Weeknight Bolognese

I often get asked what I cook on weeknights.  Weeknight cooking is always a dilemma for me, because mostly everything I like to make requires ample time in the kitchen, which I no longer have.  I do have a few "somewhat" quick weeknight go to meals though. Spaghetti night is one of my favorites.  But, not just any spaghetti sauce will do in my house.  I tweaked my spaghetti sauce recipe to perfection, and I find that it's very doable after the work day, even with an 11 month old trailing me around the kitchen while grabbing at my legs :)  The sauce is insanely delish and I always make enough to freeze.  I do a mix of lean ground beef and Italian sausage.  But, you can go for ground turkey, chicken, and even soy.  It's the base of the sauce that really makes it.  I like my tomato sauce recipes to have a base of celery, carrot, and onion, better known as Mirepoix in French cuisine.  Every good sauce begins with a good foundation.  If you're in the mood to experiment, try sauteed fennel as one of your bases.  It adds a great twist to the flavor profile and will compliment the sausage.  Anyways, this is not your typical spaghetti night!  If it's too much for you to take on after work, make it on a Sunday and freeze.  

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Malai Kofta

I don't cook Indian food very often...mainly because our parents are always making us loads of delicious food. Another reason is that if I ask my mom for a recipe, she'll be sure to leave out the main ingredient, or give measurements that make absolutely no sense! I find the same with a lot of Indian cookbooks. There's just always a key piece missing. But, my sis in law who also cooks fabulous Indian food, recently made us some of the most delicious, mouth watering dishes using recipes by chef, Tarla Dalal. Her recipes are so precise (which is very difficult w/ Indian food), and leave little room for failure. I bought a few of her recipe books, and so far everything I've tried has been a success. As with any recipe, you might have to tweak some (i.e., a little more spice here and there, etc), but the base of her recipes are very solid.

So, I'm obsessed with "themed" dinners. If I do Turkish food, I go all out by making kebabs, fresh pita, spreads, taziki, zucchini fritters, grilled veggies, etc. If I do Italian, I have to have the fresh foccacia, pasta, antipasti, meats, cheeses etc. If I do mexican....you get the idea.  A themed meal should be complete with all the apps, mains, accompaniments, and condiments. Neil finds this very annoying at times, b/c we can rarely have a "simple" meal. What's fun in simple food, I ask ???  For me, food is meant for celebration and enjoyment, and variety is key. When I did an "Indian night" using Tarla Dalal's recipes, I made Paneer Tikkis, Malai Kofta, Palak Paneer, Mushroom/Corn Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, and of course we had all the fixings (chutneys, naan, raitha, rice). It was quite a feast for two peeps! But, Indian food makes for great leftovers :)

Today, I'm posting the Malai Kofta dish. Every time I go to an Indian restaurant, this dish is a must have for me. I even prefer it over any of the meat dishes. If made right, the Kofta (dumpling) should be fluffy, soft, moist and just melt in your mouth. The gravy it simmers in should be rich, creamy, a little sweet, and spicy. This recipe meets all of these requirements. Some of the ingredients will be hard to come by in a regular grocery store, but a good Indian store will carry it all. Try Indian food for your next themed dinner!

                                 

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Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

 

 

I've resorted to the fact that my updates to this blog are going to be extremely slow coming. While I've still been dabbling in new cooking experiments, I cherish any free time with my already 6 1/2 month old too much to be spending time posting. At the moment, she's taking a nap, so I'm sneaking in this recipe. I made this delicious, jalapeno cheddar bread during maternity leave and used it for festive sandwiches. These are filled with homemade jalapeno pesto, roasted peppers, avocado, tomato, and monterey jack cheese. No more description needed. Weekend lunch doesn't get any better than that! Till next time.....

