Big Lunch for Connor

Once I started cooking, I couldn't stop

I can feel Fall in the air today and it made me want to cook.  Actually I felt Fall in the air a couple of days ago.  And it didn't make me want to cook then.  So maybe it wasn't Fall in the air that made me want to cook today.

It's probably that near death experience I had with a spider in my shower yesterday.  After that I'm feeling the need to do something life affirming.  Grilling up some dead pig flesh, sautéing the last bit of life out of a few squash, snapping some defenseless corn on the cob in two and baking all recognition out of some plums seemed to fit the bill.

Life affirming for me.  Not the pork chops or vegetables. Besides, I didn't kill the spider.  And after what I went through someone had to die.

I had another reason to cook so much.  My son went to Tae Kwon Do training for about 4 hours this morning and I was certain he'd be starving when he got home.  So I cooked everything I knew he'd like so he could just dive in when he got home.  He'll be so hungry, I told myself, that he'll really appreciate this and it will make him happy.  Which makes me happy.  I even made plum turnovers with fresh Summer plums.

Then I get the text.  Going to lunch with the guys.  Be home soon.  Great.  Enough food for an army, or one growing teenage boy, and no one but me to eat it.  I'm not that big.  I can't eat all of this.  Guess what's for dinner tomorrow night.  Go ahead, just toss one out there.  Take a chance.

So there really isn't much in way of a recipe for what I made.  The plum turnovers are really simple.  The recipe for the crust is here, and the filling is just fresh plums (sliced up) some lemon juice - maybe a tsp - a little cornstarch and a spoonful of lingonberry jam.  But any kind of jam works.  You know.  Within reason.  Don't go crazy.  Or do.  I don't care.  I won't be eating them.

The corn on the cob was just steamed in water until it was cooked and the squash was sauteed in some fresh garlic, salt and pepper.  With a little bit of olive oil.  Super simple.  Unless you want to make it complicated.  You could.  I won't stop you.  I'm not your mom.

The pork chops were marinated in some teriyaki sauce before I grilled them.  That's why they have those super black lines.  I forgot the teriyaki sauce would burn as soon as I put it on the grill.  Don't complain.  You didn't have to eat them.

So that leaves that little bowl of mashed potatoes.  Actually it's a bowl of mashed potato.  I had a total of one potato in my fridge.  But my son loves mashed potatoes so I made it just for him.  Did I mention he went to Subway for lunch?

So here's the recipe for super simple mashed potatoes....which was requested by someone, by the way.  I won't name any names.

Mashed Potatoes for Shana

Cut up potatoes
Some butter
Some milk
Some cheese
Salt
Pepper

Cut up and boil however many potatoes you think you want to eat.  Once they're cooked (you can test by sticking a fork in a piece of potato, if it's crunchy keep boiling) drain the water and put the potatoes which are no longer crunchy, in the bowl.  The not being crunchy part is important. Trust me.  Add some butter.  There's really no right or wrong here.  Ok, maybe a whole stick of butter for two potatoes might be a little wrong.  But maybe you're having a bad day, in which case you can't have too much butter.  Or ice cream.  But don't put the ice cream on the potatoes.  Eat it on it's own later.  Ok, so where was I?

Right...add a little milk, like a tablespoon or so.  The milk is just to make the potatoes easier to mash up so they aren't so dry.  Add a little more if it needs it.  Add in some grated cheese if you like.  Any kind of cheese is good.  Potatoes and cheese are best friends.  And they play really well with butter so however much you add of these is up to you.  Toss in a little salt and pepper and start mashing the potatoes up.  You can taste it along the way and make adjustments, too.

When I mash potatoes I usually use one of the beaters from my hand mixer.  Unless I'm making a lot.  Then I use both beaters from my hand mixer.  And I attach them to the hand mixer and turn it on.  However you decide to mash the potatoes keep in mind that if you mash them too long they start to get gluey and they aren't so good.  So just mash them until you have the consistency you like.  I like mine lumpy.  You might like yours smooth.  It doesn't matter to me.  But real potatoes don't get smooth like the kind you make from the box.  You can get close if you add more milk but then you run the risk of it getting gluey.  Just keep it lumpy.  It's mashed potatoes.  Don't get fancy.

Chili Dog

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, hey that looks like a chili dog!  But you're wrong.  It's not.  What you're looking at is what happens when the shrimp that you know with absolute certainty is in the freezer turns out not to be in the freezer.  Or anywhere else near your kitchen, for that matter.

