allergies

This spring so far has been murderous to my sinuses.  My head is pounding, my eyes water, my nose drips, stuffs, and itches. Lord help me. I have become an open mouth breather and my pillows are covered in spit. Max and I have agreed to a dinner of pho from our favorite local joint down the block. I plan to defeat this stuffiness with a tub of sriracha. The little red rooster will set me right, I hope.

Pho is such a traditional and laborious soup to prepare. I have watched my friend's mother doing all the work and it's a lot. I know that the actual broth takes hours in till its perfect.  So, knowing all this I was so happy to stumble upon a Faux Pho recipe from bon appetite. I'm not feeling up to doing much today but, I will be making this soon. 

winter came early

i know its not the season but luckily in kansas city we have lots of cool days in the summer. so, this would be a delicious and simple sunday feast. 

food and wine. 

Winter-Vegetable Shepherd's Pie

• VEGETARIAN
• FAST

1. 2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4), peeled and cut into large pieces
2. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3. 3/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
4. 1 cup heavy cream
5. 6 tablespoons butter
6. 2 large onions, sliced
7. 1 clove garlic, minced
8. 4 cups sliced mixed winter vegetables, such as celery, turnips, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, fennel, cabbage, or celery root
9. 2 carrots, sliced
10. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
11. 3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them back into the saucepan along with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Mash the potatoes over very low heat, gradually incorporating the cream and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Cover and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the sliced mixed vegetables, carrots, thyme, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderate heat, covered, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to moderately high, and cook until the vegetables are tender and almost no liquid remains in the pan, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Heat the broiler. Transfer the vegetables to a 9-inch pie plate, spread the potatoes over the top, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

A penny saved

I was rummaging through some of my moms old magazines and came across a Real Simple from October 2009. They ran a section on weekly dinners for a little price. i love the idea of buying everything i need a once to save myself trips to the store. some of the recipes featured just look mouth watering. i wanted to spread the love to you all. Thursdays dish is the one that follows. yuuuuuaaammmma.

Roasted Pork With Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons roasted unsalted almonds, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the skillet to oven. Roast the pork until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest before slicing.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the Brussels sprouts, apricots, almonds, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing, until the Brussels sprouts are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Serve the Brussels sprouts with the pork.

By Sara Quessenberry,  October 2009

look good feel good

Today has been my start to a healthy summer. I have made a few goals for myself for the next couple of months. i hope they stick like good habits so i can keep at them year round. they are pretty basic and really i should have been practicing them a long time ago, but still better late then never! 


Goal 1: Drink more water! 
i have a mild addiction to coffee and i'm trying to slowly ween myself off of it. i want it to be more of a once in a while indulgence with a delicious breakfast. not a means of survival which is what it seems to have become. 


Goal 2: Start cooking for myself again keeping it local and healthy. 
Below is a recipe that sounds refreshing and just delicious. Im going to give it a spin on thursday. 

Grilled Shrimp with Mango salsa
Servings: Serves about 6, depending on size of shrimp

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe mangoes , peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt , or to taste
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp , peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil , for grilling

Directions

To make the salsa: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

To make the shrimp: Rinse and drain shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine shrimp, soy sauce and orange juice. Let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a grill, oiling the grill rack. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for about an hour). Brush with oil and grill over medium heat, regularly brushing with soy mixture, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until shrimp are cooked through. Remove from skewers and place on a serving platter. Serve with mango salsa, Basmati Rice with Toasted Pine Nuts , and Warm Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad .

Goal 3: 30 minutes or more of exercise a day.

I started this today with 30 minutes of yoga, an hour of pilates, and a 30 minute walk with Taco. Needless to say i fee great and ready to keep this up.

so thats just a few so far wish me luck! 

i dig.

wooooooooooooosh.

-Meg

Chilly and Chili

 The days have turned much colder. I'm not complaining i have always loved layering up. This weekend i have quite a to do list. Working my doubles at the liquor store and Bar tending at Blue Koi. i have a huge economics test to study for. also on sunday i'm treating my brother to  a sushi dinner for his birthday. the poor guy has never tried sushi! after all this busyness sunday night i plan on settling down with my books and cooking up a big old crock pot of chili. this weather has me craving it, and what is so fantastic about chili is that it freezes well. ill have enough for the whole season if i plan it right. i hope you all have a lovely weekend! go take a walk and enjoy this beautiful fall! 

Easy Vegan Chili

Giving Thanks.

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday of the year. i do have a  soft spot for the fourth of july but, it was always missing something...the food! i enjoy nothing more then loading my plate up with turkey and sides, plopping down on the sofa next to family and loved ones,and digging in. This year i will be on a mini vacation Thanksgiving. i decided to spend time with Max's family who are all absolutely fabulous. i cannot wait to meet all the others. i just want to be in a big room of love with a full belly and my man. i'm so excited i wish it would hurry up and get here already! what are your plans Thanksgiving? i was thinking about bringing a dish. i usually just show up with wine but, it's time to be an adult and cook something up. any ideas???? 

-meg