Meals 11-17

our streak of low carb cooking continues into another week!

01/11 once again i face the double challenge of a meatless meal that is low carb. the answer tonight was eggplant napoleons. stacks made of roasted eggplant layered with tomato, roasted red pepper and mozzarella. a little pesto and balsamic drizzle and these tiny beauties are most satisfying. the taste is reminiscent of a pizza, and you can never go wrong with pizza! besides, they look so pretty after they've been assembled.....

01/12 i had a hankering for "tex mex" tonight. so i made a jalapeño popper stuffed chicken with mashed black beans and southwest squash casserole. for the chicken i took chicken breasts that had been tenderized and flattened and rolled them with a filling of cream cheese and jalapeños. i brushed the top with bbq sauce and put just a sprinkling of cheddar on top. a little spicy. and a lot tasty. the squash was baked with green chilies, sour cream and cheddar. the individual components of the meal were all ok...but something about the combination of all three together? very tasty!!

01/13 tonight we met up with tony's friends that have formed a "dinner club". once a month they meet together to try out a new restaurant in the area. tonight we went to neyla. a greek style restaurant nearby. i did have to cheat a little on my "low carb" restrictions. this place makes its own pitas. and i do so love a good homemade pita! i got the dip sampler and was most pleased.  http://neyla.com

01/14 maybe it's my irish heritage....but i always love a good shepherd's pie. it's always so comforting and savory. perfect on a winter's night. in trying to make the meal a little healthier i used a mash cauliflower on top instead of mashed potatoes. and served it with a side of the oh-so-delicious roasted brussels sprouts. not the most exciting of meals. but a solid classic!

01/15 the very first time i ventured into the world of low carb recipes, i put together a chicken stuffed with spinach and sun dried tomatoes. much like the jalapeño popper chicken, i start with a chicken breast that has been tenderized and flattened. this time i rolled it with a stuffing of spinach that had been sautéed with shallot, garlic, sun dried tomato, feta and balsamic vinegar. over the years this has been a go-to favorite at la casa de gaio. i've learned the magic that a few carefully added herbs can bring to a simple chicken dish. a drizzle of balsamic salad dressing on top and then a pinch of salt, pepper, thyme and oregano really bring the flavors of this dish up several notches. i usually serve this with a simple garden salad. nothing fussy. just fresh crisp vegetables.

01/16 harris teeter had a sale today on some beautiful tuna steaks, so dinner tonight was a nicoise salad. tuna seared to a rare-medium rare on a bed of greens with hard boiled egg, olives. green beans, tomato and red peppers. i went back to the shallot and honey dijon vinaigrette i made a few dinners ago. the light dressing paired perfectly with the strong flavors of the tuna and egg. a very filling and high protein meal!

01/17 i had a boss a few years ago that would always bring shredded italian brisket to every pot luck. when i finally got the recipe from him, it was embarrassingly easy, but amazingly delicious. a 4 lb brisket with one can of beef stock and one packet of good season italian dressing mix in a crock pot on low for 10 hours. the brisket is so tender it falls apart. he would always serve it with italian rolls, but i usually serve it with mashed cauliflower as a healthier option. for a side i made a green bean casserole (it's not just for thanksgiving!). over all a comforting winter meal.

another week done! looking forward to next week, where fruits and whole grains will be back in the rotation!!

Meals 4-10

with the holidays over, i'm trying to get myself back on track with eating healthy. the next two weeks will be more of an emphasis on low-carb meals (pretty much the phase one of south beach). this always resets my mindset away from the sugars and snacks. i always find this takes a little creativity to stay healthy without getting bored. and i do love a challenge!

01/04 since tonight was also a monday, i needed a recipe that was not only low carb but vegetarian.  so i made a simple frittata with zucchini, mushrooms, leeks and fontina cheese. i did a batch of tomatoes roasted with balsamic and garlic as a side, and garnished both with fresh basil. the bonus of this meal is that the leftovers will reheat quite nicely for breakfast!

