions.”
“I will. Thank you. I love you.”
“I love you too. Bye bye.”
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Spaghetti and Meatballs Night at Sonny McLeans
Italian food at an Irish pub? You might think it's crazy, but the customers are loving it.
"I've been looking all over LA for good gravy and meatballs. Yours are excellent," says Wayne Morse, whose Sicilian grandmother made Sunday gravy weekly throughout his childhood. "I know gravy."
But you don't have to be Italian to enjoy great meatballs.
"These are awesome!" Says Sunny, (pictured left) a regular at Sonny's. She came in with her roommates to have a family style dinner. They bought a bottle of red wine and enjoyed a home cooked meal and a night out.
So come on in on Wednesday nights and see what's cooking at Sonny's. Enjoy the fun. And the food.
Suzie
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Mixed Greens with Pork
1. Slice up the remaining pork (whether it's a chop or tenderloin).
2. Add it to a bowl of:
- Mixed greens
- Fresh herbs (I had basil and parsley in the garden, so I tossed them in)
- Fruit (I used grapes, but anything sweet like an apple will work)
- Blue cheese crumbles
3. Make dressing:
- Put one tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar in a bowl
- Add two teaspoons dijon mustard
- Add salt and pepper
- Toss in Italian seasoning or fresh herbs (if you have them)
- Mince one clove of garlic
- Whisk in two tablespoons olive oil
- Adjust to your taste
Toss all your indredients and put a delicious spin on leftover pork!
Suzie
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Pan Roasted Pork Chop and Veggies
11. Enjoy!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Cheesy Creamy Bad For You Potatoes
When my friend Rob came over for dinner the other night and it was sort of last minute and I did not want to go to grocery store. So I pulled a pork tenderloin from the freezer, grabbed a bag of frozen peas and then went back to the fridge.
Two lonely potatoes sat on a shelf.
"Mashed potatoes?" I thought. "No, I always feed Rob mashed potatoes. What about baked potatoes?"
My own voice moaned, "Boring," back at me.
After further investigation, I found a container of cream my friend had intended to whip to top a dessert. Alas, the dessert was demolished before she could top it. Bad for her, but lucky for me and Rob. Because when I came across some Jack cheese, an idea was born:
1. Butter a small baking dish.
2. Perheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Slice the potaoes super thin with a mandelin.
4. Slice an onion the same way.
5. Chop two cloves of garlic.
6. Throw it all in a bowl.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Toss in a handfull of grated cheese. (I had Jack but any cheese will do. Cheese is cheese.)
9. Poor in half a pint of cream.
10. Add some chopped parsley.
11. Mix it all up.
12. Pour the decadent creation in the buttered baking dish.
13. Top with more cheese.
14. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes.
15. Enjoy. Then head to the gym!
What's your favorite way to eat potatoes?
Suzie
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Southwestern Corn Salad
1. Put two tablespoons of organic olive oil in a giant pan over medium heat on the stove top.
2. Chop and add the following to the pan:
- One organic red bell pepper
- One organic orange bell pepper
- A bunch of scallions
- Three garlic cloves
NOTE: Let's just take a moment here and think about how many brightly colored cancer fighting veggies are in this dish. The brighter your veggie, the more cancer fighting power it has. And garlic is like the superfood of all cancer fighting veggies. It boosts your immune system, is a powerful antioxidant and helps maintain low cholesterol.
3. Cook about five minutes, until the veggies soften a bit. Then add the following:
- Two bags organic corn kernels (If you have fresh corn, cut it off the cob and toss it in!)
- Two quartered and squeezed limes
- One can rinsed organic black beans
4. Warm up your corn salad (to taste) with southwestern spices, such as:
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
5. Take your salad off the heat, put it in a room temperature dish and let it cool. Toss in some chopped cilantro just before serving and enjoy!
What are some of your favorite summertime salads?
Suzie
Monday, July 27, 2009
Mini Veggie Sandwiches
5. Slice up a baguette.
6. Spread bean spread on the baguettes.
7. Stuff zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes or red peppers in between the bread and spread.
Enjoy mini veggie sandwiches!Suzie
Friday, July 24, 2009
Bean Dip
Here's how to make it:
1. In a mini food processor, combine:
- One can drained organic garbanzo beans
- One clove garlic
- One half lemon squeezed
- A quarter cup of olive oil (add more if hummus is too thick)
- A tablespoon tahini paste
- Paprika, salt and pepper
Voila! You've got a delicious bean dip!
The great part about this recipe is that you can mess around with it. For a creamier texture, use canellini beans. If you'd rather go woodsy than warm, sprinkle in Italian seasoning instead of paprika. Or if you have fresh rosemary, use that instead.
