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Balance

April 2, 2014 //
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We all juggle commitments to family, friends, work, our home, and of course, ourselves. Unfortunately, most of us don’t do a great job balancing these important aspects of our lives and at least one often gets neglected. I think some people are better at being out of balance than others, but I am not one of those people. I like routine and habit – I always have. Having Eliza really shook up a lot of the balance that I had carefully crafted and maintained over the years. Two years into motherhood, I think I have a better handle on how unscripted and unplanned life can be, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

One way that I’ve dealt with the imbalance, or rather the stress of living with it, is to cook. I realize cooking isn’t everyone’s remedy, but it is mine. There is something about reading recipes, organizing ingredients, prepping vegetables and preparing a meal that I find very therapeutic. Within a few minutes I am out of my own head and into the creation process, which is often what I need. I love the concentration that chopping an onion requires and the creativity that sparks when I stray from a recipe. This week was another busy week, beginning with my business trip to Madison, Wi. and ending with Patrick working an  evening and having his usual Thursday night class. Fortunately, I got a few homemade dinners in to keep me on balance.

The tools of my "therapy"

Tools for my “therapy”

Meal #1: Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes
Meal #2: Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon
Meal #3: Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Olives
Meal #4: Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry + Rice

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red, new potatoes – 2 lb.
ginger – 1 small piece
scallions – 1 bunch
red, yellow or orange peppers – 2
zucchini and/or summer squash – 2
snap peas – 1 cup
shallots – 12 to 15
leeks – 4
cherry or grape tomatoes – 2 pints
tarragon – a few sprigs
parsley – 1 bunch
lemon – 1
kalamata olives (if you don’t already have them)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
rice wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
dijon mustard (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
white wine
eggs – 2
penne or another short pasta – 1 box
rice
chicken breast – 1 lb.
bone-in chicken thighs – 8
bacon – 6 slices
cod fillet – 6 to 8 oz. per person

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Categories Meal Plans

Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes

April 2, 2014 //
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Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes
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The minute I read this recipe in a recent NY Times Magazine I knew I had to make it. It is essentially a one-pan dish, and uses some of my favorite ingredients – chicken thighs, shallots, white wine and mustard. It did not disappoint. The dish takes a bit longer than my typical, weekday dinners, so you may want to save it for the weekend. I also think it would be a wonderful dinner party dish since it looks so scrumptious and preparation is relatively hands-off once everything is in the pan. As the article suggests, serve it with a good baguette so you don’t waste a drop of the amazing sauce.

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Categories Meals

Roast Beef with Potatoes and Shallots and Steamed Green Beans

March 27, 2014 //
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Roast Beef with Potatoes and Shallots
Roast Beef_Web
Since I had never made roast beef before I relied on some of my ladies – Martha and my Mom – for help. The basic recipe comes from my Mom, who makes a delicious roast beef, and the idea for the potatoes and shallots comes from Martha Stewart. It is definitely a weekend meal, since there is an extra step – I parboiled the potatoes – so it takes a bit longer to prepare than my usual recipes, but it is totally doable on a Saturday or Sunday night. 

red or Yukon gold potatoes – 1 lb., peeled and cut into quarters
shallots – 8, peeled, trimmed and halved
eye of round roast beef – 1 1/2 lb.
olive oil – 2 TB.
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium-to-large saucepan add the potatoes and pour enough water over them to cover them by about an inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once they boil, turn down the heat and let the potatoes simmer until a knife can slightly slip into them. Drain and set aside.

Toss parboiled potatoes and shallots in a baking pan with olive oil and salt and pepper. Push the vegetables to the side and add the roast beef. Turn the roast so that all sides are covered in the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes at 425 degrees and then turn the heat down to 325 degrees for another 25-30 minutes, depending on how you like your meat (25 min. for medium-rare, 30 min. for medium). Remove the roast from the oven and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes with foil lightly covering it on a cutting board. While the roast is resting you can throw your vegetables back in the oven to brown a bit more, or at least stay warm.

Carve the roast beef and serve with vegetables.

Steamed Green Beans
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved if very long
1 Tb. butter
salt and pepper

Over medium-high heat, place beans in a steamer basket set in a pot with enough water to almost touch the beans, cover. It should take between 5-10 minutes for the water to come to a boil and steam the green beans until they are tender, but keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook and become limp. Remove from basket and toss with butter, salt and pepper.

