Pomodoro Sauce and The Black Keys

Don’t you just love Fridays? The end of the work week portrays a feeling of celebration and glee, knowing that I will sleep in past 6 a.m. and the next two and a half days are mine to own. Tomorrow afternoon I’ve set myself up for a day of glamour – a hair appointment followed by a manicure. You know who loves a day of “it’s all about me”? Yours truly!

This week was filled with entertaining, keeping me busy in the kitchen. The result of having guests over is that my new year’s resolution to write three new posts a week has been accomplished! Previously I reported on Tuesday’s ginger-lime beef stir-fry. So today’s post highlights a great pasta dish I made Wednesday night.

This particular recipe has no official name. My mom makes this version of a pomodoro sauce, and I love it. The only problem with adopting a recipe from the master mama chef is that she doesn’t follow a recipe. She simply “throws it together”- add a little here, try a dab of this, just a pinch of that, etc. On the other hand, I am a recipe follower to a fault. It’s a rare occasion that I feel confident in taking liberties with ingredients that are called for on paper. So, I always ask my mom a series of detailed questions in order to pull together a sense of direction. Here’s a sample of me trying to transcribe a recipe.

Me: So, I have tomatoes, basil, garlic and white wine. Is that it?
Mom: Well, then I add some chicken broth in there.
Me: OK. How much chicken broth?
Mom: Oh I don’t know. Maybe ½ a cup to 1 cup?
Me: So I cook down the tomatoes and then add everything else?
Mom: Oh wait. There’s garlic too. I add garlic to the tomatoes and olive oil in the beginning.
Me: Is the garlic whole? Minced? Chopped?

This recipe has quickly become my go to favorite when I want to cook to impress without putting in a whole lot of effort. It’s always a hit.

Today's beat is Everlasting Light by The Black Keys. This song gives me a good attitude going into the weekend. I hope it does the same for you!

Cheers!
Julia



White wine and tomato sauce:

Ingredients:
½ Cup of any white wine
1 Cup of chicken broth
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2-3 sprigs of basil, finely cut
Olive oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add 2 pints of cherry tomatoes (whole) and the garlic to the pan. Sauté the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes have dwindled down into mush. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a light simmer until it’s heated and ready. When you’re ready to add your pasta, don’t drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water into the sauce pan. This helps the pasta and sauce stick/mix together. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Let Go with Ginger-Lime Beef Stir-Fry

 I'm not certain why I'm always compelled to try a new recipe, for the very first time, the day I'm having guests over. Is it the thrill of the unknown? The excitement of producing a crowd pleasing dish mixed with prayers and crossed fingers that it doesn't go terribly wrong? What ever the reason, tonight was an A+ for new recipe success.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my friend, Shelby, and I get together about every month for our routine Harry Potter movie nights. There are three staples to a Harry Potter movie night at my house: the movie, the wine, and the cupcakes. It's always a fun occasion.We enjoy the time spent making dinner in the kitchen and catching up over a bottle of wine while Harry Potter plays in the background.

For tonight's rendezvous, I made a ginger-lime beef stir-fry from my Cooking Light recipe book, and it was yummy. It literally took all of 10 minutes to throw this meal together. It's low in calories, low in sodium and is inexpensive to make. If you're feeding more than 2-3 people, I'd recommend doubling the recipe. I served it over jasmine rice and a side of steamed edemame. Delish!
   
Around 10 p.m., after Shelby left, I stared at the pile of dirty dished in my sink. My kitchen now smells like a Chinese restaurant. And yet I'm completely content with going to bed and dealing with the mess tomorrow. 


For a beat to accompany this spicy citrus entree, I chose Frou Frou's "Let Go".

Cheers!
Julia

Ginger-lime Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1.5 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
12 oz boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onion
4 limes wedges

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients into a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook until browned (about 4 minutes) stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with onions and lime wedges. 

New Year's Resolutions with Mumford & Sons

Today I feel as though I'm writing to an old friend. A friend whom I've not talked to in over five months. Hello, my beloved blog! It's me, Julia! Thoughts flood my head and rush down to my fingertips on the keyboard. I'm anxious to familiarize myself again with the blogging world and remiss in the fact that I've neglected to write about two of my favorite pastimes: cooking and eating.

Don't misinterpret that comment. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and into the New Year, I've certainly not neglected to eat and/or cook. In fact, I dare admit there's been too much eating. And I'm pretty sure the word gluttony comes to mind. I've merely neglected to write about it. So where do I begin? There's so much to share!

Let's start with the new year. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to new year's resolutions, and somehow I'm waiting until February to begin mine. But amidst the procrastination, I want to be ambitious this year. And there's nothing like putting your goals in writing for everyone to see as self motivation.