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Chili for the Soul

Maternity leave ended over a week ago and I'm slowly easing back into reality. I was fortunate enough to enjoy every moment of my leave with Jianna. Now I have weeknights and weekends with her :) My mom has been taking care of her during the day, which has been such a blessing. We're also still getting tons of home cooked meals from both moms :) While I love the fabulous food from the parents, I really need to get back into the kitchen, even if only once a week. The colder weather is officially here, so I thought to combat it with some hearty, homemade chili. I even kept Jianna in the kitchen with me for a little while as I spent the day cooking this simple meal. I really wonder what was going thru her little head. Everytime I looked in her direction, I was greeted with a huge smile and if I was lucky, even a squeal or giggle. These moments are so priceless.

I make a different version of this chili every Fall, and I make enough to last me throughout the cold months. I got the base recipe from my cousin, but as she conveyed to me, there really isn't a recipe for this. Just make it with your heart and soul, and there you have your recipe. She adds the secret ingredients of oranges and chocolate to the chili which really makes it unique. I'll do my best to give some general direction, but try to make it your own. Use the internet for some inspiration because you'll find that everyone has a secret ingredient. You'll find recipes that swear by beer, some w/ chocolate, others w/ chipotle peppers, etc. This time I decided, why not just use all three? Eating this on a cold night after hours of simmering in your kitchen is so comforting. Having my baby girl right next to me as I ate this heart-warming meal just felt like "home", which has taken on an entirely new meaning for me.

Chili always freezes great, so make some room in your freezer. I like to use some of the leftovers to make a "chili-mac". I really can't wait till Jianna starts eating. I hope my cooking agrees with her!

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Zucchini Tart

On July 14, 2010, I was blessed with a healthy baby girl. Jianna has brought pure love and joy to our home and I can't even imagine how I was living a life without her. Everyday now is an adventure.  She definitely keeps me on my toes! Taking care of her has been quite a learning process and once I finally think I've got the hang of it, she throws me for a loop. I have a feeling this will continue well into her adulthood :)

My culinary activities have been almost non existent for now. I have to admit, that's the one thing I really do miss. I thought that once on maternity leave, I'd have loads of time to make food, but I was in for a reality check! Between the infinite feedings, poops, and crying, sometimes I barely have time to take a shower. Thank god I have both my mom and mom in law to make delicious meals for us. But, all is not lost...I have been able to sneak in a few treats here and there :) Neil took some time off as well, so I took advantage of one of those days and made this zucchini galatte and a sausage/mushroom "risotto" for dinner. I actually felt like "me" again. The zucchini galatte is straight from smittenkitchen.com. The only additions I made were to add honey roasted cherry tomatoes and the zest of one lemon to the filling. I absolutely love the recipe. The great thing was that I could make different components of it throughout the day, so I wasn't stuck in the kitchen for a long period of time, allowing me to tend to Jianna as needed.

As I get closer to a routine and better adjusted to my role as a mom, I hope to update this blog more regularly. I'll be sure to post the sausage/mushroom "risotto" pictured here soon too. It was my first time making a risotto with Israeli couscous (which is so much faster) and I'm definitely going to do it more often. I also have a backlog of recipes that I need to post from when I was pregnant!

I can't believe I'm already 5 weeks into my maternity leave :( Jianna's changing constantly, and I love seeing what she has in store for me next. She already has quite a personality and has us wrapped around her tiny little finger. I'm simply in love. I posted a couple professional photos below that we took when she was only about 2 weeks old!

  

 

Mushroom Tart

 

I made this savory mushroom tart a while ago and never got around to posting it. Tarts, savory and sweet make the top of my list of dishes I enjoy making and eating.  They can be made in advance, travel really well, look oh so gourmet, and somehow always taste better the next day.  This tart consists mainly of mushrooms, cheese, herbs, and custard in a buttery, flaky pie crust.  I go light on the custard part, so I call it a tart versus a quiche.  The crust is my staple pie crust I use for every savory tart.  This definitely isn't a quick one and making your own crust always takes some practice, but kitchen challenges are meant to be fun!  Posting these pictures is tempting me to make it again real soon.  I don't think it's in the cards given that D-day is only 3 weeks out, and quite possibly less!  Maybe during maternity leave if my peanut cooperates :)

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Sausage, Tomato, & Bell Pepper Pasta

 

