Happy Passover!

Passover is here, and with it comes big family dinners, Manischewitz wine, and matzoh balls of all shapes and sizes. I'll be posting pictures and recipes after my annual Passover for Mostly Non Jews on Saturday, but here's a great Passover recipe to tide you over until then:

Chocolate Covered Matzoh

You'll need:

• A sheet pan (preferably with one with slats for excess butter to drain off.)
• Parchment paper (if you don't have it, don't worry about it)
• Enough matzoh to cover the pan (about 3-4 boards)
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar or splenda
• 2 cups (1 bag) of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cover the pan with parchment paper and matzoh
2. Melt the butter in the microwave
3. Mix the butter and sugar, pour over matzoh and spread with basting brush so that every piece is covered
4. Bake in oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes
5. Put chocolate chips on each piece of matzoh (some boards may have cracked into several pieces - that's fine). If matzoh is hot enough to melt chocolate chips, spread chocolate over matzoh with a spatula. If not, don't worry about it.
6. Put chocolate matzoh back in oven for 2-4 minutes. If chocolate did not spread before, spread chocolate over matzoh now.
7. Put chocolate covered matzoh  in fridge for at least 15-30 minutes before serving. If you don't have room for the pan in the fridge, you can use a spatula to transfer to a plate before cooling. If possible, cover the plate with parchment paper first so that the chocolate doesn't stick.
8. Once cool, break apart matzoh and serve. Enjoy!

This recipe is brought to you thanks to my future mother-in-law. Her recipe calls for saltines, so that's another great option for all you non-jews out there. I was initially a little wary of the amount of butter we used, but it worked out really well because it made the matzoh taste like toffee. 

Here's a picture of how it came out (well, what's left after the family devoured it!):

I know it's not healthy, but I'm sure you could find ways to make it better for you - fat free/sugar free chocolate, splenda (I couldn't tell the difference today), less butter, etc. Frankly, I think that you need a little something sweet after a big family meal, so even the most fastidious dieter can forgive him/herself a small piece of dessert.

Vacations and holidays are tough because you're not home to cook your own foods, but I've been trying. I broke my streak this week because I spent a few days in Manhattan for Columbia Teachers College's admitted students' weekend and didn't have the time/means to make my own food. On Saturday, I had eggs florentine and tried hollandaise sauce for the first time (***NEW FOOD ALERT***). The fiance laughed at me because I had a Julie/Julia moment and couldn't believe how much I liked the sauce. We also had pizza with mom one night, which was good (it's been ages since I've had good NY pizza), but entirely unappetizing. I had a bad reaction to it because of all the grease, so I'll be glad to get home and back in the groove of things. 

Even with the eating out, though, I still met my goal of having a home-cooked meal at least 4 times a week. However, under the circumstances, I wasn't always the one cooking it. Mom tried her hand at cooking a steak one night, so Brian paid her back by showing her how much of a difference fresh ingredients make; she couldn't believe how much she enjoyed the green beans and lemon feta chicken. Today for the seder my cousin made a spinach, cheese, and mashed potato casserole with a mixed vegetable quinoa salad ***NEW FOOD ALERT***(a post on quinoa is coming soon!); and yesterday my sister-in-law made brisket, matzoh ball soup in chicken broth, mashed potatoes, roasted seasonal vegetables, cranberry salsa, and homemade caramels. 

Speaking of my sister-in-law: I'm really proud of her because she juggled all of that cooking with a very bad cold and taking care of two children under the age of 4. She took over many of the family holidays after she had kids, so she's still relatively new at it, but she always does a great job!

And that's it for now. Please let me know if you try out that recipe, I'd love to hear how it turns out. To all my fellow Jews: Happy Passover! 

The Freezer Experiement

This week the fiance and I are in NY for Columbia's Admitted Students' weekend and Passover with my family.

My friend Brittany called me from California last night to check in and as always, she had impeccable timing because I needed her help to solve a rather frustrating problem: what should I do with all of the extra food in my fridge that I wasn't able to use up before my week-long trip to New York?

And thus, we came up with the great Freezer Experiment of 2011. I froze what I could, left some things in the fridge, and packed myself some fresh snack food for the bus ride, like baby tomatoes and red seedless grapes.

Group 1: Foods I know are freezer-friendly:

• chicken tenderloins
• leftover arroz con pollo

Group 2: Foods that should (hopefully) last in the fridge:

• fresh mozzarella (unopened)
• mexican cheese blend (also unopened)
• soy milk
• lemon wedges

Group 3: Foods I froze:

• Collard greens
• half an onion
• cut-up peppers
• cucumber
• hot green pepper
• a lime
• fresh parsley

Group 4: Foods I decided not to freeze

• Garlic
• Avocado
• Jicama
• Yams
• Dates  ***NEW FOOD ALERT!***

That's the line-up; we'll see how everything fared when I get back next week. Give me your predictions in the comments section below, I'll let you know if you're right. And next time, I will definitely leave the culinary ambition to weeks when I'm not leaving for New York.