01/05 one of my favorite carb-free meals is chicken in a creamy sun dried tomato sauce. we had a friend of tony's staying with us tonight, so i didn't want to make something "too diety". it must have served it's purpose, because everyone's place was clean. i also recommend making this meal with a side of rice or polenta to soak up the AMAZING sauce of this dish.

01/06 going back to my love of all things made in a muffin tin, tonight was mini kale pies. the "crust" is italian sausage formed into muffin tin. the filling is ricotta cheese mixed with kale, parmesan, garlic and onion. for a side i roasted zucchini with parmesan and italian seasoning. another meal that will double as a wonderful breakfast in the morning.

01/07 i was out of town tonight for work, and left to the mercy of an industrial cafeteria. luckily the food here had enough variety i could cobble together a meal that didn't break my diet stride. a simple salad and a very sad piece of flounder. it took all the will power i could muster not to take advantage of the free cookies here!!

01/08 this recipe is straight out of the south beach diet cook book. "turkey burgers with fennel". i always add a cup of shredded zucchini to the recipe because i often find ground turkey to be a little dry. i topped the burgers with tzatiki and served them with a greek salad. it's one of the simpler meals i can always rely on to be good and super healthy. the creamy texture of the tzatiki makes the meal feel so much more decadent than it really is!

01/09 tonight we had an invitation to a friend's house for a dinner party. she wanted to do a "raclette" dinner. which i'm ashamed to say i had to google. how is it with all of my love of cheese i had never heard of this???

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette

apparently raclette is not only a type of cheese, but a style of preparation. it's basically a really fancy and amazing delicious fondue. everybody gets little trays that they can put whatever combination of meats, veggies and bread onto. then you cover it with cheese and heat it until it melts. delicious!!!! i highly recommend you if EVER get the chance to try this? DO IT!

01/10 i ended the week with a meal inspired by something i had a few years ago at a small restaurant in brooklyn. seared scallops over wilted collard greens on a bed of cannellini beans. it sounds....odd. and a combination i never would've imagined that i would like. but something about the way the flavors all meld together? it's actually become one of my favorite meals. the white beans are tossed in olive oil and old bay (a personal touch....i am from maryland after all). the greens are wilted in bacon that's been cooked with shallots and garlic, then tossed with hot sauce and cider vinegar. the scallops are seared in butter, garlic and red pepper flakes. all very simple. but i promise you when it comes together? it is amazing!

i feel pretty good after this week. no more holiday sugar hangover! i've always felt that as long as food tastes good? and flavorful? you don't notice that it's *gasp* healthy!!!!

Meals 1-3

01/01 for my first meal of the year, i made lasagna rolls. if you've never tried these? i'm a huge fan. just like my love of things cooked in muffin tins....making "lasagna rolls" instead of classic pan lasagna allows for equal portions. this particular recipe has a filling that is made of caramelized onions, mushrooms, garlic, kale and ricotta cheese. the sauce is a bleu cheese and cauliflower puree. to be honest? the sauce is the reason i made this meal. i've been curious to try it, and i was not disappointed! it had the pleasing texture of an alfredo sauce, but with much more depth of flavor. i put the recipe for the sauce below. for a side i roasted some asparagus with just a little bit of lemon zest. it looks like a rich and decadent meal, but it was actually light and refreshing.

Bleu Cheese Cauliflower Sauce:
1 Tblsp butter
1 Tblsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c white wine
1 1/2 c chicken broth
4 cups chopped cauliflower
1/2 c bleu cheese (or parmesan if you prefer a more traditional alfredo taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

-heat butter and olive oil over medium
-add garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté 1 minute
-add wine, broth and cauliflower
-turn heat to high and bring to a boil
-reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes (cauliflower should be fork tender)
-puree using an emersion blender until smooth
-add bleu cheese and stir until melted
-if consistency is too thick? add a little bit of milk until desired consistency.

**side note, i mixed the leftover sauce with some buffalo sauce....HIGHLY recommend. next time i'm making the sauce and pouring it over chicken to bake. maybe with a little bacon on top. the meal was a 3 1/2....but the sauce? 4 3/4.