About a month ago, we were out in The Plains, VA on our way home from our friend's family farm. Neil got hungry so we stopped off at this cute little market/restaurant for a quick dinner. Forlano's Market is a deli, butcher, and bakery with a focus on locally raised meats, produce, and cheese. I found it to be an adorable local gem that attracts a big local crowd. It seemed like everyone knew each other, and the vibe was pure fun and relaxation. Customers were lingering there for hours, sipping on wine, eating fabulous food, and simply catching up. The food is super fresh and the menu changes very often. They also have some great wines, which unfortunately I couldn't have :( While there, I had a delicious, simple sausage and pepper linguine. The fennel sausage was house made and absolutely incredible. We noticed customers buying sausage links to take home with them, so we followed suit. I've stored it in the freezer since then, and this past wkd, I decided that I better cook it soon before my peanut arrives and takes up all my time. No idea if I succeeded in recreating the dish, but I can guarantee that this concoction I ended up with is still delish!

Along with the pasta, I had a pizza craving, so we grilled a homemade pizza with roasted peppers, onions, and fresh mozzarella. If you haven't read my grilled pizza post from a year ago, it's an absolute must do this summer season!

Pizza and Pasta...doesn't get better than that!  Ok, maybe Pizza, Pasta and Wine :)...I'm almost there!!

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Pad Thai

This is your basic pad thai technique that everyone should have if they ever attempt to make this at home. My cousin has been bugging me to post the recipe, and honestly I never got around to it, b/c I was being too lazy about writing it up. It's more so a technique than a recipe. If you follow it, I guarantee you'll be happy with the results. Plus, you'll feel so much better eating this knowing exactly what went in, versus your local takeout Thai. Customize the ingredients to make your own personal pad thai. I loathe bean sprouts, so I keep them out of mine :) The key to pad thai is using a wok, not over crowding your wok, and working very quickly. The biggest mistake people make with pad thai is trying to make a gazillion servings worth at one time. You'll just end up w/ a big mush of unflavorful noodles. I know it's annoying, but the best results are achieved by cooking only 2-4 servings at a time. So, I agree this is probably not the best dish to entertain with, but it's great for a night home w/ a few friends.

On a completely different topic, I know I've been a little slow with my updates lately. But, I have a decent excuse! Turns out that back in October, '09 when my kitchen oven crapped out on me, my "God-given" oven was pre-heating, and now I'm 5 1/2 months along with a baby girl on the way in July :) I was completely lethargic the first trimester, so my cooking slowed down, but, the 2nd trimester has been wonderful to me so far. Oh, and I haven't had any food aversions or weird cravings. Well, Neil thinks my nightly strawberry milk craving is a little bizarre and that it looks like I'm chugging Pepto Besmol. I guess it is weird, considering I haven't drank that stuff since I was 5 years old! I also crave a lot of pepperoni pizza, burgers, and meatballs (hence my recent meatball post). So far I've been blessed, and things are moving along beautifully. I don't know about the future life of this blog, as I prepare for the life of our 'peanut', but, I'll try my best!

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Spaghetti & Meatballs

This recipe doesn't make many appearances in my house, so it's a real treat for us. I rarely make these meatballs because, besides the tomato sauce and protein, this isn't exactly a "healthy" meal. Sure, you can make them healthy by using leaner meats like ground turkey, but what's the fun in that? I don't like substitutes, and have always been one to just stick with the real thing. These traditional meatballs were a blast to make. Sitting down to eat this comfort filled meal transported me to an italian home complete with "grandma's meatballs"...even though I made the meatballs :) You must try these meatballs. If you follow the directions, you are guaranteed the most fabulous, tender, mouth watering meatball. The secret lies in not overmixing or overpacking your meat. Also, I added milk-soaked bread to make them extra moist. I didn't add too many spices/herbs to the meatball mixture itself, because I wanted the natural flavors of the meat to shine, but play around with it as you wish. However, I can't stress enough, be very gentle with the meat. Overworking it will result in tough/dry meatballs. These freeze well too. I froze them and Neil ate very well during our massive snowstorms, chowing down on hearty meatball subs. I told him to make the most of them now because it'll be another year before he sees these again :)