Cooking Anyway

I've been feeling under the weather lately and the last thing I've wanted to do is cook. But I've been doing it anyway. I made a commitment to myself (and to you) to see this thing through and so far I have, even if things haven't gone as planned.

Yesterday was supposed to be arroz con pollo and collard greens day, but I just wasn't up to it. Instead, I made onion soup and threw in the last of my croutons, some fresh mozzarella, asiago cheese, and chopped onions, garlic, and parsley. It was delicious and heart-warming, and I'm glad I made it. Thanks to the food yenta for the inspiration - here is a link to her french onion soup recipe, although I should mention that I opted to be lazy and just modify some Pacifc organic onion broth I found at the grocery store.

So back to the arroz con pollo. I decided to make it for a few reasons, the most important being that the fiancé loves rice, one of my best friends recommended making it, one of my other good friends gave me her family's recipe, and a restaurant downtown makes something similar that I love and I wanted to recreate it at home. That's a lot of motivation for one meal, so I've been a little worried about it living up to the hype. Even though I wasn't in the mood to make it, the fiancé stepped up and was really supportive by offering to be my sous chef. And so, we embarked on this recipe together.

Here are the things we did wrong:

• I boiled the chicken breasts whole instead of cutting them up, so it took over an hour for them to cook. I eventually had to take them out of the pot and cut them so that they would finish cooking in time for us to go to work.
  
• We didn't start cooking early enough, so the extra time on the chicken meant that we had to put the food in tupperware and eat at work instead of at the table together
  
• Initially we only had one cup of rice in the pot, but it wasn't enough so I added another half cup of uncooked rice later. This increased the cooking time and created a problem later when some of the original rice started to stick to the pan.
  
• We didn't season the chicken before we put it in the water (although we seasoned the water), so it came out a little bland.
  
• I sautéed the vegetables in a pan instead of a big pot, so we had to transfer everything later. This wasn't a problem as much as it was a pain in the butt.

But, more importantly, here are the things we did right:

• We added chipotle chorizo chicken sausage to the dish, which ramped up the flavor and spice.
  
• We listened to Jessica's recipe instead of the one we found online - the olive juice was genius!
  
• We used chipotle spiced olives in with the rice
  
• We added some cooking liquid in with the chicken and used it to finish cooking the rice so that it cooked together nicely and absorbed the flavors.
  
• We heated the stock pot before we transferred the veggies so that it continued cooking no problem
  
• It turns out that we don't like our rice al dente, so slightly overcooked was perfect for us.

Notes for next time:

• It may be called arroz con pollo, but it's better with chorizo.
  
• Always give yourself more time than you think you'll need.
  
• Follow Jessica's Aunt Marylisa's awesome recipe! (note: Like many other great cooks, Jess doesn't use exact measurements. Listed below are my general guidelines for enough for 4 people.)

Marylisa's Arroz con Pollo:

You'll need:

-    olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of a pot)

-    1 onion 

-    2 peppers, any color (I used orange)

-    3 cloves of garlic

-    1 jalepeno (optional)

-    cocktail olives in liquid (I used chipotle olives from the olive bar, but you can use
     whatever you like)

-    2 cups of rice (uncooked)

-    3 cups of chicken broth

-    spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder (for the chicken), cumin, paprika, whatever else
     you think will go well

-    a splash of lemon juice (for the chicken's water, you can leave it out if you
     don't have it)

-    capers (also optional, but they go well with the olives)

-    chicken, as much as you want. (You can use on the bone or breasts, it's up to you. 

     On the bone may be more flavorful, but it will also be more fat)

-    al fresco chicken chipotle chorizo (optional)

1. Saute the peppers, onion, three cloves of garlic, and one jalepeno in olive oil
2. Season your chicken. Boil it in water with lemon juice, a splash of olive juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. 
3. Once your veggies are sauteed, add in cumin, paprika, and whatever other spices you'd like. Also add "a little glug" of olive juice.
4. Add the rice to the veggies and let it toast up a bit in the mix. Then add chicken broth, olive juice, and a smidge of water and let the rice cook.
5. Once the rice is cooked, shred the chicken and add it in with the rice with some chopped cocktail olives and the capers.
6. Cut the sausage into thick slices, brown in a frying pan with a little olive oil, and add to the rice before serving

**A note about adding salt - the olives and olive juice add a lot of saltiness, so make sure you taste it before you add too much additional salt.

And now for some pictures:

This is the chicken chorizo we used in the recipe

While we were cooking

Extreme close-up (because that's my favorite way to see food!)

Overall, despite the long cooking time, I think it turned out really well. I'm proud of myself for sticking with this and cooking anyway. Thanks again to everyone who's been reading my blog and leaving comments here and on facebook - I really appreciate your advice and support!

