Pad Thai Party

I hosted a party in my kitchen tonight. It was a total rager, and everyone was invited. There was no cake, unfortunately. I have been put on a mandatory diet and exercise regimen following a gluttony-fueled week-long birthday celebration that culminated in a very sad incident with a bridesmaid dress. Long story short, a dress that fit four and a half months ago no longer fit. Mouths were left agape, zippers were tugged, guts were sucked, obscenities were uttered, tears were cried.

It was not pretty.

But, like a phoenix born from the ashes of gluttony and shame, I bucked up, started reclaiming my long-lost identity as a gym rat, and began cleaning up my eating, too. And it hasn't been too bad, really. It's amazing what you can discover about eating healthily if you just get over that fact that it won't be deep fried and smothered in chocolate or cheese.

Sigh.

Tonight, Matt and I were feeling very Asian-inspired. I wanted to make a dish that would satisfy both a man's stomach and my newly rediscovered zeal for healthier eating. Asian cuisines--unless you are eating out, generally--really are some of the healthiest choices out there. They are generally loaded with veggies, but BEWARE! There might be frying involved, and oftentimes we Americans like to slather our cashew chicken and broccoli and beef with fat- and sodium-laden sauces. So for many reasons, making it yourself is usually better. For tonight, I created what might be described as "Damn-neat-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pad thai," but what I have come to call "Rainbow Pad Thai" because it is so colorful with its wide array of veggies.

Once I nailed down the idea that I was going to have a pad thai party, I began thinking over the guest list. I have my favorites: red bell pepper, onion, broccoli (my best bud), and carrots. Matt loves carrots (you can't be a Bakersfield, CA boy without growing up loving carrots) and red bell pepper, so there was no fight there. But he HATES onions and will only touch broccoli if it's smothered in sauce. But then, he had down a few guests that are nearly always uninvited in my book: mushrooms (you'd think people would look down at the forest ground, see fungus, and leave well enough alone) and dried Thai chiles (the taste of which is what I would imagine a fiery death to be like).

A fresh Thai chile (left) and its cousin, Satan (right).

After a few minutes of negotiation, everyone got invited to the pad thai party. (Also among the guests were green onions and cashews.)

So whether you're looking for a healthy alternative to talk yourself down from the Chinese takeout ledge, want to get you and your loved ones to eat more veggies, or simply want a fast, healthy solution for dinner, I hope you give this one a try. Don't be frightened by the long list of ingredients; they are all pantry staples. Plus, you can switch out the veggies I've listed for your favorites (baby corn and water chestnut would be nice!) to make it your own.

Rainbow Pad Thai

Prep time: 10 min.

Cook time: 15 min.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. whole wheat linguine
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks (optional) 
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 small head broccoli, chopped into florets
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced into coins
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small package button or baby portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 c. dried Thai chiles (optional)
• 1/4 c. cashew pieces
• 1/3 c. chunky peanut butter
• 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 T. low sodium soy sauce
• 2 T. rice wine vinegar
• 2 T. low sodium chicken broth 
• 1 T. Sriracha sauce
• 1 T. Sesame seeds, optional

 

Directions:

1. Prepare the pasta as per the package's directions, drain and set aside.
2. Heat the canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, if using, and cook through, about 4 minutes.
3. Add in all vegetables, cashews and Thai chiles and cook until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: whisk together ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chicken broth, Sriracha sauce and peanut butter. Set aside.
5. When veggies are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through, add the sauce to the pan and heat through, about 2 minutes.
6. When sauce is incorporated, add pasta and toss or stir so that the sauce and veggies are mixed in with the pasta.
7. Top with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Here's to healthy dishes!

- Betsey

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Fire-breathing Broccoli

I have devised the best, most insane, almost masochistically spicy, delicious dish ever.

Aaaaaaand it's a veggie.

All the men reading this post probably just groaned. Yes, a veggie. Broccoli, to be exact, one of my favorite veggies in the entire world (bested only by asparagus and potatoes of any variety). It's an amazing food, really; it's incredibly nutrient-dense, packing a wallop of fiber, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and iron. And when cooked, it turns a cheerful color of green (don't you love food that's happy to see you?). My only issues with the stuff are a) when cooked or roasted, it often smells like veggie farts; b) when I tried to grow it in my garden last year, it morphed from a sweet, innocent seedling into a monstrosity somewhat resembling the plant from "Little Shop of Horrors"; c) you nearly have to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for it* and; d) Matt won't eat it unless it's smothered in sauce and tucked neatly under a pile of chicken or beef.

Taking this last point into consideration, I tested out a new recipe on Matt last night: stir-fried broccoli with Asian chili sauce. Or, as I have lovingly renamed it: Fire-breathing Broccoli (because it's nice and spicy!)

It was the most amazing broccoli I have ever tasted, and that's something from the gal that's eaten broccoli about a thousand different ways (What? I like broccoli, okay!?). The teeny bit of sugar gives a nice caramelized crust to the broccoli, and the soy sauce, garlic, and chili sauce gives it a beautiful savory-ness and firey zing. I LOVE THIS BROCCOLI. Unfortunately, Matt did not. I don't think the chili sauce adequately killed the broccoli taste for him. :) But if you're trying to find new way to gussy up your veggies, this recipe is definitely worth a try.

