Rice Is Nice.

Day 2! I did it! Can you tell I'm taking advantage of my slowed down schedule?

I'm a huge fan of spinach. I think it's delicious and not nearly utilized enough. My mom made a dish that introduced me to spinach and we've been close friends ever since. This is something similar to that dish.

The Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:
- Maybe it's because I'm a Minnesota gal but I love a good casserole. Throwing things in a pan and then throwing everything into the oven? I can manage that. 

- I made this dish twice in the same week. I wish I could say it was because it was so good that I just couldn't get enough. It all actuality, it was because I screwed it up the first time. I was entertaining some friends, the drinks were flowing, and I wasn't paying very close attention to the recipe. Oops. I had also never made minute-rice before but that was a whole separate issue. Luckily, if you end up covering anything in enough Sriracha -- it will taste pretty damn good. It also helps if you have a good buzz on and it's the first thing you've eaten all day.

- I've decided I'm not a huge brown rice fan. I know its purpose in this recipe was to make the dish slightly more healthy. I think it gives the dish less flavor. Experiment with both and see what you prefer!

Overall Impression:

It was fine but not as good as mom's recipe. I'll be making hers the next time I get a spinach craving -- and with white rice, dang it!

Have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow, everyone! I won't be posting but I will be cooking! I'll be back by Thursday and hopefully with many successes to report. Can't wait for our Holiday Feast!

Tis The Season for More Soup!

Wow! Time has really flown. The show I was in in October/November has wrapped, I moved, and my newest show has just started up! It was a busy last couple of months -- so I apologize for my unplanned absence. Now that the Holidays are here, I have a bit more time to post!

I admit I have some catching up to do. I've continued to cook when I've had the free-time and I've been taking photos. Now I've got to get going on the blogs to go with everything! It's only appropriate that for my first post back that it be another soup blog.

It was one of the first nights at my new place where I made my favorite tomato soup recipe. I wanted to make a big batch of something yummy that I could have lots of leftovers to take with me to work. I was also trying to impress my new roommates to let them know they have a bomb-ass chef in their presence and that they should show some respect. I think it worked.

The Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:

-I have made this recipe once before when I had some lady friends over for dinner. I went all out and made the "grilled cheese croutons" to boot! I would have made them again but I tragically left my panini press at my old apartment. Someday we'll be reunited and then I will make this dish again -- full out.

-I made that bread in the picture in my bread-maker. It was my first time using it that night and I have used it several times since. So awesome. Get yourself one quick and enjoy fresh bread on the daily.

Overall Impression:

I love this soup. It's so hearty and insanely flavorful. It's also extremely simple to throw together. It also makes a LOT of soup. I ate well for a week.

That was that. A quick little recap-post. I hope to have another for you tomorrow -- so stay tuned!

Rapping About Reuben Wraps

Another post already? Don't go getting spoiled on me now but, yes, I'm posting again! What I failed to mention in my previous post is that the reason I didn't serve my soup with any sort of bread product (what you'll learn about me soon enough is that I love me some bread. Any kind of carbs are, and will always be, necessary with EVERYTHING.) is because I made these that night, as well.

A strange but true fact about me that I didn't come to the realization of until I went shopping for the ingredients of this dish, is that I hadn't ever tried corned beef before. I love sauerkraut and usually opt for anything that contains it but I guess if there's a "Rachel" on a menu next to a "Reuben", I go with the turkey version. This was the perfect dish to introduce me to this formerly foreign food and from now I plan to be more adventurous. "Bring on the beef!"

 Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:

-Look at my wrapping job! I was pretty proud. I've never worked with egg roll wrappers before and it most definitely could have been worse. That's for sure.

-I used corned beef from a can... I have nothing to base what it tasted like on, so I liked it! You can also use beef from the deli if you're a corned beef connoisseur. The choice is yours! It was easy to open that can up and roughly chop up the meat. I liked that about it -- but go crazy!

-I couldn't get a good picture of the Thousand Island side-sauce to save my life. It was delicious but very unattractive looking. I think the lady who created this recipe had a similar issue since she doesn't have any photos on her site either. Oh well. It's AWESOME and totally made the dish. Trust.

-I cut the recipe in half since I was only feeding two people. I was able to get 8 nice size rolls out of it. We both had plenty to eat by each having two with our soup starter. Having leftovers was nice and they heat up tasting just as good as fresh from the oven!

-I baked these instead of frying. It made me feel a little bit better about eating them and the soup on the same night. I baked them at 400 for about 25 minutes. They were still crunchy and ooey-gooey. I don't think i missed out on anything by not frying them.  