So here it is. Resolutions to improve mind, body and spirit in 2011.

• Blog at least 3 times a week. 
• Read one new book every 4-6 weeks.
• Exercise at least 4 times a week. 
• Say at least one prayer a day
• Brush up on my French language skills
• Read the news daily. Yes, I'm terrible at staying abreast of the latest world affairs on a daily basis. Don't judge.

And thanks to bathing suit season already in high gear, for those fortunate enough to still have a spring break, I'll begin my exercise regiment first thing tomorrow. For today's eats, I'm highlighting a great vegetable soup I found from Ellie Krieger on Food Network. It's her Tuscan Vegetable Soup. I omit the spinach, due to personal preference. And I use oregano or Italian seasoning in place of sage, since I never have any in the house. I've paired this dish with Mumford and Sons' Little Lion Man. I recently added their album "Sigh No More" to my iTunes library, and it was $8 well spent. Alongside a bowl of this vegetable soup, I want to drink a pint of Guinness in a London pub.  Here's to a new year, new adventures, and new eats and beats.  

Cheers!
Julia

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

, if desired.

Pancakes for Dinner All By Myself

Tonight, I pay tribute to one of my favorite movie/book characters of all time, Bridget Jones. Yes, ma'am. This evening, I could have reenacted the opening credits to Bridget Jones' Diary: bottle of wine, lounging on the couch watching sitcom reruns and no missed phone calls or messages . If you have not seen either Bridget Jones' movie, do yourself a favor and rent them asap. If you need something more convincing aside from Hugh Grant and Collin Firth, click here. Ladies, don't tell me you haven't had one of these moments before.

Stewart is out of town on business, and right around the 48-hour mark, I get antsy. I'm a social person, so there's only so many conversations I want to have with myself after work ; ) Fortunately, I have family and friends to keep me occupied; but this evening was exceptionally quiet.

Here are the top five signs that I know I'm bored:

1 - I made breakfast food for dinner. I love having breakfast for dinner, although it's a rare occasion. In general, I'm not a routine breakfast eater in the mornings, but just say the words "brunch" and "mimosas" and I'm there. So, I made blueberry buckwheat pancakes, topped with strawberries, granola and maple syrup. De-lish! I used a pre-packaged buckwheat pancake mix and simply added the fruit and granola as items I already had around the kitchen.

2 - I watched the Teen Choice Awards. All two hours of it. Including the Justin Bieber performance (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.) WHY?! I'm not sure I can even justify this one.

3 - I did two loads of laundry. This may not seem like a big deal. But when it comes to routine chores around the house, Stewart is the champion of our washer and dryer. I love a man who does the laundry. I'll clean toilets all day if it means I don't have to wash clothes.

4 - I am ready for bed by 10 pm. This is probably a good thing.

5 - Celine Dion is today's beat. If you clicked on the link above, you will see where my inspiration came from for the song "All By Myself". A few words on Celine Dion. I've seen this woman in concert two times during the height of her career, and she is absolutely amazing. Watching her perform is like listening to her album. She hits every note, and it's pitch perfect.

So next time you're having a night all by yourself, try breakfast for dinner.
Julia

Fried Green Tomatoes and Union Station

Last night I finally made fried green tomatoes! I've horded this box of Whistle Stop batter mix for three weeks (at least), watched three batches of green tomatoes ripen to red, and am just now writing about it.

Fried green tomatoes are one of those iconic Southern foods. How could they not be? Thanks to Fannie Flagg, there is a book and a movie named after them! Fannie Flag is a brilliant Southern author, actress and comedienne. I can remember being thirteen years old and reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man on a family road trip to South Carolina. I read the entire book in 12 hours - very uncommon for my reading pace. Ms. Flagg is a brilliant storyteller and perhaps best known for "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". The book became the screenplay for Fried Green Tomatoes, starring Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker.  This movie is a close second behind Steel Magnolias for all-time favorite movies. Add them both to your Netflix list if you haven't already. 

A majority of Fried Green Tomatoes takes place around Whistle Stop Cafe. So you can imagine how elated I was to spot Whistle Stop batter mix on display in the produce section of my local grocery store. You might as well have put a sign on my forehead that said "SUCKER!" Food marketers must love people like me. Put an ounce of nostalgia around a box of cornmeal, and I'm sold! 

Not only was this my first time to fry a green tomato, but it was also the first time I've eaten friend green tomatoes. The taste is quite intriguing. So much so that I ate four of them. It's tart and salty with a little bit of sweetness from the batter. I feel like a better Southerner having tried them.

For the beat to my eats, Allison Kraus and Union Station are a great fit. Blue grass music captures the essence of small southern towns and good home cookin'.


Ya'll come back now ya hear!
Julia