01/02 tonight was comfort food. i've had several people recommend this recipe to me, saying it never fails to disappoint. i have a niece who makes it for her family, and they always love it. a "loaded potato and chicken casserole". layers of diced potatoes, chicken, bacon, cheese and scallion mixed with spices like garlic, paprika and cayenne. i figure any recipe that has cheddar cheese and bacon? must be good! a little sour cream for texture, and some fresh tomatoes as a garnish. served with a side of my beloved roasted brussels sprouts. a solid wintery meal!

01/03 i decided to go on the fancy and every-so-slightly-french side tonight. steak au poivre served with mini bleu cheese soufflés and pear/endive salad. this is why i started the goal....to push myself to try new meals. new recipes. new flavors. and tonight i was most pleased with the results!

the salad was simple and delicious. bartlett pears with endive, spinach, dried cherries and candied pecans.  the dressing was a honey dijon and shallot vinaigrette. which makes me wonder, why don't i make my own dressings more often? it was tangy and sweet and light and wonderful. as heavy as the rest of the meal was, it was nice to have this crisp balance.

i very rarely pan-sear steaks. i'm a fan of grilling for red meat. but tonight i really wanted to try the classic au poivre style with cream brandy sauce, and that called for the sauté pan. it turned out much better than i imagined! i used a cut of beef tenderloin (thankfully on sale) done to medium rare. a wonderfully tender cut. and a nice base for the decadent sauce of shallots, cream and brandy. gotta love the french and their sauces!

but the best part of the meal was definitely the bleu cheese soufflés. this was an adaptation of a recipe for a bleu cheese-cheesecake that my mom sent me a while ago. i pared down the recipe for individual portions baked in ramekins. these. were. amazing. so creamy. so rich. so savory. so perfect with steak. and actually relatively simple. since i've given the bleu cheese sauce recipe? makes sense to give this one too!

Bleu Cheese Cheesecakes (for 2 ramekins):

4 oz cream cheese (softened)
4 oz bleu cheese (softened-i used my favorite, maytag)
2 Tblsp sour cream
1 egg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper
2 Tblsp scallions (chopped)

-whisk (or beat using a stand mixer) the cream cheese, bleu cheese and sour cream until almost smooth.
-beat egg into the cheese mixture.
-add spices and stir to combine.
-pour into ramekins.
-top with scallions.
-bake for 45 minutes at 350F.

this meal is a solid 4. maybe a 4 1/4.... and it makes me very please that i've taken on this endeavor!

Happy New Year!

so here it is. 2016. time to start my ridiculous goal. the entire purpose of this blog is to track that obsessive goal that i set for myself. an entire year where i never have the same meal twice for dinner.  this will force me to try the recipes i've been wanting to try. to attempt new styles of cuisine. to broaden my culinary horizons.

so here are the rules i have set for myself:

i can have the same main dish more than once (i.e. chicken). but it must be prepared in a different way. or served with different sides.

mondays are vegetarian. i like the idea of "meatless mondays". so i want to try to hold to that idea. i was a vegetarian for about 8 years, so a lot of my early recipes are already meatless....this caveat isn't too difficult.

dining out is a part of life. and i'm not a hermit. not to mention as much as i love cooking? i do need a break from the kitchen every so often. i do want to try to explore new and different restaurants, but i know there are some go-to favorites tony and i will frequent more than once (i'm looking at you ford's fish shack). so if i go to the same restaurant more than once? i have to order a different dish every time i go.

there will be nights, many nights, where i just don't feel like setting foot in the kitchen. and though i have carefully planned a year's worth of meals? sometimes that is going to be set aside while i have a cupcake for dinner. which is perfectly acceptable. as long as i don't have the same cupcake more than once. also i feel that cheese is an acceptable main course for dinner. and there are so many varieties of cheese.....

lunch and breakfast are fair game. i can eat the same thing everyday for lunch if i want. usually this will be the meal that takes care of all the leftovers i'm going to have. (again, an open call to any one who wants to help with this particular and very first world problem).

i'll do my best to track each night. i might not blog daily....but i'll attempt at least a weekly update.  and if there's something spectacular (anything higher than a 4 on the TRS) i'll share the recipe!