Cooking, shopping, and lists

I've always been amazed at how quickly we accumulate food we never want to eat. The last time my family moved, we found cans of food that expired long before the move before - our favorite was a can of sauerkraut that came from one of my grandmothers; if I remember correctly, it was from the year I was born. The worst part of living like this, though, is that once you put away your new groceries, they get absorbed into the mess you already had and then you can't find anything. Marginally less bothersome (but still an issue) is the fact that at some point in time, you paid for these unused goods. So now we're wasting valuable storage space AND money that could have been for something we actually want to eat.

I've decided to purge my kitchen of these unnecessary items - who needs 3 cans of 4 year old progressive soup? - and employ the only weapon I have to stop it from happening again: the shopping list.

I find that I accumulate this clutter mostly with items that fit into one of two categories: 1) It seemed like a good idea at the time and 2) It's on sale, so why not stock up? Both of these have to do with on-the-fly decisions at the grocery store and have absolutely nothing to do with my meal plan for the week. So, as part of my food overhaul, I have begun to make the mother of all shopping lists - one that is derived from ingredients for specific meal plans. Of course we need to give ourselves some latitude for the truly unexpected but complementary food item (like my avocados...but more on that later), but by and large the best way to combat clutter is to be prepared.

And that is where I usually have the most trouble. I'm an impulse shopper (as anyone who's ever gone with me to a Vera Bradley store can absolutely attest to) so sticking to a plan and finishing a shop in as little time possible are foreign concepts to me. What I find helps, though, is the knowledge that I can buy all of this stuff next week when I'm ready for it. Like my jicama. My coworker made an amazing looking dinner last week and posted a picture of it on facebook and I was immediately intrigued by his jicama salad. For those of you who don't know, a jicama looks like a cross between an onion and a potato and apparently tastes like a cross between a potato and an apple. Instead of running out and buying it and scrapping my whole food plan for one day last week (something I seriously considered), I researched it and built a meal around it for this coming week. I will post more details when I prepare it, although I'm not sure which day that will be.

Which brings me to my next point - being prepared doesn't make you boring. I was worried that shopping according to a well-thought out plan would ruin the spontaneity of cooking food that interests me, but I actually found it to be the opposite. As you saw last week, having a variety of ingredients in the house allowed me to mix things up and be a little unexpected, but still have enough food to make what I wanted to eat. This week, I planned a few meals I wanted to make and picked up a few staples (they're listed on my Store-bought foods I love page), but left the when and how I ate them up to me. So, for example, even though I planned on making french onion soup last night, I was able to change my mind and make carmelized yellow peppers instead (see my Passover post for cooking instructions).

Sweet and delicious

Another way I've been able to make sure that I eat what I buy is to store foods in groups according to what meals I will use them in. Right now, above/in my fridge, I've grouped the veggies I need for Arroz con Pollo (tonight's mission), collard greens, (also tonight's mission, although I'm not feeling that well so I might change it to tomorrow), pasta salad, quesadillas, jicama salad, yogurt with fresh fruit, and french onion soup. Here's a pic of what I brought home from the store last night:

My latest food shop

Stay tuned to find out how it all turns out! I'll making some more complicated dishes this week, so it'll definitely be interesting :)

What I've learned so far

It's been a week since I started this adventure, so I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on some of the things I've learned.

1. Garlic and olive oil are my new best friends
2. Roasted cherry tomatoes should be their own food group
3. Sea salt and/or balsamic vinaigrette can cover almost any mistake
4. Yes, it does seem like more food if you cut it up into smaller pieces
5. Cooking old foods in new ways is just as fun as finding new things to eat
6. When you're full of good food, it's easier to say no to the junk
7. Music in the kitchen makes everything go faster
8. The fiance is a tad competitive - it seems like I'm going to be posting some of his food creations soon :)
9. Cooking is easier than I thought it would be
10. I need a bigger fridge!

Cleaning out the fridge

All week I’ve been trying to incorporate leftovers into the things I make (the honey balsamic onions are a great example – they apparently go with everything!) and today I decided to specifically target the items still left in my fridge.

For breakfast, I threw some butter in a pan with sliced baby tomatoes and cooked them until they were almost mushy. Then I scrambled 3 eggs and added them to the pan as well. Next came some fresh basil, and finally  some feta cheese. I opted to fold mine and cook it until it was golden brown, but I could have easily turned it into a frittata. Next time, I think I might need more egg because the tomatoes were a bit thick. I paired this omelet with the rest of my Fage yogurt with honey and a fruit cup. And a glass of vanilla soy milk. Yumm. I don’t have a picture for you because by the time I was done, I was so hungry that it was all I could do to put it on a couple of plates for the fiancé and I before I dived in. I seriously wanted to just eat it out of the pan.

Roasted cherry tomatoes should be their own food group. They really are just that good. I got the big container that I’m trying to finish, so I’ve been putting them on everything, including my shrimp risotto tonight. Also starring in the risotto was the ice pack from my lunch box, which I will miss dearly because it fit the pouch so perfectly. (For those of you who aren’t following me on facebook, I’m taking about a box of green giant frozen peas. See picture below). 

Best ice pack ever!

