Why are we here?

Since I have never really taken much time to introduce myself to my readers (possibly because I know most of you), it seems after a year of blogging about kitchen stuff, it is time to ask the question: Why are we here?  Well, I am not so sure about the rest of you people, but I am here because:

• I love food!  In my family growing up, food meant LOVE.  Breakfasts at the kitchen table included a have-it-your-way indulgence by my mom.  I would get whatever I wanted (from omelets and oatmeal to cinnamon toast and lemon pound cake).  Sack lunches were filled with homemade goodies and, often, a note from mom saying she hoped I was having a good day.  Dinner was always something tasty and satisfying.  But the common theme to every meal was the healthy dose of love included in each bite.  

• I am not in any way loyal to recipes.  Thus the name of the blog.  I rarely make the same meal twice.  My husband and I just passed our 6th anniversary but we broke the 1,000 mark on recipes long ago.  This could be thanks in part to my college roommate.  We had a deal: I cooked, she did the dishes.  Sadly, the only thing she ever wanted was teriyaki chicken and rice.  Let me tell you, two years of the same food does two things for you: put you off wanting teriyaki chicken ever again and take back the reigns in your own kitchen.  But, man, if you ever need to know every way teriyaki chicken can be put on a plate, I'm your girl. 

• I am not a food snob.  That doesn't mean I don't like good food, it just means it doesn't have to be fancy to be extraordinary.  There's no putting on airs here.  I am a Texas girl, trained to make Tex-Mex and Southern foods with love, not condescension.   Often, you will find comfort foods and simple flavors with fresh ingredients.  

• I am not perfect and neither are the recipes I try.  The most notable mess in the kitchen in the last year was not spared from a review on the blog.   We have a policy in our house: If it is horrible, we will order out.  There aren't a lot of horrible reviews, but we keep it real around here and let you know how it can be improved or when the only improvement is forgetting it ever happened!

So now that you know a little about me, I will let you in on a little secret...

I am attempting to become the next food blog star!  (I know!)  This competition is sponsored by FoodBuzz.com and is just starting this week.  The first challenge requires me to tell you about my blog and why I should be the next food blog star.


I am not really looking for stardom (I don't think I can handle the paparazzi), but am hoping to make it to some of the later rounds so I can stretch my blogging muscles (locating them might be the hardest part).   In the spirit of the stretch, I have some things planned for this fall and winter (my favorite time in the kitchen!) and I look forward to sharing some new recipes I have gotten from some of my readers! 
 
So if you like what you have heard so far or you just want to push me to try new things on the blog: VOTE for me (I feel like I cam back in high school, running for student council) by clicking on the little thing to the right with my picture on it (starting Monday).  I would make campaign promises, but those are always broken and I would never do that to you (you see what I did there?). 
 
Here's to new adventures!

Kinda Moroccan

I realize proportions in this picture make it look like there is a ton of couscous on this platter.  Sometimes proportions are correct! 

I had a recipe for a Greek Spiced Sirloin and decided to make it.  But, I decided to go a little Morocco with it.  This brought on a conversation regarding how interesting it is that people from completely different parts of the world eat similar foods with very similar ingredients.  Additionally, the way these foods are served is similar in the region of the Mediterranean and Northern Africa.  Imagine that!

I am just happy that the foods and flavors taste so good! 

So,  The steak is pretty much self-explanatory.  Heat grill, add rub to steak, grill, rest, serve!  Before the steak was thrown on the grill (a.k.a. George), I grilled up some red onions and zucchini spears with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  I also got a box of couscous going  (such hard work!).  The dip in the back is a yogurt, sour cream, cucumber mixture similar to raita (a.k.a. Indian cuisine happiness).  Oh and I threw in some feta, because there is always room for feta (or is it Jell-o?).   The only thing missing was pita! 

Do you like my serving suggestion?  We simply love our dishes made by a family friend.  Go to his website to check out some of his other pottery designs!

Dinner with an 8 Ball

Drew's status update on Facebook said something along these lines.

You know how sometimes parents get their kids to eat new foods by telling them they are some gross thing like brains or eyeballs?  Or they tell them a particularly named food item is actually called something else, like "Princess slippers"?  Note: I made that last one up (oh, parenting is going to be fun!).  Well, I have discovered the grown up version of this game.  Call all somewhat questionable foods by drug names.

I was at a party last night (pot-luck), and someone came up to me and told me to try something.  I asked, "What is it?" and the reply: "Crack."

My response: I took a bite.

Example 2:  This week's CSA box included some squash type thing.  Upon futher research online (don't you think it would be helpful if they put a list in the box?), we found out this particular variety of squash is called 8 Ball Squash.  The response:  Oh, we need us some of that!

The first "hit" (ha) of our 8 ball was a success.  I decided to wade in slowly and go with a tried and true method (roasting with olive oil and a little salt and pepper - can't go wrong with that).  But as I was preparing the squash, I started to get all sorts of ideas for it: vegetarian lasagna, 8 Ball parmesan, etc.  Ahh...you could even scoop out the insides and create little bowls for a soup!  Because of the texture of the squash, I would think this is a vegetarian's favorite.  I hope we get some more in our box next week!

Note: I paired the squash with pork chops (smoky - cumin, paprika, spicy montreal steak seasoning) and some Au Grain potatoes. 

A Theme

So I was having a conversation with a South African lady I met the other day at a cooking class and we were talking about what type of food we prepare most in our homes.  I told her we like lots of Tex-Mex flavors.  I don't think this could be more true!  Hopefully, my faithful readers, you are not tired of reading about cilantro because here goes...

While menu planing a little while ago, I came across this great looking recipe for rosemary chicken thighs.  They have a fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard, garlic, and honey marinade and are grilled to perfection.  Sounds great, right?  Well, then they had a note about being able to substitute cilantro (or some other herbs) for the rosemary.  Say no more!  I was determined to switch it up to the cilantro because of my love affair with said herb (1. Drew knows all about it and is usually ok with it; 2. yes - I am aware that others are in love with another herb, not me!)

Paired with the chicken recipe was a procedure for sauteeing spinach for a side dish.  We had some Chinese spinach from our CSA box, as well as garlic and leeks.  So I heated up the pan, threw some garlic and the leeks in, and waited a minute or so, then added the spinach.  After the spinach wilted down, I turned off the heat and added salt and pepper.  Great results. 

We had an avocado that was ready, so that got thrown on the plate with the chicken and the spinach.  Easy, simple supper!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 08/30 - 09/05

This week I finish up my Baking Course (more posts about that to come), so I will have a little more time to work on menu planning!  Getting back on track!

Monday: quick dinner while prepping final exam!

Tuesday: Lunch: Bacon Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches
Dinner: Balsamic Flank Steak, Vegetable, Potato

Wednesday: Dinner: Smoky Pork Chops, Vegetable

Thursday: Lunch: Tuna Salad w/ Lemon Aioli
Dinner: BBQ Shrimp, Mashed Potatoes

Friday: Dinner: Thai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad

Saturday: Lunch: Buffalo Club Sandwiches
Dinner: ? (Gotta keep the mystery somehow!)

Sunday: Lunch: out
Dinner: Chicken, Pesto & Tomato Flatbread