What you're looking at is what happens when you have vegetables and quinoa ready to cook but no shrimp.  Or chicken.  This is what happens when you are completely delusional about what is actually present in your kitchen.  It is also what happens when the quinoa is already cooked and you've realized everything else has just fallen apart.  What you are actually looking at is...defeat.

I have been so busy that apparently I can't remember what I've cooked or when I've cooked it.  I remember buying the shrimp.  I remember cooking some sort of shrimpy type dish in the past.  I do not, however remember exactly when said shrimpy dish was prepared.   Leaving me to believe with the same absolute faith a dog has that humans exist only to throw things for them that my shrimp was in the freezer.  Imagine my disappointment.  Especially since the quinoa had cooked while I searched.  Perfectly cooked quinoa and nothing to put over it.  So I gave up.

I found a turkey hot dog, grabbed half a hotdog bun - it's a lot of carbs!  I was disappointed, not crazy - some canned, low fat chili - Ok, I may have to re-think the crazy statement - and some low fat cheese.  Yes, low fat cheese.  I was making some effort to be somewhat healthy.  Not much, but still.

Not one of my better meals.  I don't encourage anyone to try this.  Unless you like not so great food.  Then knock yourself out.  I think the chili may have been Hormel?  I don't remember.  I'm trying not to think about it.  I probably should go grocery shopping.  I haven't been there in a while, could someone give me directions?

Dessert for Tomorrow

Mmmm Dessert

After an exhausting Saturday I decided to spend the day today relaxing.  For me that means baking. I know it's 800 degrees outside.  That's what air conditioning is for.

I got some yellow plums in my organic box that I wasn't eating fast enough so I figured I'd bake them up in a tart.  And I made some Heath Bar chocolate chip cookies for good measure.  You know, just in case.  You never know when you're going to need a good cookie.  Or a beer, but that's another post.

So today you get a recipe.  Whether you want it or not.  My tart recipe is pretty good so I want to get it down somewhere and this is as good a place as any.  Lucky you.  Seriously.  This is a fantastic tart.  You don't even have to use plums.  I usually use apples.  Or pears.  But I didn't have apples today.  Or pears.  I had plums.  I said this earlier.  You should pay attention.

Ok, for the recipe:

Plum or Apple or Peach or Berry or Pear Tart

Filling:
About 1 1/2lb of whatever fruit you want.  Or happen to have on hand that's not so far gone you can't cut the bad parts off and still have enough to use.
2 Tbsp of flour if you're using apples or pears
OR 2 Tbsp of corn starch if you're using plums, peaches or berries
A little bit of sugar, like a tablespoon or so.  Not much though otherwise it covers the natural flavors of the fruit.  I usually use dried honey instead.  It's better than the sugar but I've only seen it at the Korean market.  A health food store might have it.  I don't know how much trouble you want to go to.  It's just a tart.
Juice from 1 lemon
Grated peel from the same lemon.  Or use a second one.  Maybe you have a tree and can waste lemons.  I don't pretend to know what you do.
For Apple or Pear:
2 large spoonfuls of orange marmalade.  Or gooseberry jam.  The one from Ikea is really good.  Yes, I said Ikea.  Ok, you could probably use this for the plum or peach or whatever.  Try it.  Be creative.  Let me know how it works out.  Really.  I want to know.  It's the least you could do.

Crust:  On a side note, this crust is good for savory fillings, too.  If you're into that sort of thing.
1/2 Stick of cold butter.  Seriously.  There's no negotiation on this.  If your butter is room temp it won't work.
1/2 Package of cold light cream cheese, about 4oz.  The little box of foil wrapped cream cheese.  You know the one I mean, don't pretend you don't.  Or play dumb.  Whatever.  It's your crust.
2C of flour
1/2tsp Salt
Ice Water

Directions:
For the crust...after putting the flour and salt in a bowl cut the butter up into cubes and add to the flour/salt mixture.  Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or a fork.  The pastry cutter is a really good investment if you like to make anything that requires cutting butter into flour.  It looks like this:

You can find these at Target

The butter has been incorporated into the flour when the flour looks like coarse meal, with small lumps rather than fine and powdery.  Next do the same thing with the cream cheese.  Once it's all incorporated add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and stir it in with a big spoon.  I use a big bamboo spoon.  Keep adding the ice water a little at a time until you form a dough.  It shouldn't be sticky.  If it is, you added too much water.   If it's not too sticky you'll probably be ok.  Once you've got a ball of dough form it into a thick disc on some wax paper.  Or foil.  Or plastic wrap.  Something it won't stick to, you get the idea.  Wrap it up and stick it in the freezer.   It's not going to freeze.  You'll be getting it out in a minute.  Don't argue.  Keep reading.