I’ve never made risotto that didn’t come from a box, so this was definitely an adventure. For those who don't know, risotto is made by putting arborio rice in a pot with butter and then adding simmering water/chicken broth/any kind of stock into the pot in 1/2 or 1 cup intervals until the rice puffs up and gets thick. The creaminess most people think is cream is really broth and cheese (usually parmesan). It usually has butter, onions, some sort of broth, dry white wine, rice, and cheese. I didn’t have any white wine handy (as a general rule, I don’t drink, although I have been known to make an exception) so I used lemon instead. I googled and apparently the acidity of the lemon does the same (or a similar) thing as the white wine. Risotto can be tough because it requires constant vigilance, but once I realized that no, I couldn't walk away and play on my computer, the cooking went fine. I used veggie stock and it was really flavorful. I just chucked my shrimp and peas in at the end, though I'd probably use less peas if I make it again. Here are a few pictures:

First pass with the veggie broth

Almost done cooking!

Ready to eat :)

Close-up in the bowl

Overall, I'd call today a success! 

My fridge is mostly clear and I feel like I've accomplished something this week. The worst part of my old eating style was the wasted food. I don't even know how much food I've wasted over the last few years, and I honestly don't want to know. This week was different not only because I cooked everyday, but because I went to the grocery store with set meals in mind and actually used the ingredients I planned on. I was also way more excited about eating this week than I've been in a long time.

And so, the official tally of the food I finished off today:

• meringue cookies
• cherry tomatoes
• frozen peas
• Fage greek yogurt
• elephant garlic
• veggie broth
• lemon
• veggie stix
• feta cheese
• hummus (finally!!!)
• one of the focaccia (if you make it, dip it in olive oil with parmesan cheese…it’s amazinggg)

Here are a couple of other things I made in the last few days in an effort to get them out of my pantry:

• Home-made croutons:
  
  I had chibatta bread that was on the way out, so I cubed it and toasted it in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil and garlic. I ate them with my hummus today and they definitely had more texture and flavor than crackers.

• Lemon-feta chicken with leftover green beans and balsamic:
  
  I pan-roasted the chicken pieces in garlic,  olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and feta cheese. I think I used too much olive oil at first because the chicken wasn't browning, but once the garlic turned golden brown and some of the oil burned off, it got a nice color. I added feta cheese to both dishes to kick up the flavor a little more. The fiance really liked the cheese, although I think his favorite part is still the balsamic - he's been putting it on everything lately, including his chicken!

Isn't it perdy?

A couple who eats together, stays together :)

Now off to the grocery store tomorrow to stock up and do this all over again!

The day I never stopped eating

Today has been one of those days where I feel like I'm eating one continuous meal. Or, more precisely, a never-ending parade of snacks that I so thoughtfully packed for myself. Since today is a 10 hour work day, I packed a bunch of things that I thought would help fortify me without having to order take out. But because I'm still trying to figure out how much food my body needs vs. how much food my eyes want to eat, I packed wayyy too much. And that's bad because it seems that I have as little impulse control with healthy stuff as I do with the candy that is all over my office.

Today's blog is about all of the stuff I've been grazing on all day, which is a nice segue into something I wanted to talk about anyway - store bought foods I'm obsessed with right now.

I started the day with my new favorite breakfast - Fage greek yogurt with apple butter. Ellen Tarlin raved about it on her Slate.com Clean Plate blog and I've been thinking about trying it for months now.

***NEW FOOD ALERT***

I totally shouldn't have waited! The greek yogurt is more tangy than regular yogurt, so the apple butter adds some much-needed sweetness and spice. I decided to turn breakfast into a snack food by slicing up a fresh apple and dunking the pieces. I highly recommend this - it was like a healthy version chips and onion dip.

I was full by the time I finished, but a few minutes later I realized that I was eating Veggie Stix. For those of you who don't know, Veggie Stix are 10,000x better than potato chips. They're made from all kinds of veggies and the ingredients list is written in words normal people can understand, like "radish" and "sweet potato" and "sea salt." I wouldn't go so far as to say that you can actually distinguish which straw is which vegetable by taste, but I will say that they're fantastic and addicting and I can't wait to go to the grocery store and buy more.

Then I moved on to the most annoying thing in my lunchbox: the hummus. Yesterday I sliced extra cucumber and orange pepper into bite sized pieces and set them aside for the hummus. And today, I finally slayed the beast. I don't even know why I've had this aversion to hummus lately - I enjoyed it once I started eating - but for some reason I don't find the idea of it very appealing right now. Does anyone else go through food phases like this? Sometimes you can't get enough of it, and other times you wish it'd drop off the face of the Earth?

I decided to wash it down with something sweet. In come the mini chocolate meringue cookies. If you've never had them before, you should. They are stiff, fat free cookies that literally melt in your mouth. They're really something else. We used to get them at the farm stand when I was a kid, but I found theses at the higher end (read: more expensive) grocery store. I really can't get enough of them.