The bean is your base. You can flavor it however you want. What would you add to your bean spread blend?
Suzie
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Awesome Artichoke Salad
1. Boil a pot of salted water.
2. Cut ends off a half pound of string beans.
3. Blanch string beans until they become bright green. No more than three minutes. Pull them out of the water immediately and drop them in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
4. Once cooled, pat the string beans dry and put them in a bowl.
5. Add three cans organic artichoke hearts.
6. Add sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) to bowl.
To make dressing, in a blender, combine:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- a bunch of basil leaves
- salt
- pepper
7. Pour dressing over artichokes, beans and sundried tomatoes. Then mix it all up.
Not only is it delicious, it's gorgeous! Enjoy!
Suzie
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nachos Supreme
2. Heat about an inch of canola oil in a deep frying pan over medium high heat.
5. Break out a large baking sheet, spread your chips on them and add your favorite toppings. Mine include:
- Tomatoes
- Black beans
- Green Onions
- Jalapenos
- Cheddar Cheese
6. Pop the tray in the oven for about 5-8 minutes at 425 degrees.
7. When the cheese is melted, take the tray out and drizzle with sour cream.
What are some of your favorite appetizers?
Suzie
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Grilled Salmon
Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and omega-3 essential fatty acids. As the name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health, but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods.
In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3s, salmon is an excellent source of selenium, a very good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B6. Which are all good for heart health and brain function. And if you eat salmon with those tiny bones in it, it's a great source of calcium too.
So now that you know why it's good for you, here's a simple way to make it:
1. Heat grill to high.
2. Coat salmon filets in olive oil.
3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. (I believe fish should taste like fish. You don't need fancy marinades or rubs ot make a great piece of grilled fish.)
4. Grill skin side down for 5 - 8 minutes. When you slide a spatula under it and the skin peels off you know it's ready to flip.
5. Flip it and cook the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.
6. Pull it off the grill. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes, serve with mixed greens and enjoy!
How easy is that?
Suzie
Monday, June 29, 2009
No Ordinary Eggs
Friday, June 26, 2009
Roasted Turkey Salad With Fresh Herbs
- Put one tablespoon balsamic vinegar in a bowl
- Add two teaspoons dijon mustard
- Add salt and pepper
- Toss in Italian seasoning or fresh herbs (if you have them)
- Mince one clove of garlic
- Whisk in two tablespoons olive oil
- Adjust to your taste
NOTE: Making your own dressing has a couple benefits. Number one, it's cheaper than buying bottled dressing. Number two, you know what's in it. Have you ever read the label on salad dressing? Lots of partially hydrogenated high fructose-y stuff. Not what you want to put in your body.
7. Sprinkle the dressing on your salad, toss and enjoy!
Suzie
PS - For other great ideas on how to Stretch Your Food Dollar head over to the Krazy Kitchen for Stretch Your Food Dollar Wednesdays.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Pan Roasted Turkey Breast
8. Slide a knife between the bone and the meat and remove meat from the bone. Then slice meat into thick slices crosswise.
9. Enjoy!
Do you already incorporate turkey into your diet? If so, how do you prepare this SuperFood?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Panini
1. I drizzled olive oil on a grill pan.
2. I laid out two pieces of bread and put two slices of provolone cheese on each of them.
3. On one side, I added:
- A couple slices of turkey
- Artichoke hearts
- Sliced red onion
4. I topped that with the other slice of bread and the cheese, pressed down hard on it and then put it on the grill pan.
5. I plopped a heavy pan on top. You can use a brick covered in foil or anything that will smoosh your sammy.
6. Then I flipped it.
When it was done, it was ooey gooey cheesy delicious inside.
The choices are endless. But what would you stuff inside your dream panini?
Suzie
Monday, May 25, 2009
Grilled Shrimp
1. Peel and de-vein a pound of shrimp.
NOTE: You can also grill your shrimp in the shells and serve them peel and eat style. The shells definitely rev up the shrimpy flavor, but the peeling can be messy. It's up to you.
2. Chop four garlic cloves and put the garlic in a bowl.
3. Add olive oil and red pepper flakes to the bowl.
4. Pat your shrimp dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper them.
5. Chop parsley or cilantro (whichever you have fresh) and add it to the mix.
6. Pour marinade over shrimp.
7. Marinate for at least a half an hour.
8. Start grill. When you have a high heat, put shrimp on grill.
9. Once they turn pink and curl up, flip them. Should only be about 2 or three minutes.
10. Cook on other side until pink and firm.
11. Remove from grill and enjoy!
So, what's your favorite summertime food to grill?