366 days of different dinners. of course i have to pick a leap year to do this crazy business. and if you are wondering? yes...there is a spreadsheet.

i'm sure with travel and vacations, many of my meals will be postponed. so this will likely stretch into next year!

if anyone has any request, i'm open to suggestion! and my table is open for guests!!

cheers to you all, here's to an adventurous 2016!

C is also for Christmas (tree)

many moons ago, i was at a garden center that was going out of business. it happened to be the week between christmas and new years, so everything christmas themed or related was 95% off. i was 23, and in the middle of my "dragonfly" years. i never stayed in one place long. always flitting from one city to another. and the places i did live? were the size of postage stamps. i was never going to have room for anything bigger than a charlie brown tree. all the same, i purchased a $250 7 foot artificial norweigan fir tree. for $12.

i know, artificial trees are kinda hokey looking. but this one really is very realistic looking. and i know me, if i got a real tree? i'd be that person who had shedding pine needles all over the house through march. i do miss the smell of a real tree. but that's easily solved with a yankee candle.

for years this tree lived in my parents attack, still sealed. it wasn't until i came into tony's life, and into his townhouse, that i had a place to finally set my tree.

i try to put together a respectable tree. small white lights with lots of red and gold. branches of berries and painted pine cones.

i was going for warmth. and seasonal. and.....nerdy. if you get a good look at our tree? we have all sorts of gems hidden amongst the classic "crate and barrel" look. like a darth vadar. a darth vadar in an ugly christmas sweater. that has AT-AT's with antlers.

a john deere. cause....tony. iowa has to be represented. 

this guy i love. nothing says "awesome" like dr seuss.

and no tree would be complete without an angel. DON'T BLINK.

of course where there is a weeping angel, there must be a TARDIS. it's bigger on the inside.

i try to collect ornaments whenever i travel. from scotland? i brought.....the hairy coo. mostly because i love that it is called.....a hairy coo.

we also have set our stockings by the chimney (we don't have a fireplace, so figured a staircase was the next best thing.) we each have one from what we consider to be quintessential  christmas movies.

bumbles bounce!

fra-gee-lay.

the last touch of holiday cheer we bring to the home sits beneath our tree. the world's saddest elf.....

seriously, have you ever seen a face so embarrassed? she's like the teenage daughter of the dog world. always annoyed with what we do.

now with my tree all aglow, my stockings hung with care, and my "balsam and cedar" candle burning, i'm ready to begin my christmas cheer! cue the muppets and john denver!!!

C is for Cookie

to me a necessary element to the holiday season is scent. the woodsy smell of pine and fir. the refreshing scent of citrus. the smell in the air before it snows. and of course the sweet smell of baking cookies.

for as long as i can remember, candies and cookies were a mandatory part of preparing for christmas. as a child i would help my mother roll snickerdoodles in cinnamon sugar and stir the toffee as it boiled on the stove.

now i continue the tradition in my own kitchen. every year i bring out the 3x5 cards that are stained and smeared from years of use. most years i experiment with new recipes (some successful like the s'more cookies, some not....pretty much any attempt that involved egg whites). but i always have a few classics i have to make.

christmas isn't christmas without gingersnaps or snickerdoodles. maybe it's the warmth of the spices in each cookie. or just how fun they are to say their names. or it is simply the smell of these two wintery favorites baking.

the recipe i use for snickerdoodles is pretty much the same one i helped my mother with so many years ago... and yes, you do need cream of tartar. no clue what it does. but it seems to be the magic behind the snickerdoodle.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 c crisco                                       1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter (softened)                      2 eggs
2 3/4 flour                                        2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda                             1/4 tsp salt

*cinnamon sugar for coating (approximately 1 Tbsp cinnamon to 1/4 cup sugar)

-Heat oven to 400F
-Cream together crisco, butter, sugar and eggs.
-Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
-Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet.
-Form dough into ping-pong sized balls.
-Toss in cinnamon-sugar.
-Place on prepared cookie sheet 2" apart.
-Bake 10 minutes (until golden).

