Roasted Chickpeas

We have an Aldi around the corner from our apartment and it's becoming a problem. Why make dinner when there's a cheap and decent frozen pizza two blocks away that needs a home and warm belly? And don't get me started on their cookie selection that we've been making our way through. 10pm news and cookies has become a nightly tradition when it really never should have. 

Aldi products are like that one really fun, crazy friend you have. You love her when she shows up, but it is never a sure thing that she actually will. Take crispy chickpeas, for example. They were there, now they aren't. And you can't be mad, because that's just the kind of free-spirit the Aldi buyers are. 

But they were SO good. So I'm doing the adult thing and forming a more stable relationship. Even better-one that I can order around and make show up at my will. Add a little togarashi (picked up from a magical/accidental opening day trip to H-Mart) and it's snack time! 

Until 10pm. Then it's cookie time. 

ROASTED CHICKPEAS 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chickpeas
• 2T Olive oil
• Salt
• togarashi seasoning (or any seasoning you would like)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 450º 

Dry rinsed and drained chickpeas with paper towels or a clean towel until most of the moisture is off of them. Put them in a medium bowl and toss them with olive oil and whatever seasonings you are using. Spread chickpeas on baking sheet in single layer and bake until browned and crunchy (around 30-40 minutes).

Enjoy!

Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Tilapia with Veggies

Oh, Pinterest recipes. Such a crap-shoot. Did they spend as much time on the recipe as they did on the pin-worthy photos? Only one way to find out: get your hopes up, buy a bunch of groceries and roll the dice. 

Sometimes you win and find an easy, healthy weeknight meal like this one. Sheet-pan dinners are my new favorite thing. Not that they're anything new, but as I'm learning to juggle school and work anything that reduces active time cooking and clean up is welcomed with open arms. But this recipe is more than just convenient. It has enough kick and complexity to make me crave it, not just make it because I'm lazy and it's cheap. I mean, those are just large bonuses. 

SHEET-PAN CHILI-LIME TILAPIA WITH VEGGIES

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tilapia fillets
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into fries (or 2 medium)
• 1 broccoli head, cut into florets
• juice from 2 limes
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• 4 T olive oil (divided)
• 2 T water
• 1 T honey
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauces, diced
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t ground cumin
• salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425° F

Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, water, garlic, lime juice, honey, chipotle pepper, chili powder, cumin and cilantro in a small bowl

Place sweet potato fries and broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2T olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Move veggies over to make room for tilapia fillets and place tilapia in the reserved spaces. Brush fish with the chili-lime mixture

Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork and the broccoli begin to crisp up on the edges and have softened, about 20–25 minutes. Serve the baked tilapia garnished with cilantro, sliced chili peppers and lime wedges, if desired. 

Lemon-Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes

Turns out this blog is still here. I had no idea. When a friend mentioned she still visited it for recipe inspiration my stomach kind of twisted. 

That wasn't deleted?! 

What was on there?! 

Had I been a total idiot the whole time?!  

The answers are: no, lots, and only sometimes. After skimming through a few entries, I'm mostly convinced it's ok and am actually happy it's still up. This blog houses so many good recipes I'd forgotten about. It's cool and strange to get to look back and see myself develop as a cook (and adult). It's like a very public food diary stuffed into the bookshelves of the internet and rediscovered when you're packing up to move. 

So here's one more entry for old time's sake: Lemon-Roasted Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes. James brought home salmon from the grocery store, and this recipe had been sitting in my Epicurious recipe box for some time. It was meant to be. We tweaked it a bit, but you can find the original recipe here. I highly recommend making it. I insist on grading each new recipe we make. The most I can usually get out of James is "It's good. It's fine." This one got an unsolicited A+ and was deemed the best new recipe in a long time. High praise from a tough grader, and I completely agree. It's healthy yet filling and has super easy preparation and clean up. It has earned a place in my mental list of things to serve at a dinner party. 

Now we just need to get a dining room table... Baby steps. 

