New Things in the Paper Sack Lunch

Ask most students what their favorite part of the school day is and they will likely answer, "recess."  The closest equivalent to recess in the average work day is lunch and I do look forward to it.  Combining my loves - a passion for food and just talking stuff over. 

*WARNING:  NOT FOR THE EASILY QUEASY* 

We do talk about everything from modern women making the decision to have their placenta encapsulated after they give birth so they may possibly receive the benefits of additional iron, reduced bleeding and higher nutrition for their newborn to the craziest behaviors we have seen at weddings.  And, many times, we talk about food.  What's for lunch in the cafeteria, how we feel about the cafeteria offerings in general, the area restaurants, what we're cooking for dinner, and if we recently tried any new dishes or foods.

I am always at a slight disadvantage in the area restaurant chat portion because I live almost one hour away from work and even after 4 years am still learning my way around the neighborhood near my place of employment. 

Recently, my work neighbor ran out at lunch then joined us in the conference room with this bag.  The immediately shocking part is the fact that she is and has been a vegetarian for quite some time.  Had she fallen off the wagon and needed a double cheese with bacon? 

Also, she typically eats in the medium to high range of healthy.  What happened?  Is this the food equivalent of falling off the wagon?  Was she heading for some kind of culinary crash landing?  Did this one binge need to be noted in case of future intervention proceedings?

NO, No, no.

Smash Burger (a chain I have little knowledge of) offers a vegetarian black bean burger topped with jalapeno peppers and a slew of other toppings.

Yes, they also have "regular" burgers and are fairly close to our building.  We are already planning a field trip to invade this somewhat mysterious joint.

I was immediately drawn in by the choice of other sides instead of potatoes.  Let the double arches offer apple slices, this place offers battered and deep fried pickles as well as flash fried veggie frites, string beans and carrots with a buttermilk ranch dipping sauce.  Oh my.  Their menu even includes truffle fries.  Now we're talking.

I'm not saying I am ready to ditch beef (or chicken or pork) but I do enjoy switching it up and look forward to giving a few of my meals a veggie or meatless twist.  Might even end it with a Haagen Dazs shake.  If you come to my department and we are all asleep at our desks at 2 p.m., it may be because we binged at Smash Burger. 

Would extra tread mill miles help?

Marsala Medallions with Mash or Chicken and Potatoes?

Weeknight dinners...in an effort to keep things exciting without spending a lot of time, the 30 minute meal was likely born.  The trick is to also rotate the menu so the taste buds and family are not restless, keep the ingredient list fairly simple and ensure many components are always on hand.  Every once in while, an error will be made like forgetting that the mushrooms were used with the grilled steak and are no longer in the drawer for Chicken Marsala.  The other obstacle is once my mind and salivary glands have communicated the promise of food to come, it is difficult to detour or substitute.  With Marsala and mashed potatoes in mind, improvisation is forced. 

The easy solution is to simply make the chicken without the mushrooms and so a plan was formed.

Using boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into "medallions" - ok, they were sort of 1 x 2 cubes, but give a writer a little poetic license, then dredged in flour and browned in a magic red pot. 

(Ever since I received mine I have been able to produce a new dynamic of fabulous meals)

The chicken is then seasoned with salt, pepper then browned in a splash of olive oil.  Some garlic, a bit of fresh parsley, chicken broth, a generous pat of butter and a gurgle  + splash of Marsala wine. 

Simmer and reduce until the sauce is thick, lush and irresistible.

Serve on a pillow of mashed potatoes.

Don't be surprised if everyone is quiet for the first few minutes.  They are merely enjoying the fabulous food, tongues smiling and thinking happy thoughts.  In fact, no one really missed the mushrooms this time.

Pseudo Paella/Jambalaya

The age old question, "What's for dinner," has become increasingly difficult for me to answer.  Not because I don't have a plan if it is asked in the morning, and not because something isn't already cooking, it simply may not have a name.

The name of a dish is especially important to my husband as I have discussed in previous posts.  However, it is important to at least be able to describe the meal in question with references all family members or diners will relate.  Sometimes I make, "those Mexican wrap things" and my family will know what I mean.  The contents of the wrap are:  refried beans, peppers, onions, cheese (cheddar or blend of cheddar/jack) and left over steak or chicken.  Neither burrito nor taco nor enchilada, the wraps are baked in the oven until the beans are bubbly and the cheese melted.  They may be topped with taco sauce, salsa or a verde sauce - up to the individual taste. 

Last night, I knew I had shrimp and chorizo so the combinations appeared in my head that included rice, peppers and whatever else I may have on hand that could be deemed appropriate.  Additional options could have included olives or onions, but instead I halved cherry tomatoes.  While my younger son had an idea of what was happening in the kitchen, he was pleasantly surprised when called to put his serving in a dish.