Suzie
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Joey's Favorite Salsa
1. Rinse one can of black beans and dump them in a bowl.
2. Add one can (same size) of diced tomatoes to bowl. If you have Rotel tomatoes in your area, use those. Rotel are canned tomatoes with lime juice and chilis.
3. Add one can corn. If you have fresh corn, just slice the kernels off the cob. They're super sweet and deliciously fresh.
4. Chop half a red onion and add it to the mix.
5. Mince two garlic cloves and blend them in.
6. Dice a jalapeno, add it to the pool.
7. Chop a handful of cilantro and add it for a fresh zing.
8. Squeeze one lime over the bowl.
9. Add salt and pepper and mix up the creation.
Scoop up some of this fabulous salsa on a tortilla chip and enjoy the fresh zesty spicy kick!
What's in your favorite salsa?
Suzie
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Huevos y Frijoles
Black Beans
A great source of protein, antioxidant rich black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.
They're also super filling and ridiculously delicious. They're my new BFF. Well, maybe even BF.
I have not taken any pictures while cooking them. I'm sorry. You're going to have to envision these black beauties on your own.
1. Soak a bag of black beans over night per directions on the bag.
2. Chop one onion, one jalapeno and three garlic cloves.
NOTE: This veggie trio is also known as a sofrito. It's a great base for all kinds of soups, stews, etc. Often, the jalapeno is replaced with a bell pepper, depending on what you're going for.
3. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
4. When the oil is hot, add your sofrito, salt and pepper.
5. When veggies are soft, after about five minutes or so, add the beans stir them around and heat them for about two or three minutes.
6. Add water according to the directions on the bean package. Usually about 8 cups per lb.
7. Let beans simmer over medium heat with the lid open a tad for two hours. Longer if beans are still hard or there's two much liquid left.
Now, you're probably wondering what the heck you're going to do with all these beans. That's where your food saver comes in. Cut single serving sized bags, and vacuum seal and freeze single servings. Then heat them up as a small meal or side dish at any time.
Enjoy!
Suzie Black Bean Lover
Stromboli
2. Add 2 cups sifted flour and stir until blended.
3. Add another 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour and blend until too stiff to stir with a spoon.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in another bowl greased with a small amount of oil. Turn the dough once so that the top is oiled.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place for about 45 minutes--until the dough rises to about double its original size.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Spread
When it did, I rummaged through the pantry to see what I could add to it. I found sundried tomatoes and a sleeve of crackers.
Then I went out to the garden and cut some parsley.
I chopped the sundried tomatoes and parsley, mixed them in with the goat cheese, added some cracked black pepper and set it out on the table with the crackers.
I figured you can't go wrong with sundried tomatoes and parsley, can you?
The empty bowl was proof. Try it for an easy and different kind of cheese and crackers!
Suzie
Monday, April 13, 2009
Suzie's Mac and Cheese
Aren't disclaimers fantastic? No, seriously, this meal contains processed foods and is totally not good for you. But since yesterday was a holiday and the people beg for it, I made mac and cheese.
You can too. Here's how:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Empty 4 cans cheddar cheese soup in a pot on medium heat.
3. Add about a cup of milk. Stir.
4. Squirt about three tablespoons brown mustard in the cheese sauce. Stir.
6. Add one package (two cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce.
7. Boil two lbs large elbows until they are al dente.
8. Drain noodles.
9. Butter large baking dish.
10. Add half sauce mixture to baking dish. Stir in half the noodles. Repeat with second half.
11. Top with another package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups).
12. Bake about 30 minutes until top is cheesy crunchy.
13. Enjoy! Because you should only eat it once a year. ; )
What are your once a year favorites?
Suzie
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Granny's Meatballs
First, heat some marinara sauce in a large pot on the stove.
1. Put equal parts ground beef, pork and veal in the biggest bowl you can find. I suggest using 1 lb of each for about 30 meatballs.
2. Smash two bags of store bought seasoned stuffing (in the bags) with a mallet. (Okay, I will admit, Granny did not use stuffing. She used day old bread. But my day old bread meatballs never taste as good as hers, so I've twisted the recipe a bit.) Pour them over the meat.
3. Add one egg per lb of meat.
4. Chop a bunch of fresh parsley and add it. I mean the whole bunch. Parsley is the secret fresh zing in these meatballs.
5. Add about a half a cup of shredded parmesan cheese.
6. Chop eight garlic cloves. Toss 'em in.
7. Finely chop one onion. Throw it in the mix.
8. Add salt, pepper and dried Italian seasonings.
10. Heat oil in a pan on medium high on the stove top and brown meatballs.
11. Plop them in the sauce.
How is this recipe different from how you make meatballs?