LEMON-ROASTED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS & POTATOES

adapted from Epicurious

INGREDIENTS

For the salmon:

• 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet
• 2 t. grated lemon zest
• 1 t. finely chopped oregano (I didn't have this, so used 1/2 t. dried oregano)
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 oz. roasted bell peppers from a jar, thinly sliced (Aldi didn't have these, so I didn't use them)

For the salad:

• 1 lb small new potatoes, halved
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1/2 t. honey
• 1 t. dijon mustard
• 1/4 t. kosher salt
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 finely chopped dill (I used chives for this because I had them)
• 1 package arugula or spinach/arugula mix (about 8 cups)
• 3 oz. feta, crumbled

PREPARATION

Cook the salmon and veggies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

While potatoes are roasting, rub salmon with lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper, then coat with oil. 

Remove the potatoes after 20 minutes, move them around to give you room to place the salmon in the center and asparagus mixed in on the sides. If you're using the peppers, arrange them around salmon. Bake everything until salmon is firm but still pink in center and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 

Assemble the salad:

Whisk oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup dill in a small measuring cup. Toss greens with half of the dressing in a large bowl, then transfer to a serving platter. 

When they're done, toss potatoes and asparagus with remaining dressing in same bowl, then arrange over greens. Flake salmon into large pieces and arrange on platter. Top with feta, peppers, and dill sprigs.

1. 1. 
      

2011

Yes, I've been an awful blogger lately. Let's all get over it... now!

Great. Now that that's out of the way I'd like to share with you a video of some of my favorite pictures from 2011. I absolutely loved this year. Yes, it had its trials- there was a giant blizzard, a house fire, window-breaking hail, 3/4 of my close friends moving away, and several roommates coming and going- but at the end of it all I just feel very very lucky. When I look back on these pictures and think of the time I spent and the people in them I'm filled with so much gratitude. Somehow I've been blessed with strong friendships, my wonderful family, a damn fine fella, and all sorts of characters that keep me entertained and inspired. I must be doing something right.

So enjoy! The song is "How It Ended" by The Drums. I highly recommend their album.

pumpkin scones with chocolate chips

  

I swear I haven't just been eating pumpkin foods this whole time. I was pretty much over it, honest. But then I saw this recipe over at said she said he and it looked so delicious and warm- like a hug for my stomach. And so I made it and I have no regrets. Neither do my roommates, who also loved them.

Pumpkin Scones with Chocolate Chips 

2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
milk, for brushing on dough

coarse sugar, for sprinklin 

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add butter (very cold and cut into pats) to dry ingredients. Work butter into mixture until crumbly. It's okay for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

3. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.
4. Mix pumpkin and eggs in a separate bowl. Then add mixture to other ingredients.
5. Mix to form a uniform dough. Be careful not to over-mix as the more you handle the dough, the tougher the scones will be.
6. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the paper.
7. Divide the dough in half and round each half into about a 6" circle (3/4" thick).
8. Brush each circle with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Slice each circle into 6 wedges and carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit.
10. Place pan of scones in freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
11. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, while the scones are chilling.
12. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

Continuing with the pumpkin madness- pepitas! Delicious green pumpkin seeds!

Raw they have a wonderful smokey flavor, quickly edging its way to the coveted category of my favorite snack.

Roasted and made into a pesto? Woooah. So good.

Next time I think I'll steam the salmon instead of pan-roasting, because the process is so much easier and I can taste the salmon more at the end. Also, then I can justify smothering it in this delicious pesto.

Try it. Do it. Please.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed-Cilantro Pesto 

via Bon Appétit  | November 2011

Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup (firmly packed) cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds
1/2 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (preferably wild)
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

 
Preparation

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds; sauté until beginning to brown and pop, about 2 minutes. Transfer seeds to paper towels to drain; let cool. Reserve skillet.

Pulse 6 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, cilantro, coriander seeds, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. With machine running, gradually add 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, then 1/4 cup water, blending until coarse purée forms. Season pesto to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in reserved skillet over medium heat. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes per side. Place fillets on plates. Spoon pesto over. Garnish with remaining pumpkin seeds. Serve with lime wedges.

pumpkin oatmeal

No, but really. Pumpkin. Everything.

I had leftover pumpkin puree from the doughnuts, so I've been putting it in my morning oatmeal along with pumpkin pie type spices. Few things can make me smile before 10am. This is one of them. You can see I had some real trouble stopping long enough to get a picture.

Pumpkin Oatmeal
 
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. steel cut oats
2 T. pumpkin puree
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger 
1 t. brown sugar
dash of salt

Bring water to boil in small sauce pan. Stir in oats, then simmer for 20-25 minutes on low heat. When oats are almost cooked, stir in pumpkin puree and spices. Continue cooking until flavors have mixed and oats are desired texture. 

baked pumpkin doughnuts

Seriously. All things pumpkin lately.