For the filling....cut the fruit up, skins and all.   Cut it up so it looks nice.  No one wants to eat butchered plums.  Add the bit of sugar, the flour or corn starch (remember, either/or NOT both).  Toss in the grated lemon peel and squeeze in the lemon juice.  If you're using apples or pears, take the orange/gooseberry marmalade and put it in a measuring cup.  Add a little bit of water, like a spoonful.  Warm it in the microwave for about 20sec.  Stir it up and pour into the filling.  Gently mix the filling by folding the fruit over getting it evenly coated in the other ingredients.

Put it all together...Now go get the dough out of the freezer.  It shouldn't be frozen.  If it is you either have a super high power freezer, live in the Antarctic or were incredibly slow preparing the filling.  Like hours slow.  If that's the case, go get your mom to help you finish the rest.  You're not going to make it.

Roll the dough out on a flour covered board to about 1/2 inch thick.  Maybe a little less but a 1/4 inch is too thin.  Transfer the dough onto a foil covered cookie sheet.  Trust me on the foil.  Sometimes the filling juices will run out and burn onto the pan.  It's way easier to clean up by just pulling off the foil.  Unless you like scrubbing burnt sugar off pans.  I don't.  Pour the filling out into the middle of the dough arranging the fruit so it's pretty even around the middle but spreading out toward the edges.  Just not too far because you're going to fold the edges over the fruit.  Not all the way to the middle.  You want to leave an opening.  Look back at the picture.  You can see the plums inside.  That's because it's open.  Not closed.  If this is confusing, go get your mom.  Seriously.  This will only end badly without her.

Bake it at 350F for about an hour.  Maybe a little more if your oven runs cool, a little less if it runs hot.  Mine runs pretty true.  I can't say for yours so you'll have to figure it out.  On your own.  Just check it after 45 minutes.  It's done when the crust is lightly brown and the filling is bubbling.  The edges of the fruit that's poking out might look a bit singed but it's ok.  Don't point it out and no one will notice.  And don't mention your mom had to help you.

I'm not doing the recipe for the cookies.  Look on the back of the chocolate chip bag.  It's close enough.  Not as good as mine but it'll do.  For now.  Until I bake cookies again.  Then I'll share.  Maybe.  If I feel like it.

Crab and Tomato Salad

You're probably thinking this looks familiar.  Yes, I've made this before.  I can't be creative every night. I'm too busy.  There's work all day, then work all evening to build my business, and squeezing in a workout at the Tae Kwon Do studio.  And a blog to write.  Just for you.  Because I want you to be happy.

Ok, it's really for my own amusement.  I still want you to be happy.  There are enough unhappy people in the world.  I just don't particularly care if my little blog is what makes you happy.  I do it to make me happy.  You're on your own.

So tonight I had to make something quick and healthy.  And light.  Try a Tae Kwon Do class after eating a less than light and healthy meal.  You'll do it once.  Just once.

This is one of my favorite meals.  And it only takes about 10 minutes to make.  It's just mixed greens, a tomato and some imitation crab tossed with my lemon and olive oil dressing.

I'm not putting the recipe for the dressing in here again.  I've done it once.  You can go back and look for it.  I won't enable your laziness.

So yes, I do tend to repeat certain dishes.  And it may seem a bit boring.  But it's healthy, it's nutritious and it's homemade.  Hey, at least it wasn't tacos.

Random Food Night Spaghetti and Meatballs

I'm going to share a little secret with you.  Lean in a bit closer, it's a big one.  I don't always share my dinners with you in sequential order.  There.  It's out.  I feel better.  So much more honest.  It's been weighing on me.

Ok, it hasn't been weighing on me.  I came clean because I was being questioned about where my post for the most recent Random Food Night was.  Random Food Night was this past Saturday night.  On Sunday I posted about my little dinner celebration with sushi and cupcakes.  Not Random Food Night.  I got caught up in launching my new business Career Dragon and forgot all about it.  And the sushi distracted me.

So here it is.  Random Food Night with spaghetti and meatballs.  And more people.  We're developing a following.  That's right.  We're just that cool.

It's probably more that it's just really entertaining to watch the three of us cook while we empty one wine bottle after another.

I really don't have a recipe for this today.  I made the sauce and the salad dressing, Ken made the meatballs and Grace made the salad.  It was a group effort and all I can say about the ingredients with any certainty is that it was all fueled with good wine.

And there were tomatoes in the sauce and a lot (A LOT!) of garlic in the meatballs.  I know about the garlic because I peeled all the cloves for Ken.  He wouldn't do it himself.  He was whining about having raw meat on his hands.  Whatever.  Diva.