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Brazilian Fish Stew

It's snowing outside as I write this, and I'm craving something warm and hearty. This stew is calling to me. I've never been into the typical beef or chicken stews. They never hit the spot for me. But, I'm always satisfied by this exotic, deceivingly rich, flavorful stew, this time of year. Actually, Neil introduced me to this stew years ago. He slaved away all day to make this for me for my birthday. This was the only time he cooked for me where I didn't help at all :) In fact I left the house for the day. I was a little nervous on what to expect, especially since I'm a little overly critical of food (SAYS HE), but I was blown away. The stew base is a puree of coconut milk and pungent flavors of fresh peppers and herbs. Don't be scared off by the number of ingredients. The only reason it took Neil so long is because he didn't have the proper tools. It's really fast if you use an immersion blender, and if you don't have one yet, buy it! They are really affordable on amazon.com. This handy tool has made cooking so much faster for me, so much so, that this stew can even be made on a weeknight. This tastes even better the next day. I usually make a huge potful so I can warm my tummy all week long :) I like serving it over creamy polenta, but traditionally, it's served with rice. Hope those in VA are enjoying the snow!

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Jerk Chicken

Once a year I convince Neil to make something for dinner. Last year it was the beer can chicken, which was a hit. This year he made me jerk chicken, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Actually, he made it for his VT tailgate in Blacksburg first. It was a success there, so he offered to make it for me. He made it all by himself too! Although, I did have to educate him a bit on the spices. He spent a good deal of time looking through my spice cabinet for nutmeg :) Then finding allspice was another ordeal. Oh, and he started grating the ginger without peeling the skin. He's learning :)...and he's so going to kill me when he reads this.

Anyways, this chicken is very flavorful, and very spicy. I think the use of real habaneros versus all dry spices sets this apart from other jerk recipes I've tried. I experimented long ago, after having become obsessed with it in Jamaica, but nothing came close. Neil came across this recipe when he was planning his tailgate. I admit that he has a really good "eye" when it comes to finding recipes. This recipe is a keeper and will be our "go to" for jerk chicken. It packs intense flavor and heat in every bite. Make a lot, b/c leftover chicken salad with this is awesome.
I served it with chipotle pumpking polenta. But, if you need something to offset the spice, a savory/sweet fruit salad would be good.

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Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Manouri Cheese and Fig Sauce

Before I go into the recipe, I wanted to blog about my recent experience at Restaurant Eve. This past weekend Neil and I celebrated our wedding anniversary of 6 years!!! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. He took me to Restaurant Eve on Saturday night. It was my first time there and it was a very memorable 3 hour experience. The restaurant is a lot larger than I envisioned and very tastefully decorated with gorgeous paintings throughout. The decor very much reminded me of Bayona in New Orleans. It's very intimate and quaint. It definitely sets the mood and ambiance for a "special occasion".

We had a 9pm reservation but went early to try some drinks from the bar of famous, local mixologist Todd Thrasher. The drinks are phenomenal and by far the best I've ever had. He even makes his own tonic! There's a separate room for the bar that's very lively and staffed with friendly bartenders that will guide you through the difficult task of choosing a drink. A lite food menu is also served there. If you wish to have drinks alone, you can try Todd Thrasher's creations at the after hours "speak easy" PX in Old Town. I've been and it's a fun experience.

Chef Cathal Armstrong's restaurant has an Irish influence. By no means is this typical Irish fare, but you can see highlights. The tasting room offers a 5, 7 and 9 course tasting. You can choose your own courses, or allow the chef to surprise you. We opted for the 5 course "choose your own" tasting, but with several little additional surprise samplings from the chef, it's definitely more than 5 courses. They offer a wine pairing as well, but after already having a potent drink at the bar, I just got a couple glasses of wine. Portions of the courses were small, but by the end we were both happily stuffed. Everything we ate was delicious. But, I have to admit that nothing blew me away. I always look for that ‘wow’ factor when dining in a high end restaurant. That said, I just want to emphasize again that everything was consistently delicious, and maybe I set my expectations too high. I've been reading up on Chef Cathal Armstrong for years now, and God only knows what my mind conjured up. In any case, the overall experience was wonderful. We particularly enjoyed the butternut squash gnocchi and quail breast over a quail mousseline. Oh, and surprise courses from the chef of crab bisque and mini canapes were delectible. Service left a little to be desired. Our waiter was a little bland/rehearsed, but that's just the luck of the draw. He did everything right...just a little boring. They did acknowledge our anniversary by noting it on our menus and giving us a take home gift bag of Kerrygold butter, scone mix, and coffee beans. Btw, the butter is insanely good, and the waiter told us that it's sold at Whole Foods! This might become my new staple.