I made these for our Halloween party a couple of weekends ago. This is an awful, embarrassing picture from my iPhone but it's the only one I have of them and I wanted to share the recipe.

Up until recently I had thought you needed a fryer to make doughnuts, so you can imagine my delight when I found out about the doughnut pan (thank you, said she said he). For only $10 you can get baked doughnuts and wave goodbye to fears of scalding yourself and burning down your house (again). I found this recipe by doing an internet search for pumpkin doughnuts, then made a simple cinnamon sugar glaze.

Super good.


Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
via Taste & Tell Blog

Doughnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a doughnut pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together the brown sugar, butter and pumpkin. Add in the eggs, mix well, then mix in the milk and vanilla. Stir in the reserved dry ingredients.

Place the mix in a large zip-top bag. Cut off the corner and pipe into the doughnut pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 


Cinnamon Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
1 T. milk
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Mix until smooth and creamy.  The glaze should pour easily from a spoon.  You may need to add additional milk or powder sugar to get the right consistency.

pumpkin + black bean soup

Loving all things pumpkin lately.

Last week my roommate and I had the idea to take food over to two of our friends and their baby who are having a tough time lately. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to make this soup.

The recipe is one my sister Sarah sent me years ago. I remember making it in my studio apartment, back when I first lived alone and considered heating up ramen a well thought-out meal. It would make me so happy, eating the soup on my floor, watching my tv/vcr combo. I hope it gave my friends a similar feeling. Good soup kind of does that, you know? Makes everything seem a little better.

A few notes on the recipe- I used whole milk instead of cream, because that's what I had on hand. Given the choice, I wouldn't do it again because it definitely lacked some richness to sort of balance everything. Also, I didn't use chives because my produce market doesn't sell them.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup
via Rachel Ray

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree 
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
Coarse salt
chives for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

farmhouse butternut squash soup

Fall officially set in. All last week was cold, rainy, and windy. Basically the most depressing weather you can think of. It sort of felt like Chicago was holding up it's giant, skyscraper of a middle finger, while every once in a while stopping to point right at me, then resume flipping me off. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Cold weather has a way of feeling so isolating and personal- like it's you vs. the world. So I fought back with food, of course. Nothing says, Hello, Fall. I'm so glad you could join us in your best fake smile like butternut squash soup. Paired with a salad using the last of summer's tomatoes and my new favorite dressing, I'm pretty sure this meal went a long way in working towards a weather truce- even if my heart isn't quite in it yet.

Farmhouse Butternut Squash Soup (adapted from Epicurious)

4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 pounds carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 thyme sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 4-6 qt heavy pot over medium heat, add garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, broth, water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaves.

Purée about 4 cups soup in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar.

New favorite dressing

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp soy soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame seeds

Shake it up.

 

tomato, feta, & basil galette

Hi.

I just had possibly the most classic summer of my life. I fell hard for a boy who lives across the country (who went back there last week), I rode my bike everywhere, went sailing and exploring, and probably, maybe spent more days reading in the park than working.

It
was
awesome.

Farmers market visits were also made. I made sure to get tomatoes and zucchini as often as I could so I could come home and make this meal. The zucchini saute is so delicious it can hold up a meal just on its own, and the galette's crust is... well, it's really kind of hard to not eat all the dough before it's cooked.

So here are my two new favorite summer recipes. Hope you can make them before it's all cold and junk. Also, I hope you had a dreamy summer, too. I'd love to hear about it.

Summer Tomato, Feta, and Basil Galette (via Cooking Light)

Ingredients

3 2/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons ice water
1 pint jewel box tomatoes or multicolored pear tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup small basil leaves

Preparation

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor; process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add ice water through food chute, and process just until combined (do not form a ball). Gently press the mixture into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Unwrap dough, and roll dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, on top of dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Fold edges of dough over tomatoes to partially cover. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, and sprinkle with basil. Cut into 8 wedges.