So here it is, friends, Fire-breathing Broccoli!

*Note: I do not own a house. I live in a very quaint two bedroom apartment. But you get the idea: broccoli is kind of pricey. But check your farmers market, where prices are often kinder than at the supermarket. Plus, you'll be shopping local! Yay!


Fire-breathing Broccoli
Time from fridge to table: 5 minutes
Deliciousness: A+
Crunchiness: A+
Happy green color-ness: A+

Ingredients

• 1 big broccoli crown OR 2 small broccoli crowns, cut into florets
• 2 T lower-sodium chicken broth (I used Swanson)
• 2 tsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 T Asian chili or chili-garlic sauce (you can always adjust, as per your heat preference)
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch
• 3 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. white sugar

Directions

1. Heat 1 T. of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. 
2. While the oil is heating, in a separate bowl, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic, and cornstarch.
3. When the oil's hot, throw in the broccoli and sprinkle in the sugar and stir, keeping constant watch over the broccoli. Watch for the caramelization on the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for about 3-5 minutes, or until it's got some good caramelization crust on it.
4. Stir in the broth mixture and cook for about 30 seconds.
5. Serve and enjoy!

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Living on Gelato

I'm not even kidding. I lived on gelato for two straight weeks while in Italy, not because I was unable to get actual food, but because I think I became somewhat addicted to the delectable frozen treat. Don't ask me how much weight I gained. Don't you dare.

Italy was my very first trip abroad. I went there as a scrawny 15-year-old, naïve to the world and certainly unaware of the delicious, dream-like nectar of the gods the Italians like to call "gelato." Whenever people ask me about it, all I can really tell them is, "It's a frozen custard somewhere between ice cream and frozen yogurt." I think it might also include some element of heaven particles.

Trust me, it's freaking delicious.

I attempted to make it once before, but I was unfortunately unable to replicate the smooth, velvety texture I experienced in Italy. In fact, all I ended up with was a gloopy-gloppy mess. Quite the disappointment to realize that heaven will forever be thousands of miles away in some Italian freezer. :( If you'd like me to try again and post the results to the blog, let me know in the comments and perhaps I'll muster up the courage to try again...maybe.

Sigh.

This week, to celebrate Italian cuisine, I'll be trying a linguini with bacon, parmigiano, and asparagus. We'll see how it turns out! People have this very unfortunate misconception about Italian food, as if every pizza is akin to the monstrously greasy American adaptations, and everything is covered in sickeningly sweet, watery marinara sauce. As you can see, I have an issue with Americanized "Italian" food. And I'm not trying to be a food snob, but Italian food has integrity, and when we reduce such a rich culinary tradition to lasagna noodles smothered in Prego, it hurts my feelings. That's why I've developed this linguini recipe, to show you that Italians can have a good time without marinara sauce. Plus, Matt's been pestering me about cooking with bacon, so I thought it's probably time to give in. Until we try the linguini recipe, though, I'll give you a little taste of Italy in photos.

The Italian Parliament, affectionately called "The Birthday Cake." Great. Now I want cake. Is Lent over yet?!

The Trevi Fountain. All you Lizzie McQuire Movie fans from back in the day will know this one. :)

The view from inside the Roman coliseum.

Florence, the most beautiful city I've ever experienced. I got lost in the city, eventually found my way back to Il Duomo, and spent the rest of the day people watching while lapping up my melting cone of gelato on the steps. Best day ever.

Italy has the most beautiful cathedrals.

My torso in front of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. And yes, if you were standing where I'm standing in the photo, you'd see plenty of people obnoxiously putting their hands up to mimic holding up the tower.

Next post includes bacon! That's all you really need to know. :)

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Paella Party

Last night, we had a paella party, and it was wonderful.

Assembling the ingredients took some time, and even required a trip to Trader Joe's, who carries saffron. (Shout-out to my mother-in-law for the TJ's gift card! Today's blog post is for you!)

For those who don't know, saffron is a very interesting member of the spice cabinet family. It's actually the stamen of the crocus flower, which measures a 6 on the awesome factor scale. When it comes into contact with liquid, it'll release a beautiful yellowish tint to food, which is definitely what we want when it comes to paella. Just trust me on this.

If you're digging the saffron love, click here to learn more about it.

I don't have a paella pan, so I just used the biggest pan/skillet I had. Trust me, you're going to need the biggest one you can find. I tried to sell Matt on the merits of buying a paella pan, but I don't think he's sold on the idea...yet. I'll keep working on that.

I got this super easy paella recipe from AllRecipes.com.


Easy Paella

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 6-8 servings, depending on how hungry we are!