But the meatballs were really good.  Seriously.  They made the whole dish.  The man has a way with balls.

Wait.  I'll be nice and tell you one recipe.   The dressing was the lemon and olive oil concoction I've given directions for in a past post.  So there you go.  You get one recipe, the dressing.  But you have to look it up.  I'm not going to do it for you.  Be happy I did it once and quit complaining.

A Little Celebration

 So tonight I wanted to celebrate a little.  See, a while back about a year ago I decided I wanted to have my own business.  The idea of creating something from nothing that could help other people by creating jobs was really appealing.  It still is.  So I've been working at a full time job then coming home to work for myself in getting everything set up.  

And today was the day.  I launched my business, Career Dragon.  The doors are open.  You can take a look at it here:
Career Dragon 

It's not quite as exciting opening virtual doors as opposed to actual ones but I'm still pretty happy.
I'm also exhausted.  And a little cranky.  And I'm excited, obsessed, hopeful and scared to death.  So I had sushi for dinner.  And a cupcake for dessert.  Nothing calms the nerves like albacore sushi.  And chocolate.  But not together.  That's just gross.

I made the cupcakes myself but I'm not quite confident (arrogant?) enough to try sushi.  Besides, I've been working all weekend.  It was time for someone else to cook tonight and since the dog refuses every time I ask I had to order out.  She's lazy, the dog.  I ask her to help out around here and she mumbles something about not having thumbs and wanders off to nap on my bed.

There really isn't a recipe for the cupcakes.  It's just Devil's Food cake mix and pre-made frosting.  The only thing I did differently was added butter to the mix rather than the oil the directions call for.  It gives the cake a finer crumb and dryer texture.  I don't like super moist, oily chocolate cake so I usually won't eat it.

But it sounded good tonight.  I wanted to celebrate my little accomplishment.  It had to be chocolate.  You don't celebrate with vanilla.  Everyone knows that.

Riot of Color

Today while looking at my dinner I understood the meaning of the phrase "riot of color".  Ok.  Maybe I already had a pretty good hold on the phrase before dinner but I was really hungry and a bit faint so it felt more dramatic when I saw it done.

All day I was craving fresh vegetables and shrimp.  It's one of my favorite things to make when I get the organic box delivered on Monday.  This week one of the items was Chinese broccoli.  That's the beautiful green in the dish.  There were red bell peppers and yellow and green summer squash.

I only had a small handful of shrimp so I added some imitation crab.  The kind I get at the Korean market is especially good.  I had to add more protein because I knew once my son saw this he'd want some.  It was really that pretty.  Not too pretty to eat, though.  I was starving.  Seriously.

I haven't posted a recipe in a while.  You probably haven't noticed.  I thought I'd be nice and post this one.  Really more to amuse myself but if you want to cook this, knock yourself out.  Don't really knock yourself out.  It would hurt.  And I don't want the responsibility for that.

Recipe:
Minced garlic cloves - how many depends on you.  You may have a lot of vampire friends, I don't know.  If that's the case you might want to skip this part.

Grated Ginger - however much you like or whatever you find in the bottom of the vegetable drawer that isn't moldy yet.

Mix of vegetables - I used red bell pepper, yellow and green summer squash, and Chinese broccoli.  You might like something different.  Whatever.  Go crazy.  This is also a great opportunity to clean out that vegetable drawer.

Shrimp and/or Imitation Crab - How much you use depends on how many teenage boys will be dining with you.

Thai Fish Sauce, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and a Lime.  Just a regular little, green lime.  The amount you use of these three depends on you.  I know how much I use because I know what I like it to taste like.  I don't know what you want it to taste like so I can't tell you how much to use.  You'll have to figure it out yourself.  I'm sorry.  I know it makes you have to think.  I'm not sorry, really.  It's good for you.  Builds character.

Stir the garlic and ginger briefly in the hot wok and then stir in the squash before the garlic and ginger burn. Squash takes the longest to cook. Next add the bell pepper.  Once that's a bit cooked add the Chinese broccoli.  Or whatever vegetables you chose.  Just add the longer cooking ones first with the fastest cooking one added last.

Then add the  shrimp/imitation crab.  Only cook it long enough for the shrimp to turn pink and the crab to heat up.  Add the different sauces.  Add a little of each and taste it.  You'll be able to tell which ones to add more of.  The fish sauce is salty, the chili sauce is sweet and the lime is tangy.  Go easy on the fish sauce at first.  It's pretty fishy.  Seriously.  I'm not kidding, go easy.

So enjoy it if you make it.  If you don't you're missing out.  But you won't know.  So don't worry about it.