Quick Sauté of Zucchini with Toasted Almonds (via Smitten Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced almonds
1 to 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife or julienne blade on a mandoline
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Few ounces pecorino Romano or paremsan, in thin slices

Heat the oil on high in a large skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds to the pan. Cook them, while stirring, until the almonds are golden-brown, approximately a minute or two.
Add the zucchini to the pan, tossing it with the oil and almonds until it just begins to glisten, about one minute. The idea is not to cook the zucchini so much as warm it.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with or without cheese on top.

summer

Fresh strawberries, raw almonds, soy milk, and some honey.

Barefoot on the back porch.

Summer, I goddamn love you.

tuna + white bean salad

Turns out I was getting sick. I guess in a way it's a good thing, at least I wasn't just being lazy. Going to that Prince vs. Michael dance party Saturday night probably wasn't the best idea. But come on, how could I not? But now all I want to do is whimper and hug something while they tell me a story. Yes, yes I am being a baby about this. Let's move on.


Before any of this went down I made an amazing tuna and white bean salad. I had been craving salt and protein all last week and so found this recipe to put an end to it. I wanted it so badly it made me actually leave the house, get on a bus, and get groceries at Whole Foods. That, and the promise of a meal made entirely on their free samples.

Good tuna is pretty key here, so keep that in mind. Also, keep in mind that I am accepting hugs and stories. My door is open, people.

Tuna and White Bean Salad, adapted from Gourmet  | September 2003 

1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15- to 19-oz) can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-lb) seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
3 roma tomatoes, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 c. basil, roughly chopped
2 (6-oz) cans tuna packed in oil (preferably olive oil), drained

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Whisk together garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes.

Gently toss beans, cucumber, tomatoes, and basil with half of dressing. Transfer to a platter or bowl and arrange tuna on top, breaking up any large pieces with a fork. Drizzle remaining dressing over tuna.

no meal slaw, 2011

Maybe I'm getting sick, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's other, non-internet-spilling things, but I cannot seem to make myself do anything lately. Like grocery shopping, for example. Usually I love this part of my day- I shut down my computer, make a grocery list, and then take a leisurely half-mile walk to the produce market. It serves as a dividing line between my work day and my free time, and has become a key tool in surviving working from home.

But not this week. This week I just want to lay on my bed and read a book while my cats cuddle up to my legs. Or go out with friends and replace my dinner with vodka tonics and second-hand smoke. So, long story short, I give you...

no-meal slaw, the 2011 edition. 
 It's not that good, but it's not that bad. Kind of like my mood lately.

1/4 of a purple cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1/4 of a green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 radishes, cut into matchsticks 
juice of one lime
1 T olive oil
salt
pepper
sriracha

Mix cabbage, beans, and radishes together in large bowl. Add lime juice and olive oil. Toss to coat, then season to taste. Eat for the next day and half while cursing your laziness. 

weekday breakfast

This is currently the best way to get me out of bed in the morning. Sliced bananas, walnuts, drizzled agave nectar. Also works with pears and raw almonds.

I'm just nuts about it. Sorry, had to.

late easter

I was going through my photos today, trying to get some up on Flickr, and realized I completely forgot to wish you happy Easter. And I had such a good photo to go with it!

So happy late Easter. This mashed potato monster was made by John, my sister Sarah's fiance. Have I mentioned lately how awesome I think my family is? I know everyone probably thinks that about their people, but come on. Look at this picture. I feel so lucky.

weekend breakfast

I had a long long holiday weekend. It actually started on Thursday with bowling and the Bob Inn for my friend Sophie's birthday and then just took off from there. In between were several recipe duds that do not deserve to be written out here, leaving me with a strange mix of ingredients. So on Sunday I woke up (maybe hung over, maybe not. I'll never tell), looked in my fridge and came up with some great breakfast tacos. In this I got to use up some of the cabbage halves and green onions I had left over from the dairy-crazy and bland coleslaw as well as some mozzarella from my intense pizza-making phase (with the disappointing sauce) earlier in the week. It made me so happy that I had to immediately go back to bed and nap.

I doubt you need the recipe, but in an effort to be somewhat consistent I'll include it. 


Crispy Breakfast Tacos
makes 3 for a hungry lady


Ingredients 
1 c. finely sliced mix of purple and green cabbage
2 green onions, finely sliced
olive oil
1 lime
3 eggs
2-3oz shredded mozzarella 
1 can of black beans, drained
1 t. cumin
2 t. vegetable oil

corn tortillas
hot sauce


Process
Dump black beans into a small bowl. Add cumin. Using a fork, stir and mash the beans against the side of the bowl until about half the mix is mashed. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat on med-high until hot.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the cabbage and onions. Add the lime juice and a splash of olive oil and toss to mix. 