Next I had a fruit cup. I love fruit cups, they're my favorite way to drink juice. You have to be careful though because some fruit cups contain heavy, sugary syrups that aren't good for you. I generally buy the generic in light or natural syrup and I honestly can't taste a difference between that and the name brand stuff. My favorite are the mandarin oranges.

The last time I was home, my mom offered me a Clif Bar as a breakfast substitute. I was a little skeptical because the last one I had was peanut butter and very dry, but this time it tasted really good, although I couldn't decide if it was because the flavor was better (it was chocolate chip) or because I really was just that hungry. I've found that mornings are really hard for me (I'm about as far from a morning person as you can get) so I went looking for a breakfast bar that would keep me full. I found the oatmeal raisin walnut Clif Bars and gave them another shot. I'm glad I did because they're really, really good. It's like a slightly gooey oatmeal cookie....but for breakfast. My favorite oatmeal was always cinnamon raisin, so this bar definitely makes me feel like it's time to start my day. The one I packed today fell on the floor halfway through...but I have a whole box at home, so I'll just make up for it tomorrow :)

The fun didn't stop there, though. I also finished the little focaccia (the onions were perfect!) and the rest of my doctored ricotta cheese. And I threw in a clementine for good measure. 

The worst part? I still didn't eat everything I packed. I have a lemon meringue pie Jello Temptations I've yet to try, an extra fruit cup, and another clementine left to go. Who needs meals when I've got more snack food than a snack bar?

It's Alive!!!!!

Woo-Hoo!!!!

Well, it was alive. And now it's focaccia :)

My Trio of Focaccia

I took the Food Yenta's advice and just put it back in the fridge, so this morning it was all yeasty and ready to rock and roll. I had planned on spinach calzone, but I just wasn't feeling it so I googled easy focaccia recipes instead. I found this: http://www.grouprecipes.com/39064/rosemary-and-tomato-focaccia.html. I ended up having enough dough for two big ones and a mini, so I used the recipe as a loose guideline and added my own toppings.


Here's what they looked like before I put them in the oven:

The one on the left is tomato, mozzarella cheese, basil and parsley. The other two are tomato, honey balsamic onions, beet, and feta cheese. I drizzled them all with garlic-infused olive oil.

I wasn't sure about cooking times because I don't own a rolling pin, so I had to just stretch the dough with my hands. The little one was a tester to see if it would be better if I made them thinner. I don't think it came out better, per se, but it was quicker - it was done 2 minutes early while the big ones needed an extra 3 minutes.

Here are the finished products:  

Mozzarella

Big Feta

Little Feta (although it looks huge in this pic!)

I wouldn't be me if I had actually wanted to eat the breads I had just cooked. No, I was craving something else for lunch. And that thing was a caprese sandwich. So I made one, taking the Food Yenta's advice about grilling the bread in some olive oil, adding some honey balsamic onions, and frying it like a grilled cheese. It was glorious. 

But also a little lonely, so I made a big salad to go with it. Yes, I know my salad is pink. It is pink because in addition to the tomato, cucumber, orange pepper, and feta cheese that I had planned to use, I added the rest of my roasted beets and honey balsamic onions. Roasted beets, if you didn't know, look like they're bleeding hot pink when you try to cut them. And I cut them. So they bled hot pink all over my salad, turning it a pleasant rose color. Instead of salad dressing, I used the rest of my garlic olive oil and mixed it with the feta cheese until it was a bit creamy. It tastes a lot brighter than it looks.

Extreme Close-up!

Fast forward to dinner time after work, and for some reason I'm still not in the mood for my focaccia. I think I just had so much fun cooking today that the finished product just wasn't as important to me as the sense of accomplishment I got from making it. So instead I had a snack that my cousin reminded me about - ricotta cheese with sugar/splenda and vanilla extract. I added some leftover chocolate covered clementines for a cool burst of flavor. With low or non fat ricotta cheese and a sugar substitute, this is a really good healthy alternative to ice cream.

Overall, I'd call today a success. I woke up feeling a bit blah, but the cooking really invigorated me. And if the focaccia tastes even half as good as it looks, I'll know I did a great job.

The Pizza Dough Fiasco

As I said earlier, today was not supposed to be a cooking day. But then I thought about it and decided that I would surprise you with some extra motivation and make a spinach/pizza loaf that my cousin recommended. So I open the fridge to grab my pizza dough, and am shocked to discover that there was twice the size of what I put it in there! My first thought was "OMG, WHAT DID I DO?" and then "Should it not have gone in there? Did it go bad? Why did that happen???" I panicked and pressed on it and realized - to my great relief - that it was just air and I was able to squeeze it all out. I started to write a post about how I almost had a pizza dough fiasco on my hands and started to feel a bit better....until I decided to figure out why this awful thing had happened.

So I googled. And realized that I'm the one who made the huge mistake - not the poor pizza dough. It was supposed to rise, but now I've gone and deflated it. All of you seasoned cooks out there have been laughing at me since the beginning, because what idiot doesn't know that yeast-filled pizza dough is supposed to rise? Well, the answer is me. So, seasoned cooks, is my pizza dough still usable?