Overall Impression:
YUM. So good. So simple. Make these and enjoy the crap outta them! They would be awesome for a football game or as a little appetizer at a party.

Soup -- The Second Coming

I did it, guys. I had decided earlier this week that I would stick to my plan and cook this weekend -- so I looked over the recipes I'd like to try, I chose two different dishes that I thought would compliment each other well, I shopped, and I actually made them. I'm so pleased with myself for finding the time since my schedule hasn't gotten any less busy. I'm currently in the process of moving and I'm still sick after three weeks but I wanted some time to relax, zone out, and enjoy a yummy meal. Mission accomplished.

The first dish I made that I'd like to share with you was this bad boy. Yes. It's soup. AGAIN. Have I mentioned I've been sick? Nothing tastes better than soup when you're feeling yucky. Also, the weather has really cooled down around here. I just like to feel full and warm. Get off my back!

Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:

-I used navy beans instead of white beans. I don't think it made much of a difference in taste but it seems apparent when I compare these two photos. I also think I might have mashed my beans up more than I needed to.

-I always substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs. I'm lazy like that. I don't really taste a difference but do what you like! I hate when things go to waste, so for me it's handier to use the jarred herbs and know that I'm not spending money on something that will go bad before I have the opportunity to use it again.

-My mom makes a white bean soup with ham around Christmas time that reminded me of this recipe. In fact, after trying this recipe out I've been inspired to follow that tradition around the holidays and plan on substituting the bacon in this recipe for ham. I have also decided that it would compliment this dish nicely to serve up a piping hot bowl with a side of a big, fat slice of sweet potato cornbread. That's for next time!

Overall Impression:

Loved it! Loved that it wasn't as labor intensive as the last soup. Though to be fair -- I didn't make a double batch of this kind and that probably cut the prep time down by a LOT. It tasted just as good the next day when I finished off the leftovers.  Can't wait to make it again with ham!

Tomorrow I'll have another post for you. Reuben Wraps! Get excited!

Everyone LOVES Soup

It's been entirely too long since my last post but I guess that's how it goes sometimes. I knew I was talking big about starting up this new plan of mine -- especially, when I was involved in a show at the time that had performances on the weekend, bars and other socializing to do at night, and eventually tearing everything down and wrapping things up during the closing weekend. I must admit I was too busy to do much cooking and most of the meals I ate during the run of the show were eaten at late hours of the night and were far from homemade. I fail. However, I did cook once two weeks ago!

We had a cast party and agreed on doing it potluck style. I absolutely love parties. Most of the time I enjoy hosting but when I'm invited over, I try to go all out. I would never attend an event empty-handed. I racked my brain for a bit on what would be the perfect dish to prepare. The plans for the evening involved a bonfire and as the weather seemed to be cooling down more and more each day, I knew what I wanted to bring should be something that could keep our bodies warm, something savory and satisfying, and also be enough to feed a crowd. I found a recipe that hit on all of those qualities -- and hit it hard.

Original Inspiration:

 

Things To Note:

 

- You can't go wrong with soup. It is so comforting. Light, yet filling. I could seriously eat soup every damn day. Everyone loves soup. Even guys who don't normally eat soup will enjoy this dish. It's like hamburger helper in soup form. Tell a guy that and watch his eyes light up. I had dudes skipping the spoons and drinking my soup out of the bowl. Seriously, a BIG hit.

- Notice there is no "Finished Product" photo. The shame. I'm going to do better, fellow bloggers. I promise.

 - I doubled this recipe so I could feed more people. Judging by how quickly this dish disappeared after the hosts announced it was time to dig in to the food, I could have probably tripled it and just barely had any left over. That being said, making soup is hard work! It took me hours of prep time and I felt like I was chopping for days. I even got a blister in-between my thumb and pointer finger from where the knife was resting. Make sure you have the time to spend preparing this meal.

- I served my soup with wheat rolls. That was really good and filled me up just the right amount. Next time I try this dish I'm going to serve it pretty much as is but plan on going crazy with the garnishes! Shredded cheese, chopped up bacon, or even some diced tomatoes would all taste great dished up on top!

Overall Impression:

The perfect dish for a cold evening. It actually snowed the night of our bonfire party and we were lucky to have something tasty to eat and to help warm up our chilled bones after being outside. Make a big batch a enjoy a hearty bowl for lunch for the rest of the week.

Hopefully, now that show is closed and I have some free time before the next rehearsal process begins, I'll be better about blogging. I can make no promises -- but I'll certainly try! Until next time.