 

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Cravings

March 27, 2014 //
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What do you crave? Even though I am more of a savory rather than sweet kind of gal, my cravings tend to be for sugar. When I have an itch that needs to be scratched it is usually for a cookie, or ice cream, or chocolate. This was only magnified when I was pregnant with Eliza. Of course, then I was fine with it because I figured if I wasn’t going to drink I could at least have dessert! For the non-pregnant times of my life I often try to distract myself away from an oatmeal cookie the size of my head toward perhaps a small piece of dark chocolate. Sometimes it works, but other times it doesn’t… Cravings are kind of like a piece of clothing or pair of shoes that you’ve been coveting. If it sticks with you and you can’t get it out of your head you must really want it and you should give in. You’ll probably be glad that you did.

macarons_Midgley_flickr
Photo by Midgley/CC by 2.0

So, where am I going with all of this? Well, this week I had a craving for something totally random – roast beef. Weird, I know. I have no idea why, but I really wanted roast beef and kept thinking about it for days. Maybe I needed more iron? Funny enough, I’ve never made it before, so this past Sunday I took the leap. I’m glad I did – the recipe link is below. With that need taken care of I feel better already…

Meal #1: Roast Beef with Potatoes and Shallots + Steamed Green Beans
Meal #2: Spicy Peanut Chicken and Broccoli + Rice
Meal #3: Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage
Meal #4: Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Olives + Kale Caesar Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or Yukon gold potatoes – 1 1/2 lb.
shallots – 8
green beans – 1 1/2 lb.
broccoli – 1 large head
red cabbage – 1 medium head
apple – 1
plum tomatoes – 8
lemon – 2
tuscan kale – 1 large bunch
dried bay leaf (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
smooth peanut butter (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
Sriracha (if you don’t already have it)
kalamata olives – 1/4 cup (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
rice – 1 box or bag
eye of round roast beef – 1 1/2 lb
skinless chicken thighs – 4
pork tenderloins – 2 (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
white fish fillets – 6 ounces per person
beer  – 1 can or bottle

 

 

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Categories Meal Plans

Cooking with Wine

March 14, 2014 //
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Well, this week wasn’t any calmer than last. That may be why three out of the four recipes I choose for this week include white wine! Obviously, something is on my mind…

I do love to cook with wine. Like lemon juice or butter a little bit adds a ton of flavor and in a snap you can make a sauce to accompany almost anything. One of my rules for cooking with wine, which I learned watching Mario Batali, is to always use a wine you would drink on its own. This is great advice not only because you want to treat your dish with respect and not ruin it with something that doesn’t taste good, but also because it is nice to have a glass of wine while you cook. You don’t have to use a $30 bottle, but don’t use those “cooking wines” you sometimes see at the grocery store. There are enough decent $10ish bottles around these days which will do the job nicely. Note, the alcohol burns off as you cook so kids can eat any of these dishes.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs + Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan + Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Porchetta Pork Chops + Fennel with Shallots and White Wine
Meal #4: Chicken Piccata with Noodles + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or yukon gold potatoes – 6 medium
broccoli – 1 large head
green beans – 1 lb.
fennel – 2 large bulbs
shallot – 2
lemon – 4
lettuce – 1 head or bag
rosemary – 1 bunch
fennel seeds
noodles- 1 bag
eggs – 2
garlic (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
red pepper flakes (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 4-8 (depending on the size)
bone-in pork chops – 4
thin chicken cutlets – 1 ½ lb.
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person)
white wine

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Swordfish Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli

March 14, 2014 //
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Swordfish Parmesan
Several years ago one of my Mom’s friends stopped by the house to give her this recipe, and a bag of freshly caught and cleaned swordfish steaks. This gesture wasn’t as unusual as it sounds since her friend is married to a deep sea fisherman and he had recently returned from a trip on the Atlantic Ocean with so much fresh fish there was some to spare.

My Mom and I were surprised by the flour/Parmesan coating, we usually prepared swordfish on the grill with some olive oil, salt and pepper; but we figured if it came from a fisherman’s wife it had to be good. Oh man! Because swordfish is a hearty piece of fish it can handle the coating and the sauce is amazing. You could make the sauce to accompany any other fish – sole, flounder, salmon, etc.

