Birthday Dinner

Hello! I hope everybody enjoyed their midweek Fourth of July parties. Did anybody else wake up the next morning thinking it was Monday? It’s funny how a holiday in the middle of the week can throw things off kilter. I admit, since I've been on break from school, all the days just seem to run together. I guess that's the beauty of summer though.

Let's talk about birthdays. Birthdays can be very strange events. Some people greet them with excitement and eagerness, planning everything from the cake to the guest list. Others look at them as simply another year older - another chapter in their book that is being written with every day that passes. For the most part, my family falls into the latter category. We never were the type of family to make a huge production of birthdays; there was no massive "super sweet 16" party or a house full of teenagers and loud music trashing the place. Instead, they were usually intimate including only family and close friends. Sometimes it was just family. For my parents it was one of two options: stay home and cook a meal or go out to eat. This year was no exception. For those of you fortunate enough to know my father knows that he is a man of little fuss. His birthday was this past week, and as per every year we ask the millionaire dollar question - "Would you like to go out for your birthday, or eat at home?" Every year it's the same response, "What does everybody else want to do?" You can only imagine the frustration that comes with the indecisiveness. After a couple minutes of discussion there is a decision. This year he requested a large salad (he is complicated to cook for...AKA a picky vegetarian/vegan). A salad he said. I walked away grumbling because I was hoping for some answer other than a salad, something with a little more pizzazz. 

And so started my search for inspiration..and a recipe. Cooking for a vegetarian/vegan can be hard. Trying to find a variety of foods that aren't repetitious can be frustrating; and then you have to verify that it is what that person is wanting. I stumbled upon a recipe for stuffed peppers and knew it was exactly what I was looking for. They're hearty, packed full of protein, but not too heavy. We have made stuffed peppers before with soy Chorizo, but my father gets burned out on pseudo meat quickly so I had to find another protein substitute. One of the great things about this recipe? You steam the peppers in the microwave for about 7 minutes, drain, cool slightly, and stuff! How easy is that? The stuffing alone would make a wonderful side dish to any meal. I halved the recipe and used 1 orange and 1 yellow bell pepper. The recipe called for Orzo pasta and sun-dried tomatoes, but we didn't have any on hand. So I opted for brown rice and omitted the tomatoes. I would suspect you could use tomato paste if you are in a pinch. I subbed the 1/2c Orzo for 1/2c of short grain brown rice.

The peppers are wonderful hot or cold. You know how some dishes just taste better the next day? Next day leftovers anyone? This is a recipe I will definitely be keeping on hand for future reference. 

For dessert, instead of the traditional birthday cake, I baked a simple zucchini bread. He loved it just the same (I guess I should mention he isn't a huge fan of cakes? Unless it's a carrot cake..without frosting). 

Enjoy!

"It takes a long time to grow young."

~Pablo Picasso

Greek Stuffed Peppers (with my alterations)

Original recipe from EatingWell

Serves - 4

Total time - 40 minutes*

Ingredients:

4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers

1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo (I used 1/2c brown rice)

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped (I left this out)

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. (If using brown rice, bring 1 1/2c water to a boil. Add 1/2c rice and pinch of salt. Reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 40 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.)

3. Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.

4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes (if using), vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

*If using brown rice, allow 1hr for total cook time. 

Strawberries in Meyer Lemon Syrup

Hello hello! It's been sometime since my last post, but that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping busy. I finished my last semester at junior college, went to the Haute Wheels Food Truck Festival. I know this post is a little late, but bear with me!

While at the store picking up a few things for dinner, as always, I find something I need that isn't on my list. Strawberries right now are just beautiful and I couldn't pass them up. I’ve always been a big fan of strawberries, and I can say without shame that possibly my favorite way to eat them is still dipped in chocolate. However I can never just eat one or two of them. So to keep things “healthy and light” I opted for this recipe I found on Cooking Light’s website. It was so simple yet so refreshing and perfect for the time that I had. It was a great way to finish off a heavy dinner, and convenient to boot. (Of course this would also be lovely as a midday refresher on a hot summer day – maybe throw in blueberries and add lemon zest?)  