I'm going to try putting it back in the fridge and hoping that it does its thing again. And if not, I'll just find some other use for it or chuck it. It's not a big deal, every new cook makes a few mistakes.

Next time I'll make sure to use my pizza dough the day after I buy it....and make sure to check with someone knowledgeable before I panic about "ruined" food.

Passover's coming early!

My friend Melissa messaged me today about finding recipes that are kosher for Passover. For those of you who don't know, Passover is a Jewish celebration that roughly coincides with Easter every year and commemorates when the Jews (led by Moses) escaped persecution in Egypt. Many of you my parents age probably know the story from the movie The Ten Commandments. If you're my age, it's more likely that you recognize it from the Rugrats Passover Special (a true classic). Every year, Passover begins at night fall with a Seder, which is a traditional Jewish meal that has a prayer service component. In Israel, there is only one Seder, while in other countries there are two. During the 8 day celebration, Jews are not allowed to eat anything that rises when cooked, like bread, cake, cookies, etc. Depending on your type of Judaism and how strictly you follow its laws, the ban can also include rice, pasta, and a whole bunch of other things that we like to eat. Many people who don't usually keep kosher during the year are kosher for this week, and food has to be specifically marked "kosher for Passover" because of the extra restrictions. Foods that are usually relegated to this time include macaroons, matzoh, and jelly rings. Jews also use matzoh meal (crushed up matzoh) as a flour replacement during cooking, which is why kosher-for-Passover cakes are so dense. Some of you non Jews probably enjoy eating matzoh as a snack throughout the year because it resembles a large cracker. Most of you Jews out there restrict your eating of it to just one week a year because by the end you're so thoroughly sick of it that you just can't imagine eating it for pleasure. If that's you, then it's time to start cramming in those last few bits of bread, because Passover is just 2 weeks away.

So back to Melissa. Her family is of the kosher variety, so it's very important that we find recipes that follow all the rules. There used to be very few options for Passover foods, but lately recipes have been popping up that resemble something I'd cook on a regular night. Below are a few recipes I found plus a couple that I've been eating since childhood. Keep your eyes peeled for a post during Passover with the results of my third annual Passover Dinner for Mostly Non-Jews. I'm putting a couple of my recipes on here now, but I'm saving the show stopper and all of my picutes for that post. Feel free to share any of your favorite Passover dishes in the comments below, on my facebook page, or in an email to nomoretakeout@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you!

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Recipe 1: Matzoh Pizza - http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-matzo-pizza-159648

Yep, it's exactly like it sounds. Ever make pizza bagels or english muffins? This is the same thing, just with matzoh. I used to make this one with my friends when I was a kid, and my one friend Laura brings it up every year when we talk about the spring holidays. I did a quick google search to find this recipe; it has a lot of toppings, but you can really make it how ever you like. I suggest using whole boards of matzoh instead of parts because smaller ones can crack in the oven. I also have always used a bit of oregano on mine to give it that "pizza" flavor.

Recipe 2: Apple Spice Cake - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Passover-Apple-Cake/Detail.aspx

My friend Jenn made this for me at my first Passover Dinner for Mostly Non-Jews. She'd never cooked with matzoh meal before so she was surprised when it ended up being a dense, sticky cake. It was absolutely delicious, though. She doesn't have the recipe anymore (it was two years ago, after all), but I found one online that looks similar. I read through the reviews and it seems like the people who had the best results doubled the recipe for the dough but not the apples. I'm excited to try it this year, I'll let you know how it goes!

Recipe 3: Caramelized Squash

This one is one of my dad's go-to recipes when he wants a side dish that looks fancy but doesn't take too much effort. I've made it for various holidays over the last few years and I always get a ton of compliments. Dad said that the recipe is technically supposed to have brown sugar, but I've always used white splenda instead and it turns out just fine. Yellow squash works great because the sugar brings out the sweetness, but I've also used red peppers to great success. Let me know if you try other vegetables, I'd be interested to hear how it turns out!

You'll need: 2 yellow squash (or red peppers, or one of each), butter, sugar or splenda, salt.

Directions: 

1) Slice the squash into rounds (or the pepper into bite-size pieces, if you go that route)

2) Coat the bottom of a frying pan with butter (not margarine)

3) Sautee the squash with a liberal dash of salt.

4) When the squash is translucent (or when the peppers start to get soft), add 4-6 teaspoons of sugar/splenda. Stir until the sauce thickens into a sweet glaze.

Recipe 4: Stuffed Mushrooms

My cousin is a vegetarian who hates mushrooms. Yet somehow she became famous in my family for her fantastic stuffed mushrooms that she serves every year at Passover. Her recipe is also very easy and it comes out very impressive-looking. It's basically the same as a regular stuffed mushroom recipe, but she substitutes matzoh meal for bread crumbs. My cousin is all about making things to your taste, so I'm sure the recipe changes a bit each year. Feel free to add your own spices and eyeball how much of everything you want to add.