Swordfish Parm_Web

swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person), skin removed
1 cup of flour
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 TB. olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup white wine
1 shallot, chopped
2 TB. lemon juice
2 TB. capers
2 TB. butter

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour and Parmesan cheese together. Dip swordfish into the egg whites and then the flour/cheese mixture. Heat oil in a large pan until hot, but not smoking and then add swordfish. Saute fish on both sides until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove fish from pan and place on a baking sheet. Roast the fish in the oven for another 7-10 minutes, or until cooked through.

While the fish is roasting, pour off half of the oil from the pan and add the white wine, shallot, lemon juice, and capers. Whisk sauce over a medium-low heat until it is reduced by half. Turn off the heat and add the butter, whisking until it is incorporated into the sauce.

Serve the swordfish with the sauce over it.

Roasted Broccoli
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1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
2 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss broccoli in olive oil and salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes.

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Categories Meals

Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2014 //
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On this day in 2009, Patrick proposed at Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee, Vermont. We were on our way to the Mad River Valley for a long weekend when he suggested we stop at one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. I was thrilled! After a leisurely meal of rich, cheddar soup, airy scones, and Vermont draught beer, Patrick suggested we visit the restaurant’s deck where you can see the adjacent waterfall. Despite what sounds like a total set-up, I had no idea what was coming. No sooner had we walked onto the deck that I turned around to see him down on one knee. Well, the rest is history –  and these days, that day feels like ancient history…

Minutes after I said yes!

Minutes after I said yes!

Five years later, we are driving to Vermont again for the long weekend, but with a toddler in tow. However, we were fortunate to celebrate the holiday, albeit a bit early, last weekend with another delicious meal, this time in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at St. Anselm. Sitting at the bar, we split a duck rillette appetizer, a plate of roasted shoshito peppers, a side of spinach gratin and I had a juicy, hanger steak with garlic butter while Patrick dug into a bourbon-soaked pork chop. Divine. It smelled so good at the restaurant that I told our waiter I wanted to live there. I think Patrick was bit embarrassed.

As you can tell, the way to this lady’s heart is through her stomach and in honor of this day of hugs and kisses I have prepared several meals for you that bring together ingredients that I love: artichokes, macaroni and cheese, shallots, olives, kielbasa, etc. Hope you enjoy them!

xoxo, Kelly

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Kale, White Bean, and Kielbasa Stew + Bread
Meal #2: Roasted Wild Striped Bass with Lemon, Olives, and Rosemary + Roasted Fennel with Artichoke Hearts
Meal #3: Macaroni and Cheese with Prosciutto + Green Salad
Meal #4: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta + Sauteed Green Beans with Shallots

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:
kale – 1 large bunch
lemon – 3
fennel – 2
lettuce or mixed greens – 1 head or bag
grape or cherry tomatoes – 1 pint or container
shallots – 7
rosemary – 1 bunch
green beans – 1 ½ lb.
kalamata olives – ¼ cup
Spanish olives – ½ cup (or just buy more of the kalamata olives and use those instead)
artichoke hearts – 2 cans
chicken broth – 1 small can
white beans (cannellini or navy) – 2 small cans
small elbow macaroni – 1 box
Gruyere cheese – approx. ½ lb.
whipping or heavy cream – 1 small container or 8 oz.
whole milk – 1 small container or 8 oz.
feta cheese – ¼ lb.
baguette or Italian bread
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
ground nutmeg (if you don’t already have it)
thinly sliced prosciutto – 3 oz.
wild striped bass – 1 ½ lb. fillet
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 8 or approx. 2 ½ lbs.
kielbasa – ½ lb.

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Categories Meal Plans

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta and Sautéed Green Beans with Shallots

February 14, 2014 //
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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta
This simple dish is a little bit salty, a little bit fatty, and super satisfying…
Chix Thighs w Shallots_Web


Sautéed Green Beans and Shallots
The addition of a shallot elevates this side dish from average to memorable.
Green Beans w Shallots_Web

1 ½ lb. green beans, ends trimmed
1 TB. butter
1 TB. olive oil
1 shallot, minced (optional)
salt and pepper

Bring salted water to a boil in a pot or saucepan and add green beans. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until crisp, tender. Drain the beans. In the same pot or pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add shallot and saute for about 2 minutes. Add green beans to the pan and saute for another 30 seconds, add salt and pepper to taste.

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