The directions are simple and there isn’t much more to it than what you see – no surprises 
here. I loved how the strawberries, which were naturally sweet, were tamed by the lemon juice. I was afraid that the extra sugar would make this far too sweet, but was pleased to find that not true. If you aren’t a fan of lemon, than I would reduce the lemon juice to 2tbs. Also I used Meyer Lemons as the recipe calls for. If you are using regular lemons, I would suggest starting out with 2tbs, tasting, then adding more as desired. For the topping, I whipped 1/4c of heavy cream with a splash of almond extract to cut the milky taste. If using a hand mixer, I always freeze the bowl and beaters 15 minutes before I need them. I found this helps the cream to form and keep its peaks.

Enjoy!


"Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward." ~Terri Guillemets

Strawberries in Meyer Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

4 cups quartered small strawberries

1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Place berries, juice, and sugar in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill 20 minutes.

2. Place cream in a medium bowl; stir constantly with a whisk until soft peaks form. Serve whipped cream with berry mixture.

"Human nature is above all things lazy."

Like most people, I have a list of things that I need to get done around the house. And like most, I find myself doing everything except what is on that list. I know that putting it off will get me nowhere, this I have come to terms with. But you know I learned something to other day from my mother, and that is the dust will be there waiting for you when you finish whatever it may be that you are doing. HA! I love it, though I wish it were not true.


 Our winter has been extremely mild this year with the lows being in the 30's during the day. That only happened for a week though. Most days we are in the 70's. I'm not complaining though; this is the weather that I wish would stay year round. The breeze is cool enough to open the house, but warm enough to sit out on the porch and watch the day lazily go by. I have a short list of things that I WILL accomplish. This madness can't go on much longer. Some days it feels like my life is an unorganized mess. 

I'm thinking about all the things that I should be doing as I'm sitting here watching Ina Garten make French Toast Bread Pudding. It's a shame that nobody else in my house eats french toast. I'm thinking I will have to reduce the recipe and make just enough for myself. It's too decadent to pass up. It never fails; even if I just ate, if I see or hear about food, I'm already thinking how good it sounds and when I'm going to make it. 


A couple nights ago I made crab cakes and zucchini fritters. Yes, I fried. However I am no longer partial to fried foods. Once in a blue moon I will eat french fries or chicken that has been fried, but like I said, that is rare. What worked for me with these two dishes was that the crab cakes were not breaded, and the zucchini fritters weren't overly greasy or heavy. Dinner consisted of crab cakes, zucchini fritters, mashed potato cakes, cheddar biscuits, and a simple side salad. It's a lot of frying, but since its not done often around here, it was all the more worth it. Really these were one bowl wonders. If you are like me, and are not crazy about measuring everything exactly, then you can get away with dirtying a handful of dishes - makes for a great (and quick) weeknight meal. The crab cake recipe yielding 13 cakes. I packed the mixture into a 3" round biscuit cutter to make them all the same size. For the fritters, I used a melon baller to measure and form them. That recipe yielding roughly 28 fritters.


Crab Cakes
Prep Time:  20min
Cook Time: 18min
Serves: 4 to 6


Ingredients
1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed crackers (I used Ritz)
3 green onions, green and white parts, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil


Directions
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, place crab cakes, in batches, into pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip crab cakes and cook until golden, about 4 more minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. 

Zucchini Fritters with Herbs and Cheese
Serves: 6 to 8


Ingredients
5 zucchini, grated
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
1 cup toasted breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh mint
1 tablespoon dried oregano


Vegetable oil for frying


Directions
Toss zucchini, onion, and salt in a large colander. Let stand for 1 hour; squeeze as dry as possible. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in next 6 ingredients. 


Heat 1" vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Work in batches; shape zucchini mixture by tablespoonfuls into balls. Add to oil. Fry until brown, turning once - about 3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve warm or room temperature.