Btw, if you plan to venture to Restaurant Eve for the tasting room, try to make the reservation 2 months in advance. They were booked solid when Neil tried last month, and only a 9 pm was available. Restaurant Eve also has a "bistro" room which offers a more casual dining experience with an a la carte menu. If you work near Eve, then you must also try the Lickety-Split lunch special which offers two courses for only $13.50 during the week. Maybe I'll make my way there on a "sick day".

Now, on to the recipe. A while ago I blogged about a delicious pork dish that I tasted at Mourayo. It was pork loin medallions served with Greek cheese, fig sauce and honey. I did recreate this one at home and was very happy with the results. I used a pork tenderloin and cut it into 1 1/2 inch thick circles. I seasoned the medallions liberally with salt and pepper and seared them to medium rare temperature on a hot, greased iron skillet. I placed the pork on top of a honey almond sauce. I made this sauce by simmering and reducing 1/4 cup honey with equal part chicken stock. Add more/less honey and stock to suit your taste. Towards the end, I added slivered almonds to the sauce. I topped the pork with seared manouri cheese which can be found at your local greek market. Cut the slices thick because when you sear the cheese slices it will shrink in size. Sear them on a skillet until golden brown on both sides. Btw, Manouri cheese is a mild goat cheese and Neil didn't even notice!! Hopefully he doesn't read this blog too often :) Finally, I topped the seared cheese with a fresh fig sauce. It looks beautiful and the taste lives up to the presentation.

See Fresh Fig Sauce Recipe!

Barbeque Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

My August wedding tour is over and I'm back :) It's been a crazy, fun and festive month. We had two huge family weddings...one for Neil's sister and the other, my cousin. The weddings were beautiful, and it was great to be able to spend quality time with both sides of the family. We had so much fun celebrating, I barely realized that summer is winding down, and it's hitting me now. I'm NOWHERE near ready to let it go yet! We still have a few more weeks of warm weather, I hope. I'll shed my first tear the day I'm forced to squeeze into a pair of jeans...ugh. Until then, I'm staying calm. Also, to make the transition somewhat easier, we booked a trip to Puerto Vallarta in October! That might work to my detriment...we'll see :)

I plan to spend the warm days we have left, grilling. This recipe I came across online is a delicious dish that I love to make this time of year. It's a simple chicken breast, rubbed with an interesting spice mixture, served along side a refreshing pineapple salsa. I really like the spice rub on the chicken and the pineapple salsa offsets it perfectly. It's also served with a unique pumpkin polenta, which gives a teaser of the change of season ahead. Hey, at least I have food to look forward to in the Fall...

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Snapper Veracruz

Out of all the fish dishes I make, this is Neil's absolute favorite. It's spicy, tangy, and a touch of sweet all in one. I've played around with the traditional veracruz sauce and made it to suit my taste. You don't have to use snapper either. Any firm, white fish will do for this. I'm really too tired to write anymore. This lazy Sunday is literally "lazy". We had a friend's wedding on Saturday...bit too much partying for me and no sleep! I'm paying for it now.

Have a great week, and make this. It's surprisingly a pretty quick fix for a weeknight meal.

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Moussaka

I thought it fitting to post this moussaka recipe, after Neil and I went to the Greek restaurant, Mourayo in DC this past weekend. It's been open for a few years, but we never got around to checking it out. But last week, Neil came across an awesome deal from Groupon. If you haven't signed up for this, you really should. The deals come in daily and signing up is free. He basically paid $20 for a $40 coupon to Mourayo .

