A Dinner Worth Sharing

This will be a short and sweet post, but I just have to share tonight's dinner:

Grilled salmon* for me (steak for Hubs), steamed broccoli and twice baked potatoes.

*I know I said last week that we're not fans of salmon, but I actually do like it okay if I'm in the right mood for it. Also, we had a bag of it in the freezer that needed to be eaten.

I seriously loved this meal. It was pretty darn simple to make and totally satisfying. The twice baked potatoes were definitely the star of the show!

I've made twice baked potatoes before, but I was reminded of them recently when reading Yes I Want Cake's post on them.
I made them the same way as she did so check out her blog for the deets. Definitely adding twice baked potatoes back into the regular rotation!

And if you're wondering about the salmon, it was simply seasoned with jerk seasoning and then grilled on a piece of foil (so it doesn't fall through the grate) for about 10 minutes.

Now I'm off to hang out with these two:

Have a great night!

Healthier Buffalo Wings & Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites

I had a request from my friend Kim to post the recipes for the food that we made for the Super Bowl. I know I talked about needing a detox the day after, but in reality that was more from the volume of food I ate, not the unhealthiness of the food.

The food we made were actually healthier versions of two favorite "football foods":

Buffalo Wings....

and Potato Skins....

Alex was in charge of the Buffalo Wings.

He used Alton Brown's recipe for Buffalo Wings, which involves first steaming the wings and then baking them at a high temperature in the oven.

It's a bit labor intensive, but it really does result in wings that are healthier and just as delicious as their fatty fried counterparts! We actually both commented that we may even like these better than the typical fried version.

They were so good! He even made them healthier by decreasing the amount of butter called for in the recipe and increasing the hot sauce.

The only downside to the making of these wings is that the oven was smoking so much while they were baking that our fire alarms (every single one in the house) were going off for 10 minutes straight and we couldn't seem to get them to turn off, even with every window and door in the house open. It was stressful, to say the least. :)

I was in charge of the "Potato Skins", which were a recipe that I found in the most recent edition of Rachael Ray Magazine (no, I don't subscribe, but I do sometimes purchase it if I see a lot of good looking recipes).

She calls them "Hot Potatoes", but I think calling them "Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites" is a more accurate description. They're basically a healthified and vegified version of Potato Skins, made in bite size form.

These were also a bit labor intensive, first requiring you to boil the potatoes, then cool them, then cut in half, then scoop out the insides, then assemble the "stuffing", then place the stuffing back inside the halved potatoes, and then bake them. Oh and you also had to boil the broccoli, cool it, and then chop it into tiny pieces for the filling.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure they were completely worth all the effort. They were tasty, but I think they lacked a lot of flavor. If I were to do them again I think perhaps incorporating barbecue sauce (or some sort of sauce) into the stuffing would have made them a bit more special. Or maybe they just needed a more flavorful dipping sauce (I just served them with greek yogurt as a topping).
If you're interested, click the link for the recipe for Rachael Ray's "Hot Potatoes", aka Broccoli Stuffed Potato Bites.

What are your favorite "football foods"? Did you cook anything for the Super Bowl?

Plan to Not Plan

I really didn't think I liked not planning out our meals. But today as I started dreaming up what I would make for dinner tonight I realized that it can actually be kind of fun to have no plans! Fly by the seat of your pants, be resourceful, let your mind wander kinda cooking. Make whatever you feel like making that day! No restrictions! {well, except ingredients}

Hmmmm...what do I have?

Sweet Potatoes
Onion
Black Beans
Cilantro
Eggs

WAIT. Sweet potatoes + black beans! I've heard a lot about how wonderful that combination is and I've been chomping at the bit to try it.

For some reason those ingredients were screaming "Mexican Hash!" at me so...

I typed "Sweet Potato & Black Bean Hash" into Google and VOILA! Several recipes popped up and I ultimately found one where I had almost everything I needed.


Sweet Potato, Corn & Black Bean Hash

From EatingWell

Quick and easy hashes are fabulous one-pot meals for those nights when getting dinner on the table fast is a priority. Make it a meal: Serve with warm cornbread or tortillas.

2 servings, about 2 cups each | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 2 large cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
* 4 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup water
* 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
* 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, cumin and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in corn and black beans and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition

Per serving : 419 Calories; 6 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 80 g Carbohydrates; 16 g Protein; 17 g Fiber; 771 mg Sodium; 621 mg Potassium


I didn't have any jalepenos {side note: how do you add the squigly line to the n in jalepeno...I should ask my mom....since she's a Spanish teacher and all...} but I did have a yellow bell pepper that was on it's last leg so I subbed that in. I also added a few drops of Sriacha hot sauce to add back some of the heat too.

I served my hash with spoonfuls of salsa and light sour cream on the side. I must say, I think the hash would have been a little too...hmm...blah?....without the salsa and sour cream. I mean it was good, don't get me wrong! But the tanginess of the salsa and the creaminess of the sour cream really kicked it up a notch!