You'll need: big mushrooms, an egg, matzoh meal, olive oil, garlic powder and onion powder.

Directions:


1) Remove stems from mushroom caps and set aside. I've found that you really only need half of the stems for the stuffing, so you can discard the other half. Or you could do what I did last year and use a small casserole dish for the extra stuffing and bake it anyway. I recommend adding some olive oil if you do that so that it doesn't dry out.

2) Put mushroom caps on a sheet pan covered in aluminum foil. Chop up the mushroom stems (in a food processor if you have it). Put them in a large bowl.

3) Beat the egg and add it to the mushrooms. Mix.

4) Add matzoh meal and mix. Use enough that the stuffing is moist but not dry.

5) Stuff your mushrooms and add your powder seasonings. You could also use fresh onion and garlic and/or herbs if you'd like, just chop or process them with the mushrooms back in step 2.

6) Drizzle some olive oil. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until tender and juicy.

And that's what I have for Passover so far. Hit the comments or send me an email at nomoretakeout@gmail.com to share your favorite Passover recipes!

Best laid plans....

I had grand plans for today. There was a big 'ole salad involved with roasted beets and feta cheese. And a shrimp risotto thrown in for good measure. I was even toying with the idea of putting some doctored ricotta cheese in my lunch box with fresh lemon, vanilla extract and splenda.....but none of these things happened. Instead, we have leftover day number 1.

It was bound to happen sometime. And it's not that leftovers are bad, per se, it's just that they're not as exciting as new foods are. Right now I've got the rest of my eggplant (the fiance forgot to take his dinner with him yesterday so I stole it for myself), green beans, and a bag of fresh peppers that I've been carting around in my lunch box for two days but doesn't seem to want to eat itself. And hummus. Someone once told me that yogurt always sounds like a good idea until you get it home, and then it sits there forever. That's how I feel about hummus - it's either the best thing in the world, or the one thing in my fridge that stares at me until I have to give/throw it away.

I'm a bit disappointed with myself because I got up an hour early like I planned (another goal of mine) and made the first bus I tried to catch (practically a miracle) but I got waylaid by the Duchess of Windsor's True Hollywood Story on E! network. As the fiance can attest to, I'm a big sucker for trashy TV (and truly awful made-for-TV Christmas movies, but that's another story)

It's ok, though, because there's always tomorrow, and maybe even tonight after work if I feel up for it. Besides the salad and the risotto I mentioned, I'm also planning on some spinach bread and something having to do with chicken cutlets...any suggestions for that last one?

Please feel free to hit the comments or email me at nomoretakeout@gmail.com with recipe suggestions or other advice, I'm open to everything. Everyone I've spoken to about this so far has been really supportive, so thank you!

The Food Yenta

Once I decided to overhaul my eating habits, I needed someone to help me figure out what to cook. Enter the Food Yenta. The Food Yenta is a family friend that I've known pretty much my whole life. Thanks to facebook, we've been able to keep in touch even though we currently live in different states. A few months ago, I noticed that she was posting a lot of recipes on her page. Upon closer investigation, I discovered that she was writing a food blog about simplifying gourmet recipes and cooking with fresh ingredients. I was immediately hooked. At first, all I did was admire the mouth-watering pictures (she's a professional photographer, so they're gorgeous) and try to imagine how delicious the food was. Well, I can now say for certain that her food is awesome. And idiot-proof. Seriously, the recipes I've made so far are so much easier than they look that people don't believe me when I tell them. So as soon as you're done reading this, head on over to thefoodyenta.blogspot.com and try some of them yourself.

Below I'm going to tell you a little bit about how I adapted her recipes for myself, but feel free to change them to suit your taste too. I've included pictures and recipe links of what I've made since Saturday (when I started my food journey). If you have any questions about how anything was made, you can message the Food Yenta on her facebook page or at thefoodyenta@yahoo.com. I've been lobbing questions at her for four days now and she has been incredibly helpful and encouraging!

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The first recipe I made was stuffed eggplant with coucous and fresh veggies. The original recipe called for zucchini, but the ones in the store were really small so I made the executive decision to switch vessels. One thing I like about the Food Yenta is that she encourages you to play with the recipes, so my friends and I decided to throw in most of the contents of my fridge (and then some more couscous to hold it all together). I've never really made couscous before, so I was surprised at how quick and easy it is. I used veggie stock for the base and it came out very flavorful. There was a lot of extra stuffing, so I baked it in a small casserole dish alongside the eggplant. One piece of advice - brush the eggplant with olive oil before cooking so that it roasts evenly. We had to go back later to add more olive oil and the end result was a bit oily because it's hard to be precise when your food is hot in the oven.

Here's the recipe: http://thefoodyenta.blogspot.com/2011/02/stuffed-zuccini.html#more

The second and third recipes I made were honey balsamic onions and green beans with cherry tomatoes. The onions are an ingredient in a tart I wanted to make, so I figured I'd make them early and use them twice. They are so sweet! I put them on top of steak, but I'm sure they'd taste good on almost anything. The green beans were fresh and crisp, but the tomatoes really stole the show. They were roasted, so they were sweet and juicy and bright. The recipe calls for brandy, but I used a dollop of honey in the veggie broth instead. You really can add anything; the fiance drizzled some balsamic and was really happy with the result.

