Foodie Find

A couple weeks ago, we were in Fresh and Easy (our neighborhood grocer) stocking up on easy to prepare meals to get us through on nights when I just don't have it in me to cook, when I found an item that would be for those nights when I do.  I didn't even know this existed, but now that I do, I am inspired to cook all the more. 

I am thinking Asian inspiration should hit sometime next week.  Oh, and I just found out I got it for a good price at F&E, gotta love that!  Here's what Williams Sonoma's website has to say about it:

Umami is the elusive fifth taste (after sweet, sour, salty and bitter) discovered in the last century by the Japanese and now recognized worldwide. Taste No. 5 Umami Paste, the inspired invention of cookbook author Laura Santtini, is a blend of Italian ingredients designed specifically to maximize the rich, savory umami effect in cooking. Use the red paste -- rubbed, squeezed or spread -- to impart a deep, dramatic taste sensation in everything from pasta sauces to salad dressings to grilled meat.

I am already invisioning a fish stir-fry kind of thing.  We shall see...

Gone Fishin'

I am constantly saying all the foods I would like to include more of in our diet.  When we first got married, I would ask Drew on almost a daily basis if he had eaten any fruit because I felt it was my wifely duty to make sure he got a well-balanced menu. 

Well, to be honest, it kind of is my duty.  Last year some time, I was reading the book of Genesis - you know the part where Eve gives Adam the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and he takes it and eats it - and it dawned on me that wives are the gatekeepers of the home in regards to what our husbands eat.  So, it is up to me to make sure that Drew has eaten a banana or some broccoli, or fish, or whatever.  Funny that when he eats junk food, that has nothing to do with me - it's all him. 

Ok, so back to my constant drive to add things to our menu.  I am forever saying I think we need to eat fish at least once a week.  So today we ran over to Costco and got a BIG BAG of Mahi Mahi filets.  We got the plain kind because I didn't want us to get burned out on one particular flavor (they had a blackened Mahi that Drew wanted, but Eve (ahem...I) convinced him otherwise by telling him I could season it for him.  Then we also picked up some Texas Ranch sauce that claimed on the bottle it is great for fish and chicken.  The real reason we got it is the Texas connection.

So we got home and I thawed out a couple of filets and threw Tony Cachare's (Drew loves it so much) on one and the Texas Ranch on the other.  I pan sauteed the fish to great results and added some brown rice and steamed yellow squash.  We split the fish and loved the results.  I am going to have so much fun coming up with different flavor combinations and cooking methods for our gigantic bag of Mahi.  Oh, and I even took a picture that didn't turn out that great. 

Now off to wash some grapes to feed my husband (I don't think he has had any fruit today)!

Cheap Tricks

So, apparently along with our fresh start, we are now going to attempt for the next two weeks to eat only at home (minus our date night in San Diego - so excited for Indian food!).  It is part of our quest to be frugal for a while to get the show on the road with some of our goals for the household (new refrigerator, please?).  In light of that, I have been racking my brain to have some beans and rice type meals.  So far, here's what's on the line-up for this week:

Breakfasts: oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, fruit, banana bread from the freezer

Lunches: chicken salad sandwiches, quesadillas, Mexican tuna salad (a favorite around here), pimiento cheese sandwiches

Dinners:  Mexican Burrito Bake,  Macaroni and Cheese (adult style), BBQ Chicken in the slow cooker with rice and veggie, homemade pizza

Here's hoping...

This post is linked up to Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday

Fast Fix Friday: Roasted Garlic

Last night, whist preparing a Roasted Garlic Chicken, I discovered a time-saving trick to get dinner on the table faster that blew my mind and saved me at least 40 minutes!!  So I thought I would share:

Did you know that instead of taking the time to roast a head or two of garlic in the oven, you can "roast" it in the microwave?  Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you can do it in less than 5 minutes!! 



Here's how: 

• Take the entire head of garlic (not individual cloves) and cut off the top (at least 1/4 inch). 
• Place in the bottom of a microwave safe bowl (I used a glass bowl with a microwavable lid).
• Pour about a tablespoon of good quality olive oil over the garlic heads.
• Cover and microwave for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
• Let stand for a few minutes to cool and sqeeze out the garlic, discarding the paper.

There are so many great uses for roasted garlic.  I used it to make a garlic butter to put under the skin of the chicken I roasted; but you can use it to make garlic mashed potatoes, garlic hummus, or even garlic infused rice cereal for your baby.  

A Fresh Start

So, it has been ridiculously long since I last posted.  It seems pregnancy can make wanting to cook and then write about it something that I just didn't have the energy for.  And then a new baby and breastfeeding really has a way of sapping that desire altogether.  Thus, I am making an effort to start things fresh this month.  This blog may switch gears just a little bit and focus a little bit more on EASY cooking with some tadah things every once in a while.  It is just the place our life is right now.  So bear with me as we adjust to life in the kitchen with a new baby.  Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, here she is:

So stick with us as we figure out how to get food on the table on a somewhat regular basis.  This week, I am hoping to work on lunches and dinners:

Lunch plans: egg salad sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, freezer burritos
Dinner plans: burgers, roast chicken with brown rice and squash
Snack plan: homemade roasted red pepper hummus
(This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie)
As you can see this is not a full menu plan, but it is a realistic goal for the week considering our schedule.  Here's hoping...