We enjoyed Mourayo overall. They serve traditional greek cuisine as well as some interesting twists. For example, the moussaka is made with ground duck in stead of lamb. We ordered the dip assortment, "Symposium" as an appetizer. It had about 5 dips...all tasty except for the hummus, which was dry and bland. The pita isn't freshly made , but it's served herbed and warm. For main course, I got the duck moussaka, which was tasty, although the flavor of duck was masked by the spices. I wouldn't have even known it was duck if I didn't read it on the menu. Neil got the winner of the evening, which was pork loin medallions served with Greek cheese, fig sauce and honey. It was a perfect marriage of flavors, and I ended up eating half his plate! I'm definitely going to try to replicate this one at home. The wines offered are all Greek. I'm not a fan of Greek wine, but we ordered a Cab/Syrah mix that wasn't bad.

Other dishes that are suppose to be popular are the crab/cheese in phyllo app, ground lamb and feta in phyllo entree, and the salt encrusted whole, fresh fish.

The restaurant is small and intimate. There is a little bit of a "cheese" element in that the waiters are dressed as sailors, and the restaurant has "portholes" on the walls. But, service was attentive and our waiter was knowledgeable too.

Would I return again? Probably not for a while, but if we get another groupon, it's a sure thing!

Anyways, I really do love a traditional moussaka, and this recipe is great. I never posted it before because the pictures are horrible. I was so hungry that night that I didn't have the patience to let it set or get a decent shot. But, trust me, if you like moussaka, this recipe is a keeper.

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Spinach & Potato Gnocchi

I relish the lazy Sundays where I can do whatever I please. Usually, my days are so routine and scheduled...get up at 6:30 am, exercise at 6:35 am, shower at 6:55 am, eat cereal at 7:30 am, go to work at 7:40 am, tea and muffin at 10 am, ...and the robotic routine goes on. It's my own fault, because I'm a creature of routine. But, when I get a "lazy Sunday" opportunity, I wake up whenever, and don't even bother to shower...which is pure freedom in itself! I put on some loud 80's music, an apron, and get to work on a fun recipe. It's my own little world where I forget about everything but the task at hand.

Making gnocchi is perfect for a Sunday! Gnocchi is one Italian pasta that I've had the most difficulty mastering at home. The ingredients are so simple (potato, flour, egg), but the technique is so tricky. In fact, majority of restaurants haven't gotten it right either. Most I've had are too heavy, gummy, or chewy. Gnocchi should be tender, light, fluffy pillows that melt in your mouth. You'll find various recipes out there with completely different proportions of potato/flour/egg. This recipe is the closest I've gotten, but I'm still in the practicing stage.

I sauteed the gnocchi in butter/oil, and served it with a truffled mornay sauce and the slow roasted tomatoes from last week. See, I told you those tomatoes were versatile! Truffled mornay sauce is just a fancy title for bechamel sauce that has been transformed into a "mornay" by melting/mixing in cheese at the end...in this case, a truffle cheese. Anyways, the dish shows so beautifully and the combination of flavors was pure bliss.

Uncooked gnocchi also freezes great. I think it's time I buy a separate freezer for all these Sunday experiments. If freezing, make sure you freeze them on a tray first, and then after they are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. They can go straight into boiling water from the freezer.

Here are some tips to perfecting gnocchi at home:

- Use Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes
- Bake your potatoes versus boiling them. This is so you don't have any water in the dough, which will completely ruin it, contributing to the gummy/chewy texture. You can also bake them on a bed of coarse salt to draw out even more moisture.
- Always rice your potatoes using a potato ricer. This will result in a fluffier, lighter gnocchi. Mashing the gnocchi can result in a gummy texture.
- Don't use ricotta in your gnocchi unless you have completely drained it of any water. You should drain your ricotta in a cheese cloth overnight.