Here are the recipes: http://thefoodyenta.blogspot.com/2011/03/balsamic-honey-onions.html and http://thefoodyenta.blogspot.com/2011/03/brandied-string-beans-with-garlic-and.html

The latest recipe I adapted was a beet and goat cheese tart. Really, the picture was just too gorgeous not to. It has roasted beets (***NEW FOOD ALERT***) and fresh herbs and at least two kinds of cheese, so really, what's not to love? I'd never roasted beets before, but it was pretty easy. The beets were sweet, but not too sweet; I had an urge to put them in ice cream, but I don't know how that would turn out. (Maybe I'll try it and report back? Not sure yet...) I substituted gorgonzola because I'm not a big fan of goat cheese, but I think I used a little too much because the tart is pretty potent when it's warm. The fiance preferred it warm, but I like it chilled. It's up to you how you eat it. And when it comes to putting this together, you should let your nose be your guide.

Here's the recipe: http://thefoodyenta.blogspot.com/2011/03/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-tart.html#more

That's it for now, but I'll let you know what other tasty creations I try from the Food Yenta. In the meantime, please post comments down below, I'd love to hear from you!

Why I started this blog

I have finally reached a point in my life that I never thought was possible: I am sick of take-out. I don’t want to eat in restaurants, I don’t want to order pizza, and I don’t want to pick up Chinese. For the first time ever, I’ve found myself longing for home cooked meals with meat, starch, and vegetables. Instead of potato chips, I’ve been craving red peppers and hummus and almonds. I’ve been longing for the taste of fresh, raw veggies and tangy fruits and pure water. Yes, water. I’ve actually been actively craving glasses of cool water.

My first thought was that I must be crazy. My second was that I might be pregnant. And my third was “well, it’s about damn time.”

I have always had a love-hate relationship about the kinds of foods I put in my body. I could blame in on how I grew up or those summers of fat camp, but the truth is that I never made time for food on a regular basis. Sure, I could whip up something special for a holiday (I make a mean Passover) or spend a lazy Sunday afternoon baking, but on a regular Tuesday night, the only thing I’d be using in the kitchen would be the take out menu drawer. Or, once I started college, the local online food ordering service that made it all too easy to get pizza delivered at 2am. So while I loved the convenience of it all, I hated the greasy way the food slid through my body and the exorbitant amount of money I was spending to (semi) nourish myself.

I’ve been unhappy with my eating style for a while, but not yet ready to take the plunge and do something about it. However, after watching Ellen Tarlin overhaul her eating habits earlier this year on Slate.com’s Clean Plate blog, I started to think that maybe I could do this too. So I opened my eyes (and my nose) and began to pay a lot more attention to how other people were eating and what I liked about it. I saw my cousin pack fresh red pepper in his daughter’s lunchbox and my brother cook a thin steak with just salt and pepper instead of a complicated glaze. I smelled my sister-in-law’s pesto pasta and watched my friend prepare a summer salad. And then I asked for some help and was given recipes and resources and foods to try from all across my social network.

This blog is as much about the people that inspire me as it is about myself. To honor that, I will always post links to where I found recipes or ideas and give credit where credit is due. I will also point out where I did things differently so that you can choose which version you want to follow.

I’m notorious for going on big shops and then not eating the groceries I buy. Whenever I tell my fiancé that I’m at the store, he always reminds me of the pile of rotten or rotting food that we just threw out days/weeks/months before and cautions me against buying too much. Of course he’s right, but it also perpetuates the cycle of eating out once, twice, or even three times a day.  Now, that is all going to change.

Here are my goals for this blog:

1)   I will cook/prepare my own food at least 4 days a week (including leftovers). Hopefully it will be more, but old habits die hard, so I want to make my goal manageable.

2)   I will try a new food at least once a week. In the beginning it will be a lot more (my pantry is full of new items I’ve been eager to try!), but as time goes on I’m sure it will even out. I’ll highlight these foods with a “new food alert.”

3)   I will incorporate many different colored fruits and vegetables because I learned in nutrition class that “a colorful diet is a healthful diet.” I’m going to have “color days” and challenge myself to eat according to the rainbow.

4)   I will focus on using fresh, (mostly) seasonal ingredients.

5)   I will try to save money. Eating out is expensive, but cooking doesn’t have to be. I will show (when possible) how much a meal would cost in a restaurant vs. what it costs to make. Hopefully we can tally up some big savings.

6)   I will compile a list of food resources that is geared towards novices like me who aren’t sure which foods go best with what. We’ll figure it out together.

I’m not an expert, and I don’t have all of the answers, so this blog will be about you as much as it is about me. So come, look around, give advice, get advice, and hopefully leave as excited about food as I am.