i highly recommend tossing the pre-cooked cookies and cinnamon sugar together in a ziplock bag. i do about 5-6 at a time. super easy and keeps the mess minimal.

here's my little army of cookies waiting to be placed in the oven. have i mentioned how much i love my new cookie sheets? not a single cookie burned or stuck!

words cannot express how phenomenal the smell that poured out of the oven when i opened the door was. and again, an oven with convection bake setting? much love. this has cut my baking time in half this year. which i guess means i should make twice as many cookies?

now for the gingersnaps.... mine are slightly different from most people's. for one, they're softer than the average snap. and a little bit spicier. my "secret ingredient"? this stuff:

cardamom. it's not just for indian food anymore. i find it adds an extra "snap" to the snap. it isn't a hot spice, but extremely flavorful.  this recipe is a little unusual (the vinegar threw me for a loop), but i promise, it makes for one amazing cookie. the process is very similar to the snickerdoodle. these two compliment each other very well.

Gingersnaps

2 sticks (1 c) butter                                       3 c sugar
3 eggs                                                            1 c molasses
2 Tbsp white vinegar                                    6 3/4 c bread flour
2 Tbsp baking soda                                       4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon                                  1 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground cardamom                                

*sugar for coating (approximately 1/4 cup)

-Heat oven to 375F
-Cream together butter and sugar.
-Incorporate molasses, eggs and vinegar to butter mixture.
-Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, clove and cardamom.
-Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet.
-Form dough into ping-pong sized balls.
-Toss in sugar.
-Place on prepared cookie sheet 2" apart.
-Bake 10 minutes (until golden).

action shot! the convection bake setting, the ceramic cookie sheets, the stand mixer.... cookie making is so much easier for me now!!!

here they are, fresh out of the oven, with that beautiful cracking on the outside and the dusting of sugar. 

these + a nice cup of chai tea? will make for a lovely afternoon snack!!!

Meet Cash

we have a new guest staying with us at la casa de gaio.



he came to us from chattanooga. he is a two year old feral cat who was being fostered by our friends daliah and mark.

the little man was found living in a barn with a family of strays. our friends took it upon themselves to foster this family and get them healthy enough to be adopted into human homes (which i think earns them both a spot in heaven).

they called him "buster" (short for bustepher jones...the "cat about town" from the T.S. Eliot poem). i love that they are familiar with old possum's book of practical cats!

they knew with buster it would be a difficult battle to get him acclimated to people and living indoors.

his need for a safe home indoors took a dramatic upswing a few weeks ago. this poor creature was hit by a car, and his little jaw was broken. his mandible needed to have a wire put in it for him to heal properly.

we got an email from daliah and mark that they would be in town (visiting friend and family) and were asking if anyone had room in their homes for buster.  they weren't having much luck finding anyone in tennessee that could take in a cat with these rather unique problems, so they wanted to cast a wider net.

when tony showed me the email, my heart broke for this furry creature who had been through so much.

we have been talking about getting another cat. we lost our lewis in february. and i know we can offer safety, comfort, and lots of snuggles. so after a great deal of talking, tony and i decided we would take this cat in, and do our best to continue his rehabilitation.

after a few days with our new boarder, we started to call him "cash". as in johnny. he is from tennessee after all. and a man in black. so it seemed like a good fit!

it's been a rough few days. because of the wire in his mouth, cash will only eat a little bit at a time, and it takes a lot of coaxing. we have finally discovered that baby food, specifically pureed chicken, will whet his appetite. but we have to feed him by hand, which takes a great deal of patience. and is pretty messy. i end up with more chicken on me, than on him.



it's worth it though. when we are able to get him out from under the bed, he is really the most snuggly of cats. very sweet, and super loving.

cash is still wary of every noise in the house. and totally freaked out by mahjong (he has an existing fear of dogs). and he still has the wire for another 5 weeks. but we're hopeful that he will find comfort here, and learn that this really is a safe place.