Mambo Italiano August 22, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food.Tags: Broccoli, Chicken Parmesan, Garlic Bread, Penne
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I had so many plans for today. So many plans! But they all went to the wayside when I started applying for jobs. BAH.
Rather than canning peaches, cleaning the living room, going to the gym in the afternoon, and a little bit of job search, my day ended up more like this: Sit down for a second to check on some of my applications, find a job that I would love to have, apply, apply, apply for the whole day. I’m beginning to go a little stir crazy!
Anyway, after a day like that, I certainly needed a delicious meal for dinner. Chris and I decided on chicken parmesan with lots of veggies on the side.
For the parm, we split a chicken breast, (one of the ones my grandmother sent in the mail) breaded it, and crisped it up in a pan with a little olive oil. A little penne for each of us to go underneath and a generous sprinkling on mozzarella cheese to top it all off. We baked the whole thing in the oven at 425* until the cheese was melted and golden brown. Mmmm, perfection! On the side I had a piece of garlic bread and a mountain of broccoli. Just the perfect addition to a hot and cheesy meal.
Bountiful Brunch August 21, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Breakfast, Craving, Family, Food.Tags: Lafayette Peach Festival, Mango, Waffles, Whipped Cream
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Weekends are delightful. I love filling them with activities, festivals, and of course a bit of relaxation.
Lafayette, CO has an enormous peach festival each year. Chris’ mom and I went to check it out. I was hoping that it would be a celebration of all things peach, but there were a lot non-peach related booths.
When we first walked in, the festival seemed to be just what I wanted. A huge booth of organic, tree-ripened peaches was the first one we walked by. Next came a tent with peach jams, and a peach and jalapeno glaze. We were off to a good start! As we wandered further into the festival, we passed by the biggest peachy area: the cobbler/pie/smoothie booth. The line was so long there that it didn’t seem worth the wait in the hot sun.
As soon as we passed that area, there were no other peach booths. Lots of pottery, jewelery, crafts and foods were being sold in an incredible number of booths. I just wish that there was more peachy goodness at a peach festival. Lots of fun regardless of the lack of peaches.
Today, Chris and I decided to have a relaxing morning. Waffles and Boulder sausage for brunch! We don’t do breakfast foods very often, so it was definitely a nice treat.
On the top, I decided to put a warmed mango. It’s so easy to make a lovely warm fruit topping for waffles or pancakes, and it just makes a world difference!
- Start by cutting up your fruit into bite size pieces. I chose mango today, but apple, peach, strawberry or pear would work beautifully as well.
- Put the fruit into a medium sized pot and add in a splash of water- no more than a few tablespoons.
- Once the fruit has started to warm up, add in a couple teaspoons of sugar or honey. This will start to make a bit of a syrup with the juices.
- I like to add in some cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger at this point. You can add in whatever spices you think will go well with your fruit.
- Once all the spices are mixed in and the juice is a thin syrup consistency, pour it on top of your waffle or pancake. Your tastebuds will thank you!
Add on a little dollop of whipped cream, and you soon will be in breakfast heaven. The warmed fruit mixture takes five minutes to make, and the breakfast will go from good to brilliant in a flash!
Toppings Make Everything Taste Better August 20, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Food, Lunch.Tags: Artichokes, Mozzarella, Olives, Roasted Red Pepper, Salad
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One of the things that I miss most about college is the cafeteria. This is probably not the case for most people… I’ve heard horror stories about “dorm food”. Schools that only offer fast food choices, your typical pizza and chicken tenders fare.
This was not the case at Dickinson College. I loved the cafeteria! There were so many choices every night:
Two hot meals
One vegan hot meal
A meal from the grill
Two soups
And my favorite: the salad bar
Salad at home is always a bore to make. In my salads, I like to have lots of different toppings, but I dislike cleaning and chopping all the veggies. I want cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, peas, olives, artichokes, beets, cheese, couscous, pasta, tuna, etc., but I don’t want anything to go to waste later in the week.
That’s the obvious reason as to why I appreciate salad bars so much! Everything is chopped! There are so many choices! I can put as much or as little of any ingredient on my salad! It’s exactly what I want, when I want it.
Today, I decided to go to my local King Soopers grocery store to stop by their salad bar. Now, this isn’t a typical salad bar, but it has a selection of Mediterranean salads and veggies. I nabbed some spring greens from the produce section ($.54!) and then filled my to go cup with lots of Med goodness. For my salad I chose: three types of olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, baby mozzarella, wheat berry salad, and tabbouleh. Fantastic!
Doesn’t that make you want to dive in??? I love the different textures that all of the toppings provide. The red pepper went so well with all of the other items, hurray! Definitely a wonderful lunchtime feast.
Nachos Nachos Everywhere August 19, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Food, Lunch.Tags: Bell Peppers, Black Beans, Cheese, Nachos, Tomatoes
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What to do with leftovers?
Make them into nachos!
After a morning filled by searching and applying for jobs, I decided that a hearty lunch was in order. There is nothing so draining as the job search. I also find that there is nothing so therapeutic as putting together a meal. Definitely a good way to counteract my morning of drudgery.
On the nachos: black beans sautéed with onions, a bit of ground beef, and melted colby jack cheese over the top. In the middle: chopped tomatoes, green bell peppers, and a dollop of sour cream. Delish!
I find it hard to be stressed while munching on homemade nachos and watching Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Lovely!
Meat in the Mail August 14, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food.Tags: Anniversary, Broccoli, Potatoes, Steak
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As I said, Chris and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary recently…as in August 1st! Just before we left for our weekend getaway, we found a package on our doorstep. In this glorious package, we found filet mignon, pork chops, chicken breasts, kitchen knives and a cutting board. My grandmother sent us a wonderful present from Omaha Steaks that we are going to enjoy most thoroughly!
For our first attempt at cooking our meat in the mail was a fantastic success. In typical fashion, Chris deftly grilled the steaks to perfection. I added in broccoli and roasted potatoes. It was certainly a delicious meal altogether.
Chris put a dry rub on the steak. It included coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, brown sugar, salt and pepper. It came out so well! For the potatoes, I boiled them first to cut down on the roasting time. After they came out of the water, I added paprika, a bit of salt and olive oil then baked them for 20 minutes. I always love it when foods are ready at the same time!
Just the way we both like our steaks. Absolutely delicious!
Healthy Heath 