Roasted Chimichurri Cauliflower

Arg! Why is doing taxes so totally horrible? I don't own a house, or have any loans, and I'm not married.  I seriously have the easiest taxes to file, ever. So, I sat down today to do my taxes, thinking it would a breeze. Three hours and 4 meltdowns later (by meltdowns, I mean crying, yelling, stomping—we're pretty much talking full on toddler temper tantrums here), I finally got them filed. After that fiasco, I was exhausted, and insanely grumpy. Incredible-Hulk style grumpy. Biscuit was nervously meowing and pacing in circles around me, and Evan had locked himself in the bedroom to avoid my wrath.  Note to self for next year: remember, doing taxes isn't easy. Plan on that.

But you know what is easy? Roasted chimichurri cauliflower. 

Remember that chimichurri you tossed with leftover chicken for a budget-friendly dinner? Well, now you can use the leftover chimichurri to brighten up roasted cauliflower! Seriously, you WANT to do this. Even after tax-filing-from-hell, you'll have enough energy for this one. And it's just zingy enough, that it might put a little pep back in your post-tax step. After roasting, the lemon and garlic get all tangy, and the red pepper flakes take on some extra heat for a little kick at the end of each bite. And, since you made the sauce* already, this dinner takes about 4 minutes to put together—or as long as it takes you to break down a head of cauliflower. While it's roasting, you can sit back and relax. Have a glass of wine… or an old fashioned. No judgement here. After my day, I'm going real old-fashioned—skipping the extras, and just going straight for the whiskey. Plan on THAT. 

Roasted Chimichurri Cauliflower

1/2 recipe of chimichurri

1 head cauliflower, rinsed and separated into florets
S&P

Grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400. Drain a little bit of the excess liquid off of the chimichurri, and toss the rest of the sauce with cauliflower. Salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on a sheet pan or roasting dish, and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly browned and just getting crispy on the edges. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parm. 

*Every time I write, say, or hear the word sauce, I think/say to myself "that sauce is BOSS." I also have a really strong desire to end every one of my posts with "I HEARD that!" 


Is that weird?

Number One Rule in Dating

I’ve always wondered why people think Italian food is a great choice for a dinner date. Sure, the wine and candles and ambiance at most Italian restaurants is ‘romantic,’ and if you were to slurp down the same spaghetti noodle and end in a kiss Lady and the Tramp style, that would be cute… but in reality, spaghetti is messy and difficult to eat. I guess I never learned the fancy noodle-fork-twirl or something, but I guarantee you I don’t look sexy eating pasta.

This is what I look like when I eat Spaghetti... and humans.

I’m probably the last person to dole out dating advice though, since I’ve been in a relationship with the same guy since I was 18 (with the exception of a short break that I have to throw in there, or Amanda will call me a liar). I also don’t have lots of good tips for where one should go to eat on a date, since I’m not one of those girls that ate daintily on dates or ordered the side salad to look lady-like. I’ve always been more of the ‘order everything on the menu, and finish my date’s meal’ type of gal. I probably finish the food on Evan’s plate (after finishing my own) nine out of ten times.

While I can’t give you the best advice on where to eat for your first date, I can tell you that if you’re lookin’ for a kiss at the end of the night, you should probably avoid Puerto Rican restaurants, or at least make sure you both order the tostones with mojo. Actually, Puerto Rican is probably an excellent choice for a date, with spicy flavors, sultry music, and super sexy Latin flare. One of our favorite date-night restaurants is La Isla, an amazing Puerto Rican restaurant and rum bar just down the street from us, where we go a little too often (for his wallet and my hips). If Evan and I have learned anything about how to make a relationship work though, it’s that we don’t eat the mojo alone…something we learned it the hard way.

Tostones are twice fried plantains, served with mojo (or mojito)- a raw garlic dipping sauce. If you think you’ve had garlic breath before, you just wait until you’ve had mojo. The worst part… it tastes so good you just can’t resist. In the beginning of our love affair with La Isla, we were so obsessed we went all the time, with or without each other. Until the day Evan had the mojo without me. It’s one thing if you’re both garlicky… but let’s just say that vampires steered clear of Evan…no- Ballard…no- SEATTLE for at least 3 days after the mojo madness. I couldn’t kiss him for a week, let alone be in the same room as him! The garlic smell was literally oozing from his skin and hair. It was so bad I felt nauseous just being around him (never a good thing in a relationship). If you want a goodnight kiss after a dinner date at a Puerto Rican place, make sure you both eat the mojo.

Garlic breath aside, Puerto Rican cuisine is muy delicioso. For dinner at La Isla, Evan gets the fiery Bistec Encebollado, a steak, marinated in a spicy olive oil, garlic, and vinegar sauce, topped with sautéed onions. I usually get something with Pernil- slow roasted Puerto Rican pulled pork. Sometimes I just go crazy with the Pernil bowl, other times I get the Pastelon, a sweet and savory plantain and pernil ‘lasagna.’ For lunch we get the blackened salmon salads, or the amazing Guisada bowls. Guisada is Puerto Rican stew, made with either pollo or carne, and a mix of green olives, potatoes, and sofrito, served over rice and beans. We also get tasty empanadillas filled with cheese or saucy meat for appetizers, and we always get pink beans and rice, and tostones with mojo if we’re there together.