When oil is hot in pan, on one side add one tortilla with about 1oz of the cheese, on the other crack one egg to cook. When the mozzarella starts to melt slightly, top with about 1/4 c. of the mashed beans. Continue to heat until the egg white is set. Then remove tortilla, add egg and desired about of cabbage mix to taco. Top with lots and lots of hot sauce.


Now go back to bed and watch Netflix.

food made by others

I've had some incredible luck lately in the food-made-by-others department. Thus, very few posts in the food-made-by-me blog.

As I type this one of my roommates is making pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Here's a picture of the process. And the other day? I got to eat this. Up until that point I totally thought baked alaska was a fish dish. Nope. It's an amazing hot/cold cake-splosion. Thanks, Heather & Roy for keeping me hopped up on sugar, and sorry to the rest of you for having to put up with the results.

key lime cheesecake with strawberries and blueberries

Birthday season is upon me. It seems I can only befriend Tauruses and Geminis. It makes sense, the Tauruses keep things steady and loyal while the Geminis spice up my rather fret-y and practical Virgo disposition. My good friend Jen's birthday on May 13th is the kick-off point, so I decided to go big. If anyone deserves some extra effort it's this girl. She loves key lime pie and cheesecake and I found a recipe that included both. Why not?

It was my first time making a cheesecake, so I was a little nervous but I hear it turned out alright. I had to drive to Des Moines this weekend (for another birthday party), so I wasn't able to try it. But don't feel too bad for me, I'm going out to dinner with Jen tonight and she promised to give me a piece afterward.*

The recipe called for mango ribbons, but that sounded incredibly hard with such a slippery fruit and also I just wasn't sure if Jen like them, so I opted for blueberries and strawberries instead. Feel free to try whatever. Also, I used bottled Key lime juice.

*Update: I did get to try the cheesecake and it was awesome. The crust turned out to be my favorite part, but I definitely recommend making this recipe.

Key Lime Cheesecake with Blueberries + Strawberries 

lightly adapted from Gourmet/May 2002

For crust
1 1/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

For filling
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh Key lime juice (strained from about 1 1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

For topping
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c strawberries, sliced 1/8"
1 tablespoon fresh Key lime juice (strained) or bottled
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
 

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter bottom and side of 9"-9 1/2"spring-form pan.

Stir together crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press evenly onto bottom and one-third up side of pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 8 minutes and cool in pan on a rack.

Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in sugar. Add lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in flour and salt at low speed, scraping down side as needed, until just incorporated, then add eggs all at once and mix just until incorporated.

Pour filling into crust and set springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake cake in middle of oven until set in center, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.)

Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. If desired, transfer cake with a large metal spatula to a serving plate.

Make topping:
Gently toss blueberries + strawberry slices with lime juice.

Beat cream with sugar in a bowl until it just holds stiff peaks, then spread over top of cheesecake. Arrange fruit decoratively over cream.

zucchini + snow-pea salad

It finally feels like it might, maybe, at some point, become summer. Good thing I've found just the recipe for it. This salad is delicious and tastes so fresh and crisp- exactly what I want to eat in weather like this. It would be perfect with grilled meat or fish. But that's just an assumption, since I don't have a grill.

I think I may be a wuss when it comes to seasons switching. In the past I'd always blamed it on my hating change, but that's not really a problem anymore, so I'm not sure what it is. All I know is I feel full all the time, lethargic, and lonely. That last one isn't something I feel a lot. I really enjoy being and doing things alone most of the time, but for some reason this time of year makes me antsy and question myself. No good. No good at all. So I guess maybe I'm saying let's hang out.

Zucchini and Snow-Pea Salad

Gourmet  | June 2008

by Melissa Roberts

1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 teaspoon sugar

Very thinly slice zucchini and place in a large sieve set over a bowl. Toss zucchini with 3/4 tsp salt and drain 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, blanch snow peas in a pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp salt for 4 qt water) 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge snow peas into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry. 

Rinse zucchini under cold running water, then press gently to remove any excess liquid. Pat dry. 

Toast sesame seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes, then cool. 

Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then toss with vegetables and sesame seeds.