I also served my hash with a runny fried egg on top. This was an unnecessary addition {as opposed to the salsa & sour cream} but it surrrrrrre was delish!

Because, duh, everything is better with a runny fried egg on top.

Also, I don't know if my sweet potato was extra large or what, but this made WAY more than the "2 servings" the recipe says! I have enough left over to cover my lunches for at least a few days. {Yessssss....I love lunch leftovers.}

And since I've now realized that it's actually not all that bad to not plan a meal here and there, I think I may start planning to NOT plan anything for one night a week.

Did that make any sense at all?

I didn't think so.

Are you a planner or a non-planner when it comes to cooking? Do you ever plan to not plan?

You Got Chops! {What's for Dinner? 4/7/2010}

When my husband told me he was going to grill the pork chops we had on the menu last night, I was more than a little concerned. When he told me he was just going to sprinkle spices on them, instead of marinating them, I was REALLY concerned. In my experience, pork tends to get dry very easily and be pretty bland. I thought these chops would probably end up that way.

Well, I was wrong. {Alex stop reading this and rejoicing that I admitted I was wrong....it only happens once in a blue moon!} The chops turned out surprisingly juicy and flavorful!


On the side we made mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed spinach.

To make our mashed sweet potatoes we just mash boiled sweet potatoes with a dollop of margarine/butter and a squeeze or two of honey.

To make our sauteed spinach we just put tons of fresh baby spinach in a saute pan (pile it up high) with minced garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss and cook until all the spinach wilts down.

Both of these sides are super easy and really good!

Steakhouse in Our House {What's for Dinner? 3/21/2010}

Mmmmm I love Steak Night! Alex grilled up the sirloins and I made the side dishes, which were mashed potatoes and a random assortment of sauteed veggies. The veggie side dish basically evolved from having various vegetables in our fridge that were on their last leg. Use them or lose them!


Alex's Steak:
Season steaks with balsamic vinegar, garlic salt & fresh cracked black pepper on both sides. Put on a hot grill for about 5 minutes. Flip the steak and then put 1/2 Tablespoon butter on top of the steak. Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from grill for medium-rare steaks.

Sauteed Veggie Mix:
Saute sliced mushrooms and eggplant in olive oil until soft and cooked through. Then add a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach, some salt, and a couple splashes of Sherry vinegar to the pan. Saute until spinach wilts and then serve!


Ashley's Fave Mashed Taters:
Boil cubed red potatoes until cooked. Drain and then return to the hot pot. Add a 1/4 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, and 1/2 cup of milk and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add salt & pepper and more milk, as needed to smooth it out. Serve and enjoy!

Pleased with Pork {What's for Dinner? 3/9/2010}

Crispy Apricot Pork Chops
with Pesto Potatoes
and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This technique for this Crispy Apricot Pork Chop recipe is very similar to the Panko Crusted Cod I made recently, except the "glue" is apricot jam instead of dijon mustard. I love this method of breading meat because it's so easy and it adds tons of flavor, as opposed to using plain old beaten egg.

In this case the apricot jam didn't come through strong at all {which is good since I'm not a big fan of fruity meat}. It mostly just gave the meat a vaguely sweet flavor that was really good! We both gave it two thumbs up for taste AND quickness. The pork only has to bake in the oven for about 15 minutes so this truly is a 30 minute meal...actually more like 20 minutes!

My changes to the recipe are noted below in red. It's a keeper!!


Crispy Apricot Pork Chops
Source: Everyday Food

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4.

* 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
* 2 slices multigrain sandwich bread {I just used pre-packaged bread crumbs because I'm lazy}
* 4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick), patted dry {we used boneless chops}
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 4 teaspoons apricot jam


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil {or just spray with Pam like I did}; set aside.
2. Tear bread into large pieces; place in food processor. Pulse until large crumbs form. Drizzle with oil; pulse once or twice, just until crumbs are moistened (you should have about 1 1/2 cups crumbs). {Omit this step if you're using pre-packaged bread crumbs}
3. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; spread one side of each chop with 1 teaspoon jam. Dividing evenly, sprinkle breadcrumbs over jam, and pat them on gently.
4. Transfer pork, coated side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden and pork is opaque throughout (meat should register 150 degrees.on an instant-read thermometer), 14 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.


Pesto Potatoes:
Toss steamed or boiled red potatoes {cut into quarters} with pesto. Season with salt & pepper. The end. :)

Bar Food Night!

What's for Dinner 1/31/2010

It was Bar Food Night in the Cupcakes & Combat Boots Household:

-Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings
-A Not-So-Awesome Recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken Wings {that I will not be sharing}
-Potato Skins




And of course, no good bar food night would be complete without beer in a leopard-print & pink feather koozie. What's that? Leopard print & pink feather koozies are not usually part of bar night? Well....they should be.