Along with the Food 52 Fig Challenge, I entered the week’s challenge for ‘Your Best Stew with Olives.’ I couldn’t think of a better stew with olives than carne guisada- Puerto Rican beef stew. In my version, green olives with pimentos, peppers, onions, garlic, oregano, cilantro, tomatoes, and capers are used in two ways- blended to make sofrito- the base of the stew, and left chunky to create yummy bites of texture. I also added sweet potato to my recipe, which basically melts into the stew, adding a bit of creaminess and hints of sweetness. Serve over rice and beans, garnished with avocado and sour cream.

If you’re eating with your date or flying solo, be sure to whip up some easy to make tostones and mojo to go with this awesome guisada! (Once again) my recipe didn’t win, but Amanda, Evan, and I all thought it was a winner- see for yourself!

Tostones
2 green plantains
Oil (for frying)
Salt
Heat the oil to 375 degrees.
Peel and cut the plantains into 3/4 inch slices.
Fry the slices in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes, until golden-yellow and soft.
Remove the plantain slices with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
When the slices are cool enough to touch, smash them into flat rounds.
Fry the rounds in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden-brown.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Salt to taste.

Mojo
1 cup olive oil, warmed
4 cloves to 1 head of garlic peeled, crushed and finely chopped (adjust to your liking)
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Blend all the ingredients together with a food processor or blender, in a nonreactive bowl. Serve in small bowls for each person.

Carne Guisada
Serves 4-6
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 cubanelle (or other mild sweet pepper)
1 small hot chili pepper
1 large yellow or white onion
5 cloves garlic
1.5 cups cilantro
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1.5 cups spanish green olives (with pimentos)
1/4th cup capers
2 medium size tomatoes
salt & pepper
1 large sweet potato or yam
2 russet potatoes
1.5 pounds beef stew meat- cut in 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4th cups tomato paste

Dice and combine peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, 1 cup green olives, capers, and tomatoes. salt and pepper to taste. Separate in two bowls- set one aside. (Leave 1/2 cup of olives whole, set aside).
To one bowl of diced veggie mixture, add vinegar, and blend (in food processor, blender, or with hand blender) until smooth.
Heat olive oil in large pot to medium heat. Add Beef and brown for 10 minutes.
Add both bowls of veggies (blended and diced) to pot. Cook on medium heat for 3o minutes.
Peel and cube potatoes and yam. Add potatoes, yam, tomato paste, and whole olives to pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer (add water to thin if necessary).
Simmer on low for an hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh avocado slices and a dollop of sour cream.

Once You Go Crispy, You Never Go Back

A few weeks ago, my coworker McK arranged a little workday-lunchtime field trip to his favorite Thai restaurant in West Seattle- Buddha Ruksa. Sure, we can get Thai a block away from the office, but McK assured us that Buddha Ruksa was well worth drive, and that their Crispy Garlic Chicken would change our lives forever. I believe his actual words were "once you go crispy, you never go back." Dreamy thoughts of an afternoon away from the office and life-changing chicken swirled in our heads, pushing out the ever-exciting images of technology case studies and white papers that usually take precedence on a weekday afternoon.

When Friday rolled around, a group of 8 ravenous office dwellers entered the midday sun, mouths watering and stomachs growling, blinded by the natural light that was replacing the comfortable glare of our computer screens. We loaded into two cars, and took off in a frenzy for what Buddha Ruksa regulars have coined "Crack Chicken," for its addictive qualities. McK warned us in advance that the life-changing crack chicken wasn't going to be on the lunch menu, but he assured us that he had the hookups.

I was in a daze, waiting to get my hands on the goods, so I'm not sure how it all went down. I think McK might have whispered something in the waiter's ear, and slipped some money in his hand via a nonchalant-but suspicious handshake. Or maybe we just sat down and asked for the Crispy Garlic Chicken, I can't be sure. As a first time user, I proceeded with caution, asking for only one star. Other coworkers were wreckless with abandon, throwing caution to the wind and diving headfirst into a seedy underworld of fiery chicken fiends, asking for 3... no 4 stars! As we waited for our 'stuff' to arrive, my palms sweated, and I giggled nervously, trying not to look like a newbie.

When my plate of Crack Chicken came to the table, I pushed it around on the plate a little, not wanting to look overly-ambitious. I also knew that there was a risk of getting hooked from the first bite, the gateway bite, if you will. My plate was really a huge serving bowl (all for me!) filled with crispy chicken pieces, chewy little chunks of garlic, and crisp fried basil leaves. It looked and smelled amazing. I went in for the first bite. It was... good. But nothing to get addicted to or anything. Sheesh. The chicken was crispy without being breaded or overly oily, with a gooey garlicky glaze, dotted with chewy, crispy pieces of garlic and crispy basil- fried to bring out a whole new flavor, unlike any other basil flavor. I ate a few more bites- I mean, it was pretty delicious. After eating over half of my Crispy Chicken platter, I was in a food coma, licking the spicy garlic sauce off my lips and wishing I had room for more.

