full circle

One year!  With a few less than productive months, I am excited to begin anew!  I'll be having a very adventurous next few months and am excited to have J1 contribute as well.  We'll be adding random food photos, recipes, and now restaurant pictures and reviews.  I'm also going to ditch my silly point and click and just use the iPhone 4 camera.  It's easier to carry and provides the same quality.  Yay 2012!

Arugula and spinach salad with grilled chicken thighs, sweet peppers, and feta added on the plate.

onion baked egg-cakes

I have come to the alarming conclusion that the only truly good time to exercise is early in the morning before school/work.  Though I despise people with the willpower to actually do this, I should at least attempt it a few times to see if it is an option at all for me.  With early morning exercise comes the need for portable breakfasts.  I bought assorted energy bars from the grocery store, only to find all of them uniformly terrible despite their uniformly beautiful packaging.  I have decided to try a different portable egg dish each week that can be made ahead of time and eaten cold in the car.  Here is the first try!

1. Saute 2 diced onions in butter.  When they are brown, dust with ground cumin.
2. Whip 12 eggs with salt and 1/2 cup milk.  
3. Scramble the eggs in the onion until no longer runny.  Portion into a buttered cupcake pan and top with cheese.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until crispy brown on top!

rosemary chicken feta salad

Feta can be so fickle sometimes, crumbling badly or rolling off whatever you are trying to coat.  It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I started not only crumbling by hand but working the salad with my feta-y fingers.  The cheese stuck beautifully to the leaves and left a salty finish that precludes the need for dressing.  Here is a simple lunch recipe!

1. Marinate four chicken thighs in rosemary and olive oil. Pan fry until crispy on the outside and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
2. Wash and dry desired baby arugula and hand crumble feta cheese over. 
3. Slice sun dried tomatoes into strips.  Toss half in the arugula and cook the other half in the leftover chicken cooking oil.
4. Plate the feta-coated arugula and top with sliced chicken and crispy tomato bits!

spicy korean tofu

Tofu is an awkward food product that I have never really enjoyed.  Is it a vegetable?  A legume?  A faux-meat?  It reminds me of sad meat-lacking dishes, odd consistencies, and hippie ice cream textures.  A foray into new foods, however, would not be complete without mastering at least one dish with this ubiquitous product.  The following is an extremely simple side dish that actually adds something to a meal.

 Spicy Korean Tofu:
1. Slice 1 package firm tofu into 16 Pieces.  Pat dry on a paper towel.
2. Mix in a bowl 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp Korean chili flakes (or substitute regular red pepper flakes).
3. Pan fry the tofu in a non-stick pan sprayed with olive oil.  Fry about 5 minutes each side or until golden brown.
4. Plate the tofu and dress with the soy sauce mix.  Garnish with green onion if desired. 

honey lime tilapia + spicy green beans

In an attempt to win a tiny bit in the battle against endless weight gain, we have decided to go low-carb for dinner.  Enter protein and vegetable dishes!  Tonight I made a pan seared tilapia with a simple but savory green bean dish.  It's a mild but flavorful combination.

Tilapia:
1. Marinate 2 tilapia fillets in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, juice of 1 lime, and sprinkles of salt and pepper.
2. Coat a non-stick pan with a spray of olive oil and turn the heat on high.  When the pan is super hot, add the fillets and sear for 20 seconds. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes.  Flip the fillets and sear on high heat for another 20 seconds, followed by another 4 minutes of medium cooking.
3. Done!

Green Beans:
1. Wash and cut 1 lb green beans into halves.  Boil in .25 cups water covered for 5 minutes and uncovered until the rest simmers off.
2. Cook with 2-3 cloves minced garlic for 2 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp brown sugar, and 2 tsp red chile flakes.  Saute for an additional 3 minutes, and enjoy!

moroccan lentil stew + chile fried onions

I've never officially had Moroccan food, but am always curious when a recipe pops up.  So far what I've noticed is a use of ground coriander seed and red lentils.  Here's a wonderful, healthy soup with a tasty garnish!

Stew:
1. Soften 2 finely diced stalks celery and 1 finely diced onion in 2 tbsp olive oil in a large soup pot.
2. Add 3 minced cloves garlic and 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander seed, and pinches of turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, clove, and black pepper.  Don't worry if you haven't got all these spices, the cumin, coriander, and cinnamon seem to be most key. Saute one minute.
3.  Add 14 oz diced tomatoes, 1.5 cups red lentils, and 4.25 cups chicken broth to the soup pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Chop cilantro and stir in to taste after the stew is done.
5. Garnish with greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, and chile fried onions (below).

Chile Fried Onions:
1. Saute 1 finely sliced onion in 1 tbsp hot olive oil.
2. After the onion is toasty with crispy bits, add 1.5 tsp brown sugar, 1 diced chile (I used one habanero), and pinch cinnamon.

3. Caramelize the sugar over the onions and then sprinkle a wedge of lemon juice into the pan.