Cheers to Sundays :)

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Ahi Tuna Salad

Ahi Tuna is one of my favorite fish. It's very meaty, and holds up beautifully on the grill. This is the perfect meal for a hot, summer day. It's refreshing, healthy, and delicious. And doesn't it just look like summer? I like to serve it with couscous, but the dish stands up well all on it's own, making a wonderful treat for those that are low-carbing it. I'm a sucker for carbs, and don't feel complete without my daily dose, hence the couscous :) This recipe is also extremely fast and easy, so I've been preparing this almost every other week. Be sure to buy high quality fish, because the freshness and quality of your tuna will make a huge difference with this dish.

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Catfish Fingers- Po boys

I spent the Memorial long weekend eating my little behind off in New Orleans. This is still one of my favorite dining destinations in the US, and it never fails us. I've been once before Katrina, and twice after. The city is as alive as ever, sprawling with tourists, and we had a blast. To get in the spirit of 'the big easy', I made some fried catfish fingers and Po Boys last week. The Po Boys were almost as good as what we had over the weekend.
For those that have never had a Po Boy, it's simplicity at it's best...a french bread sandwich with some type of meat inside. I like it best stuffed with fried seafood. I "wiki'd" the term and found this:

"The traditional versions are served hot and include fried shrimp and oysters, catfish, crawfish, etc. You may be asked if you would like your po' boy "dressed". A "dressed" po' boy has lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise."

Instead of mayo, I made a remoulade sauce to go with the fried catfish fingers. I also used a store bought french bread, but the bread doesn't come close to that in NOLA. The crust of Louisiana French bread is very crispy, so much so that it is difficult to eat without leaving crumbs. But the interior is very light and airy. We ate our Po Boys at Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. It's a touristy spot, but you'll find the locals there too. They put a twist on their Po Boy that includes a tabasco infused mayo dressing. We get the "Peacemaker", which is a combo of fried oysters and shrimp. I've never had so much fried food over the course of a few days:) I need some major detoxing this week! Only problem is that my bday is on Thursday, so that just means more celebrating...but, I'm not complaining.

If any of you plan to go to NOLA, feel free to contact me for additional restaurant recs.

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Red Curry

Here's another asian dish that I was inspired to make after returning from Bali. I'm starting out basic, and maybe I'll expand later. This is just a simple beef red curry that you can make with virtually any meat and/or vegetable. My mom bought me a new wok over christmas that came in handy with this. It allows you to saute the veggies and meat super fast. This dish is incredibly easy and very quick to make on a weeknight after work.

Hope everyone's enjoying the scorching HOT weather...I for one love it!!!

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Steak Au Poivre with Potatoes Gratin

I love steak, but I loathe steakhouses. They are stuffy, pretentious, and just boring. Ray's the Steaks is the only steakhouse I enjoy, due largely to the laid back attitude there. I believe that good food is meant to be eaten in a fun, relaxing environment. So, I equally enjoy making steaks at home. Steak au poivre with mushrooms is my favorite and so incredibly easy. Just be careful not to overcook it, and bring the steaks to room temperature before it hits the hot skillet. Also, be sure to develop a nice char on both sides through high heat. Doing so will be the difference between a great steak and a mediocre one. Neil wanted me to point out that this charring is called "Pittsburgh Style" (his hometown), although I haven't confirmed the truth in that :)

A lot of grocery stores now sell prime grade steaks. The steak pictured is an Omaha steak that my cousin sent to us for Christmas. We were so surprised when we got a huge delivery of filet mignons, ribeyes, NY strips, burgers etc. Very cool gift!! The steaks from Omaha are very consistent, and the variety works out for us, because I like filet mignons while Neil likes ribeyes and NY strip.

Anyways, I served the filet pictured with potato gratin and creamed spinach. I posted the potato recipe, but the creamed spinach doesn't really have a recipe. I just use whatever creaming agents I have on hand. I believe for the one pictured, I had mascarpone lying around, so I creamed wilted spinach, garlic and shallots with mascarpone, milk, and parmesan. Cream cheese, heavy cream, evaporated milk, etc all work great for creamed spinach too.

Anyways, I hope you use this recipe to enjoy a fancy steak night at home.

See Steak Au Poivre Recipe!
See Potato Gratin Recipe!