I packed up my leftovers and headed back to work- crack schmack. I wasn't addicted. After an hour, I was still full, but I couldn't stop thinking about that takeout container of crispy goodness in the fridge. My mouth started watering, yearning and aching for a bite of the chicken with its caramelized garlic and crispy basil. I couldn't concentrate on work. After two hours, the Crispy Chicken was all I could think about. No longer able to focus, I packed up, grabbed my chicken, and ran for home. Must. Get home. To eat. Chicken. Need. Chicken.

Evan walked in and found me huddled in the corner, licking garlicky sauce off my fingers... just one little morsel left for his tasting. He ate it. He snatched the box from my hand as I frothed at the mouth and nipped at his fingers. He tilted it back to his mouth, pouring in the last bits of garlic. He licked the edges of the carton. He was hooked. It got us both.

We sat there, fiending for more Crispy. Unable to escape from its grasp, we did the only thing we could think of to get our fix. We made our own.

We cooked cubes of chicken up in spicy oil with little chunks of garlic until it was crisp and chewy, we topped it with quick fried basil and sesame seeds. We mixed it with Chinese long beans from Mel and John's garden.

The beans were fantastic. The chicken was a little too oily. I burned the basil. It wasn't Buddha Ruksa's Crispy Garlic Chicken, but it was good enough to hold us over.... until next time.

You Say Potato, I Say "Yes Please!"

I recently joined what I like to call an online ‘food networking’ site- Food 52. Food 52 is the brainchild of 2 food writers who decided to create an online network of talented home cooks- a place to share recipes, network, and learn from each other. Each week, there are 2 recipe contests (winners go into a cookbook!). I’ve decided to jump whole heartedly into these challenges… my own little Iron Chef going on the kitchen. Not only does creating recipes for the contests give me new exciting ideas to play around with in the kitchen, but it also forces me to actually WRITE IT DOWN! As you’ve seen so far, I’m way more of a ‘method’ than ‘recipe’ type a’gal (hence baking being second to cooking in my book). I’m just so spontaneous with cooking- a splash here, a dash there, some more of this, and a drop of that. I come up with some pretty effing good meals, but I’m rarely able to recreate them exactly how they were, or to tell you exactly how to recreate them yourselves. Sometimes even I’m stumped by the secret ingredient in my dishes. Well, thanks to Food 52’s recipe contest, hopefully that will be a thing of the past… at least once or twice a week.

The first contest felt like a sign. Of course this site was meant for me… ‘Your Best Potato Gratin!’ Well, they apparently didn’t realize I had been devouring and making au gratin potatoes for years, and that Mel is a master potato chef. I came up with about 8 concepts, all sharing the basic method I learned for Mel’s Au Gratin Potatoes- layer potatoes, flour, salt, pepper, cheese, repeat. Cover with milk. Bake. Done. I considered a bacon and green chili with cheddar. A mushroom and potato with Swiss. An ultra creamy. A not so creamy. A blue cheese. A roasted garlic. I finally decided there was no way Evan and I would still love each other if I made 6 dishes of cheesy, ooey, gooey gratin in one night, so I combined a few ideas and settled on one dish- Bacon, Blue, and Roasted Garlic Gratin.

I gratined my little heart out. Carefully measuring, writing things down, taking pictures along the way. I was pretty damn proud of the results. A deep, rich gratin, with smoky caramelized roasted garlic and melty blue cheese, little bits of salty bacon nestled amongst the gooey potato layers and crispy, crunchy top… a sure winner.

I checked back daily for the result, sure that my recipe and mouth watering picture caught someone’s eye. I didn’t make it in the final 2. I didn’t even get an honorable mention! The competition out there apparently is a lot tougher than I thought, with a sweet potato/bacon tied up with a basic potato/leek. Well, I’m going to keep trying. With 2 contests weekly, I’m sure to at least get a nod in my direction, right? Even if I don’t, hopefully you’ll enjoy the recipes! As long as I get your mouths watering, I’ll consider myself a winner...and if I ever make it to the final two, send your votes my way!

Roasted Garlic, Blue Cheese, and Bacon Gratin


1 head garlic
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 slices bacon
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 russet potatoes
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper


For Garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Peel off outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, while still leaving the head of garlic intact and whole. Cut off the top of cloves.
3. Place garlic head in a ramekin or small baking dish, allowing it to stand upright
4. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil over garlic, Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 400°F for 35 minute
6. Cool to room temperature, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins, mash with a fork.


For the Potatoes:


1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Fry bacon, cool, and dice
3. Peel potatoes, and slice thinly
4. Butter gratin dish (8x8 glass baking dish will work)
5. In baking dish, place one layer of potato slices, sprinkle with 1/3rd blue cheese, 1/3rd bacon, 1/3rd mashed garlic, 1 tbsp flour, dot with 1/3rd butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper
6. Repeat with remaining potatoes, cheese, bacon, flour, butter, and garlic.
7. Pour 1 ½ cups half n half over top
8. Cover with foil
9. Bake at 400°F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 20-30 more minutes.
10. Let gratin set for 10 minutes before eating.
11. Enjoy!