Ingredients:

Makes servings US Metric Adjust Recipe (Help)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
    
   
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I'd say throw in a little more if you're a spicy fan)
• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 1 pinch saffron threads   
  1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped (I used 1/2 of a white onion)
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined  (I couldn't convince Matt to let me throw in shrimp, so we skipped this ingredient. Traditional paella recipes will have mussels or some other sort of shellfish, so go for that if you're a seafood person.)
• I threw in about 1/2 bag of frozen peas, both because I think I remembered the paella I had in Barcelona to have had peas, and also because any chance I have to get Matt to eat more veggies, I'll take it! 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp (if used); cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

I wish computers had smell-o-vision, because you would not believe the wonderful smell this dish makes. Just ask Mojo, who spent the entire time this recipe was cooking at my feet, waiting desperately for me to spill or drop something from the pan.

The chorizo is really the kicker; if you remember my love affair with chorizo from the post about chorizo con huevos, you'll know how awesome chorizo tastes. What I learned from trying this recipe is that chorizo plays well with others; it didn't overpower any of the flavors (especially the great marinade that went on the chicken), and brought its delicious spicy zest to the party. Chorizo is any ingredient's best wingman; bring him to the party and you're bound to hit it off well.

I knew as soon as I took a bite that we had a winner (And yes! Matt was going to eat peas!). This paella recipe delivered on the hearty, subtly spicy dish I remember from traveling in Spain. I love it when that happens! Of course, my paella will never, ever be as good as the traditional Spanish paella, but if I can get that close, I'm happy.

Matt's stunned silence.

Matt seemed pretty happy, too. When he likes what you've made, he won't say anything for a long time, and instead just sit there, placing forkfuls of it in his mouth, and stare at you like you're God or something. Then, after a few minutes of this silent bliss, he's say, "Thank you."

When that happens, it's best if you go ahead and put the recipe in your "keep" pile.

Contrary to what the picture to your right shows, we did have a Spanish red wine to go along with our dinner. I considered picking up or making some sangria, but decided at the last minute to go with a garnacha/syrah. I don't usually go for reds because I think they taste like smelly gym socks, but I went for it. Unfortunately, this red didn't change my opinion, so we corked it and will probably try to pawn it off on my parents, who are wonderfully classy wine fans. If enjoying wine is genetic, maybe I should just try to acquire a taste for smelly gym socks.

Tonight, we'll drop our dogs, Mojo and Chloe, off with my parents, who will be looking after "the kids" until Tuesday. Matt and I are headed for Springfield, Illinois, where he'll be studying for his master's degree in political science beginning this August. We'll keep you updated, and I'll be posting pictures of the trip, the town, and of course the food! Also, since St. Patty's Day is Sunday, I'll probably take a culinary detour and see if I can't rustle up some semi-authentic Irish grub in Springfield.

Cheers!

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An Evening in Havana

Our travels this week have taken us to Cuba, and this was a big challenge for Matt and me. After a great deal of recipe searching, we finally settled on the Cuban sandwich.

Matt's a picky eater, and I found that even the Cuban sandwich was a stretch for him. The arguable ingredient? Pickles. I mean, who doesn't like pickles?!

This guy >>

(Don't mind the unkempt, sweaty me next it him...I'd just finished a 10k race and he made me take a picture.)

Pickles aside, he was a trooper, and we went ahead with the Cuban sandwich plan.

The Cuban sandwich, or cubano, is a favorite in Cuba and south Florida alike. The Cuban uses Cuban bread, which is a mythical sweet bread that exists only where the temperature dips no lower than 70 degrees, palm trees wave in the tropical breeze, and bikinis are not only an acceptable type of clothing, but a lifestyle.

In other words, I couldn't find it anywhere in Lincoln, Nebraska, so I ended up using a good old French boule slices. So sue me.

The Cubano
Cuban bread (or French or Italian bread)
Swiss cheese
Ham
Roasted pork
Pickles (I used dill slices)
Mustard or mayonnaise

1. Ingredients, ASSEMBLE!!!
 

The key, though, to a really tasty Cuban sandwich is the press. After they've assembled their sandwiches, Cubans love the good old "smash and eat" technique. Sort of like a panini, but Havana-fied.

This is where I panicked. I don't have a panini press. I don't even have a brick to wrap in foil and place on top the sandwich in a pan. I seriously thought about it.

But then, the clouds parted, the angels sang, and Matt pulled out our George Foreman grill, the "Lean Mean Grilling Machine," which he ironically uses to grill processed mystery meat hot dogs.

It was grilled deliciousness for the Cuban sammy. So, once you've got your sandwich assembled, throw it on your Foreman grill and smash 'er down until you hear the bread and ham crisping up and crackling, or as I like to call it, heaven's music.

When your sandwich is all golden brown, crispy, and sufficiently squished, cut it in half and behold the Cuban perfection.

Three words: OM. NOM. NOM.

To add to the experience, we made daquiris and Matt pulled out some cigars from when we got married. We didn't smoke them, and I don't even think they're Cubans, but it sure was fun to kick up our feet and pretend we were enjoying the sunset at some Cuban restaurant.

Perhaps sometime in the future we'll get to try that, but for now it's Foreman grill-smashed Cubans with French boule from Betsey's kitchen.

Ah. Otra vez.

¡Hasta luego!

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