Tagged again!

I was tagged two more times recently so let me see if I can come up with 7 more random things about myself... lol :)

1. I'm a bit hooked on that "Big Love" show on HBO.... I started watching it last season and got reeled in during the first episode. It's so interesting - I never really knew anything about polygamy before it (not that what's on the show is necessarily true!) except for the little bit I learned in some sociology classes in college (I was a soc minor). Just one thing I still don't get - why on earth would any man want more than one wife?! Isn't one nagging him all day enough?! ;) Just kidding!
DH keeps asking me what the heck is going on and how so-and-so is related to this other person - gets a bit annoying! He needs to just watch it! lol

2. I don't think I ever want to have children so I'm not one of those people with "baby fever"; however, lately I've had a really bad case of "puppy fever"! I really really want to get a dog but DH keeps saying "no." He's not being mean - he wants a dog, too. It's just that we both work full-time and only have a small yard. Since we both like bigger dogs we'd feel cruel leaving a dog outside in the teeny yard. Plus, the only access to our "yard" is through the master bedroom and the door is a sliding glass door so we couldn't put in a dog door. Oh well, guess we have to move! lol

3. I get along really well with my mother-in-law. How many people can say that?! It's really a great thing - we get together quite often to go to horse shows and stuff and always end up with a bottle of wine (or two...) between us! As a related little tidbit, my parents and my in-laws also get along really well. Weird... but in a very good way! :)

4. I will put dried cranberries on just about anything...! Cereal, plain yogurt, in cookies, on salads. I love them so much! Hey, there are worse things to put on just about anything!

5. I hate driving. I seriously have a major dislike for it. I'm not sure what it is - probably the traffic and the huge number of idiot drivers in San Diego - I just do not like it at all! In fact, when I was in my early teens (13/14) I absolutely did not want to learn to drive! lol I obviously did (got my license at 16) and enjoyed it for a couple years but now it's just a pain!
Honestly, I think it's because people are just so rude on the roads - how hard is it to use your signals/not cut people off/not flip me off when I use my signal and leave plenty of space when passing you/not insist on sitting in my blind spot?? Really, not that hard! lol What can you do though, huh?!

6. I just started that FlyLady thing where you get daily cleaning assignments... So weird for me since I HATE being told what to do and how to do it! Lol, just another thing for me to rebel against..! And really, it's not Mayberry so it's not like people just pop over for a spot of tea (the whole idea of this FlyLady thing is that your house is always ready for unexpected guests)... not that I'd complain - I love tea and I love having people over! Some of it's a bit silly but it will hopefully keep me from wasting time cleaning on the weekends... we'll see how long I can keep it up for!

7. I'm dying for a vacation... We haven't had a "real" vacation since our honeymoon (April 2005!) so it's been a while. We did go to Wisconsin for a weekend last summer but that doesn't count as a real vacation. Hopefully when DH is done with school at the end of this year (yeay!) we can go somewhere to celebrate! Now - where to go?! I did realize the other day that it has officially been 10 years since I've been home (to England)... so sad. I'm having major withdrawals. That also means it's been 10 years since I've seen my best friend (talk about sad!) She's engaged but hasn't set a date (long, sad story) but I'm hoping she will set one soon so I'll have a good excuse to go over there (not like I need one!) :)

I think we've officially ran out of people to tag so you're all free from being re-tagged! :)

Oven-Crisp Potato Wedges

These make a great side dish - a nice alternative to French fries.

I just made these a second time this week and hubby said "you know, those are really really good... but I bet they'd be even better fried!" Ha! He knows I don't like to fry foods (much as I love her, I'm no Paula Deen!) so he will have to put up with them baked. They are really good, though! I honestly don't think frying would make them any better...

Serves 4 (I halved it and just made enough for 2)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 tsp. finely minced garlic
3/4 tsp. coarse salt (sea salt or kosher salt will work well)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 525 degrees (since I halved the recipe, I set my oven to 500).

1. Quarter the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss well to coat. Sprinkle the potatoes with the garlic, salt, paprika, and pepper; toss to coat.

2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with fat-free cooking spray. Arrange the potatoes on the sheet. Roast for 20 minutes (I gave mine a little less), turning twice during cooking.

3. Raise the oven temperature to Broil and broil the potatoes until they are crispy - about 1-2 minutes.

Here they are served with spicy chicken and salsa/broccoli:

Southwestern Mac and Cheese

As much as I love it, I am always a bit weary of Mac and Cheese recipes. It seems any time I've tried to make it in the past, it has come out quite bland... I'm not a fan of bland food! I just found this one so I decided to try it - wow! It has totally changed my mind about making mac and cheese! Not bland at all - it actually has quite a nice kick to it. Definitely one to make again in the future.

This recipe uses soy milk. However, if you have a soy allergy, you can sub regular milk (use the same amounts). I was a bit curious to see if hubby would notice it wasn't made with "real" milk, but you can't tell! He actually went back for seconds - a HUGE second helping so that's a good sign!

One of the great things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead - you can make the casserole without cooking it and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. So, you could make it on Sunday then come home from work on Monday and all you have to do is throw it in the oven! Gotta love recipes like that!

This will serve 6 (I made the whole thing even though it's just the two of us - we can finish it off for lunch today. Hubby is a big guy - he'll eat it all!)


Ingredients:
8 oz. elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta
2 cups plain soy milk
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese - I used 1 cup of sharp cheddar and 1 cup of this pre-shredded Mexican cheese mix (cheddar, queso quesadilla, Monterey jack, and asadero)
1 4-oz can of chopped green chiles
1/2 cup chopped onions (you can use green, white, or red onions or a combo - I used mostly red with some white onion)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. olive oil

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water (lightly salted) for 4-5 minutes or until it is barely tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool slightly. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

2. If you are not making this ahead, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the soymilk and the flour until smooth.