What's for Dinner? 1/28/2010

Hubs is out of town tonight so I was on my own for dinner. He went to a bourbon tasting with my dad and is staying the night in a hotel there {since it probably wouldn't be a good idea to drive 2 hours home after a BOURBON tasting}. I would have gone with him but some of us have to WORK tomorrow. Hmmph!

Anyway, back to the point of this post! So since I was on my own for dinner and I stuffed myself with Mexican at lunch, I decided to go for a light dinner. I had no idea what I was going to make but I ended up throwing together a delicious salad and a twice baked potato {from half of a leftover potato}. It ended up being such a perfect dinner and it REALLY hit the spot.


1/28/2010
-Peach & Spring Mix Salad: Consisted of spring mix salad, white peach, pecans, blue cheese crumbles & balsamic vinaigrette. SO GOOD!
-Twice Baked Potato: All I did for this was take a baked potato and scoop out of all the "meat" and mix it with sour cream, cheese & green onions. Mix it all together well and then place back in the potato "shell". Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.


{It's weird being home alone again for the first time since hubs got back from deployment. Brings back a lot of memories. And although it's nice to be able to eat whatever I want and catch up on all the TV shows that he hates, it also reminds me how GRATEFUL I am that he is home. Life is just so much more complete when he is around. /End of mushiness.}

New Segment: What's For Dinner?

So many of you know that I started out my blogging career by writing a food blog. Shortly before Alex deployed, the food blog went the way of cassette players {if you don't get my metaphor, that means I abandoned it}.

I had intentions of picking it back up after the dreaded deployment date, but then I found myself eating things like cereal or Easy Mac for dinner every night. Not exactly blogable stuff there, ya know what I mean? I was somewhat baffled by how I could go from LOVING to cook to debating whether it was even worth it to get out the skillet to fry an egg for dinner. How does this happen?

Pretty much the moment my husband set foot back on American soil, my desire to cook shot back up again. That's when I realized that my love for cooking is 100% tied to him. Cooking for me isn't fun unless you have someone to share it with.

Perhaps it's sad and somewhat pathetic that I can't find the joy in it on my own. I'm sure feminists the world over are rolling in their graves right now, but I like serving my man. :::Gasp!:::

So to make a long story short, the food blogging urge has hit me again like a mack truck. Not to mention, I have this super cool new camera that takes amaaaaaaaazing pictures, even when the lighting is bad. It's a picture perfect scenario to start blogging about food again, I tell you!

Therefore, I'm going to start featuring a new segment called "What's For Dinner?" {Creative, huh? That's why I'm in marketing....the creativity just oozes out of me.}

I love reading about what people eat. It just fascinates me. I can't really explain it, but it inspires me to read what other people eat for dinner every night. I recently read a book called The Gastronomy of Marriage in which Michelle Maisto writes about what she and her husband ate for dinner during their engagement, and how food affected their relationship. Sounds boring, right? But it's not, at least not to me! I highly recommend the book if you're A) newly married or about to be married or B) if you're a foodie.

But now we're getting off topic. {I ramble too much...SUM IT UP, ASHLEY} I'm starting a new segment in which I will attempt to blog about what we eat each night in our house. The good, the bad and the ugly. Even if it's Easy Mac....or Taco Bell. I can't promise that I will be able to commit to blogging every day, but if I have to skip days I will at least try to mention what we had on the days that I missed. {This may be a very bad idea}

So below is my first official "What's For Dinner?" post. I hope you enjoy it. And please leave a comment to let me know what you think!

What's For Dinner? 1/3/2010
Chicken Cordon Blue w/ Ranch Roasted Potatoes
This was what I like to call an Oh-Crap-Meal where you have nothing planned and no time to grocery shop. So I scrounged around and came up with this meal, which actually turned out really nicely!

No real recipe here, but I'll try to walk you through it: Pound out chicken breasts to thin them out a bit. Spread some Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese on the chicken (I used one wedge per breast). Then place two slices of deli ham on each breast. Roll the chicken up and then secure with toothpicks. Roll the chicken around in Egg Beaters (or a beaten egg or two) and then coat in Panko (or regular) breadcrumbs (I did this shake 'n bake style in a Ziploc bag). Place the coated chicken rolls on a rack placed on top of a baking sheet and then bake at 400 degrees until done (I think mine took about 20-25 minutes).

For the Ranch Roasted Potatoes, cut up some red potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle some oil over the potatoes (about 1 tablespoon?) and then sprinkle Ranch Dressing Mix (out of a packet) and s&p on them to taste. Toss the potatoes around in the bowl to evenly distribute the flavoring. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and then put the potatoes on it. Spread out in a single layer on the sheet and then bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, flipping them once during cooking.

Voila! That's all it takes for a cheesy, crispy, ranchy dinner. Yum!