An Ode to Huevos Rancheros

Is there anything better than a big brunch after a run on a chilly Sunday afternoon? I truly cannot think of anything as satisfying. I'm a sucker for brunch as breakfast foods are my favorite! I have a few local places in town where I like to get my Pesto Eggs Benedict fix or my Maple-Flavored Biscuits and Gravy fill but these occasional splurges can be rather spendy. I like to have some trusty inexpensive recipes to fall back on and to be able to whip up at home when my budget is pretty tight.

This would be one of those recipes. I have made this recipe a few times now just adding this or trying something new. It's an extremely simple classic and you should try it, like, NOW.

Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:

- I do a couple of different things with this recipe. The first turn I take is with the beans. I have a food processor I have never used. I like the idea of it but it always seems like such a hassle. If I can ways around using it, I do. That's what I've done with this. Instead of using black beans, which I'm sure are amazing, I use a can of refried beans. I just add the same spices to that and it's quick and just as fulfilling. Try it both ways and let me know which way you prefer! Maybe you'll inspire me to bust out that food processor at long last. For now, I'll stick with the lazy route.

- The second thing I switch up is the corn tortillas. I used the tortillas the first time I made this dish and I wasn't wowed by them. A few months ago, my mom and I took a crazy road-trip to Bayfield and made a detour to The Delta Diner. If you're ever in that area -- GO. Seriously, it's not even a suggestion. It's a command! It's blow-your-mind good! While there, we had the Pedro's Mex Benny. It's kind of a Mexican play on the traditional eggs benedict. The eggs are covered with a bean sauce and served over the top of a piece of cornbread. The flavors of that dish reminded me a lot of this recipe and also gave me a brilliant idea! This last time, I prepared everything the same except I served it over the top of a dish full of baked Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake Mix. See that yellow stuff pictured above? Yeah, buddy. DELICIOUS.

- So my bowl layering went as follows: sweet corn cake, seasoned refried beans, cheese, eggs, sour cream, and salsa.

Overall Impression

This recipe is a game changer. It's quick to make and so full of flavor. I love it. You'll love it. Trust.

Fresh Starts and Pumpkin Brittle

Welcome! Or maybe even welcome back? Either way, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I tend to get super into it for a little while and then slowly stop as life gets busier. In the past, I gradually begin to realize how much duller and duller I come across to myself with every new post. This time I'm doing things a bit differently. I want to write about something that has always interested and inspired me -- food.

My life is a rather active one and many nights I spend away from the comforts of my home. This blog will be about my weekends where I'm free to cook or bake and then write about these experiences. Occasionally, I'll throw in comments on a new restaurant I'll try out or pictures from a friends' dinner party or BBQ.

I just want to be creative and to share something that never fails to make me happy or to release the tension from a full, rehearsal-filled week. I'll share my hits, misses, and photos from each these attempts. Bottom line: I'm just a girl trying out recipes on the weekend and blogging about them. Hungry? Join me.

This first post I'll dedicate to pumpkins. The air is getting crisp and the leaves are starting to fall from the trees. Not only is Fall my most favorite season but it's the absolute best time of year to get creative in the kitchen and chow down like we're all getting ready for hibernation mode. I admit that like most of the masses, I enjoy most everything pumpkin related: pumpkin mocha-flavored coffees, the Pumpkin Spice specialty Hershey's kisses and now, as I discovered this weekend, pumpkin seed brittle. 

I find most of my recipes on Pinterest. When I stumbled across this recipe, I absolutely had to try it out right away. I'm not a big sweets eater -- but it sounded tasty and looked great, so I ventured ahead.

Original Inspiration:

 

My Finished Product: 

Things To Note:

-I didn't realize that the original poster used pumpkin seeds that had been removed from their shell until I got home from the grocery store. For those of you who haven't had pumpkin seeds before, they kind of taste like sunflower seeds. So... it turned out tasty but chewy. Hard to go wrong with anything covered in chocolate and that's salty AND sweet. My advice would be to not be a dope like me and to go for the seeds without a shell.

-Make sure to get a candy thermometer if you don't already have one. Take it from me, I didn't have one -- so I tried to just hold a regular cooking thermometer in the pot while the water, sugar and corn syrup boiled. I tried desperately to not touch thermometer tip to the bottom of the pot and stood wincing while it steamed and seared my hands. Yes, I do some dumb things when no one else is around the kitchen.

-Along that same line, the water, sugar and corn syrup concoction is FLIPPING HOT. When I added the pumpkin seeds, I mixed them in and one lonely seed got stuck to my wooden spoon. Foolishly, I tried to remove it from my spoon with my hand and ended up burning the ever loving SHIT out of my pointer finger. Instant blister bubble. You have been warned, friends.

Overall Impression:

Yummy and totally in the Halloween spirit of things! I'll definitely make this again!