3. Heat the remaining 1 3/4 cups of soymilk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around the outside edge. Add the flour mixture and cook 2-3 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and thickens, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.

4. Add the cheese to the milk mixture and stir until melted. Stir in the chiles, onions, cilantro, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes. Pour this mixture over the pasta and stir well to mix. Place the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, paprika, oil, and a little red pepper flakes. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pasta. The casserole can be made up to this point and then kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 35-45 minutes (35 was perfect in my oven) or until bubbly and golden brown.

Reference:
I found this recipe in the August/September 2001 issue of Cooking Pleasures Magazine. I really didn't change much - just used different cheese and added some red pepper flakes.

Garden Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I actually got hubby to eat a completely vegetarian meal for lunch today! And, he enjoyed it! I thought for a second he wouldn't miss the meat but afterwards he said "you know, those would be really good with some bacon bits or something..." oh well! Can't hope for too much ;) We had these with a green salad (with all the toppings!) for lunch.
The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of ranch dressing but we don't use that so I subbed 1/8 cup of blue cheese dressing + 1/8 cup of sour cream.
Serves 2 (can easily be doubled or tripled)

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes
1 tbsp. margarine
1/6 cup onion, chopped
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained (or 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped)
1/8 cup blue cheese dressing
1/8 cup sour cream
1/2 tbsp. olive or canola oil salt and pepper
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded


Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and microwave them for 10 minutes on HIGH power. After microwaving, transfer them to a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes in the oven.

2. While the potatoes bake, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the margarine and onion. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Slice off the tops of the potatoes and scoop out the pulp carefully (be sure to leave the skins intact). Mash the pulp in a medium bowl. Add the onion, broccoli, and dressing to the potato pulp and mix well.

4. Brush the outsides of the potato skin shells with oil. Carefully spoon the potato and broccoli mixture into the shells. Bake the potatoes for an additional 10-15 minutes until heated through (the tops will be slightly browned). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.


I'm really not sure of the source of this recipe - I found it a long time ago and wrote it on a recipe card without citing the source (oops...)

Orange and Honey Tofu Stir-Fry

This is a wonderful low-fat dish - the tofu really picks up the flavours from the marinade. It's quick and easy to make - feel free to substitute any veggies you like!
My husband prefers it made with chicken - you can easily substitute cut up strips of boneless skinless chicken for the tofu. I have a feeling this would also be excellent with shrimp (the pre-cooked frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's would work well for this).
Serve over hot cooked rice.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Marinade:
2 tbsp. honey (or agave nectar to make it vegan)
2 tbsp. orange juice (I like to use fresh-squeezed juice; you can use prepared OJ)
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (just a good shake or two!)

Stir-Fry:
1 block extra-firm tofu (12-ounce package)
2 tbsp. honey (or agave nectar for vegan)
2 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. orange juice (fresh-squeezed or store-bought)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch or 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
**If frozen stir-fry veggies are not available, you can use carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, water chestnuts, broccoli, and celery. If desired, you could also add baby corn and pineapple chunks. If you use fresh veggies, they will just need a little extra cooking time during the first step.**

Method:
1. Prepare marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a bowl or gallon-sized plastic zipper bag. Squeeze excess liquid from the tofu using paper towels and cut tofu into small squares (about 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch). Gently toss tofu into marinade ingredients. Cover (or seal zipper bag) and marinade for 30 minutes; toss occasionally during the marinating process. After marinating, drain the tofu and discard the marinade.

2. Prepare sauce by combining 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 2 tbsp. orange juice, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, and 1 tsp. cornstarch in a small bowl.

3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium-high heat (I have an electric wok that I preheat to 250 degrees. It works perfectly for this dish). Stir-fry the vegetables only for 3 minutes or until they are crisp-tender. Remove the veggies from the wok and add the tofu. Stir-fry the tofu for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Push the tofu from the center of the wok (do not remove it). Add the sauce to the center of the wok and cook until it is thickened and bubbly.

4. Return the cooked vegetables to the wok and stir all ingredients together until they are coated with the sauce. Cook and stir for about 1 minute until everything is heated through.

Reference:
This is a modified version of the Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry recipe found in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.
Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen (1996). Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Meredith Publishing Group: Des Moines, IA.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

This is basically the filling from the black bean and corn quesadillas I made for the second round of the Platinum Chef Challenge. I thought this would make a delicious salsa.

Ingredients:
1 ear of corn or 4 servings of frozen corn
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup of onion, chopped - you could use red, white, green, or a combo of them (I like red and white ones mixed)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt

Method:
1. If you are using fresh corn - heat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the silk from the corn but leave the husks intact. Grill the corn for about 12 minutes or until it is tender. After allowing the corn to cool, remove the husks and scrape the kernels off the corn.

2. If using frozen corn - just cook the corn according to the package directions. Allow to cool.

3. Place the corn kernels in a non-reactive bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to combine. Allow to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the flavours can mix.

Enjoy with tortilla chips.

Best $5 I Ever Spent

Well, maybe not the best, but it definitely comes close!


I used to think "why the heck does anyone need that?! Use a potato peeler for goodness sake...!" and then I broke down and bought one because I realized how cheap they were and I was feeling like I needed a new gadget. Well, my goodness! What a revelation! These have to be one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime! I'm really not sure how I managed without it...!