"Oh, you didn't say you were making Jambalaya."

Well, technically, I didn't.

When my husband came to the kitchen he said, "Wow, this looks good."  Perhaps that should be the name of all my future dinners.

Would you? Could you?

The New York Times Dining section this week included the following article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/dining/coming-home-to-a-neighbors-treat.html?_r=1&ref=dining
"The Culinary Definition of Neighborly," by Laura M. Holson and I started to really think about food as a gift. 

When my previous neighbors had their first child, I gave them a cold-cut platter on their first day home since I knew not only would the new parents not feel much like cooking, but inevitably family and friends would want to stop by and meet the baby.  Being able to offer guests a bite without any fuss seemed like a great gift to me.  The platter did seem to come in handy for them. 

However, I work with a woman who simply will not eat most food brought in from co-workers.  "I don't know what their kitchen is like, how clean they are, etc."  While I understand and can relate to her concerns, I am usually willing to take the risk for a home baked good and am especially glad I did not miss the recent 4 ingredient cookies.

When I had a surgery a few years ago, wonderful and thoughtful gifts of food from work included a warm and comforting chicken noodle soup and a rice pilaf that went beautifully with anything. 

For my sister's baby shower, her sister-in-law gave her a cooler full of home made frozen meals so the last thing the new mom would have to think about was, "what's for dinner." 

Holiday gift guides often rave about gifts from the kitchen and perhaps putting dry ingredients together in a cute mason jar for hot chocolate or cookie dough.  My thoughtful neighbors this past year gave us a basket loaded with goodies (of course many of them were already eaten before the photo shoot):

Meat also seems a popular choice for gift giving.  I once gave my future brother-in-law a cooler of Filet Mignon and I believe my other brother-in-law received some Omaha steak love at his retirement dinner from a family member. 

Food gifts go well beyond boxed chocolates but the jury seems to be out about giving and receiving home made culinary creations.  What are your thoughts on both giving and receiving food from a friend, neighbor, co-worker?  Will you eat it?  Would you cook for them or only give prepared food as a gift?

Salsa Goodness

I am a lover of salt, salty snacks, chips and dips.  I understand chocoholics and have experienced times when I felt like nothing else will do. 

However, I simply cannot imagine a life without salt.  I have a shaker habit that's hard to kick, and yes, will sometimes reach out for it without tasting my food first.  Horrifying.

I also can't think of a single savory item that I would not enhance with a bit of salt.  From asparagus to zucchini, I simply want it.  It has not been a physical issue, no high blood pressure or other ill effect, but I know my choice must be a bit on the extreme side judging by the reactions of those around me when I sprinkle on a little salt.

So, why should my snack habit not be a prime example of my love?  My pantry may contain both cookies and chips, but I will always go for the chips first.

I have tried to pair my love for crunchy thin snacks with the healthier choices now available and have dabbled in sea salt versions, baked veggies crisps, as well as multi-grain (my current favorite).  To ease my guilty conscience, I create a quick and fresh salsa with minimum ingredients:

Fresh Tomato

Green Bell Pepper

Onion

Salt and Pepper

A dash of olive oil

Sprinkle of garlic powder (or ground fresh if on hand)

All proportions are to your taste and by eye

When preparing, plan ahead for the number of people in the house at the time it will be eaten.  Even if you offer it to everyone before it is assembled, they may say, "no thank you," but once they see it in the bowl they will not be able to help themselves.  And, as the saying goes, no one can eat just one.  No one.

The Incredible, Edible...

When I started my day job four years ago, I was so excited about the on-site cafeteria, especially for breakfast.  We had welcome breakfasts and I thought it was simply fabulous to see platters of fruit, mini-bagels and pitchers of juice.  Soon I was addicted and going through the menu of options:  omelette's with sausage/mushroom, mixed veggies or just tomatoes, over easy eggs, hard boiled egg sandwiches, baked goods, bacon and egg sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly on a toasted english muffin, raisin bread toast, and the classic bacon with scrambled eggs.  Breakfast love.

No, I can't eat like this, nor do I want to, every day, but every once in awhile I will proclaim, "I need a bad girl breakfast," and when I do, this is what I want.  Most days I enjoy a single hard boiled egg on multi-grain or whole wheat toast, sometimes with a slice of tomato.  I went through a severe oatmeal period with fresh blueberries and a mid-morning banana is almost expected.  


Childhood through early adult-hood, breakfast was either skipped, late or cold cereal.  Now, I simply love breakfast at least 5 days per week.  It has also evolved as a great meal for socializing - not only lingering on the weekends in my kitchen with family, but meeting friends out either for the local fire department pancake breakfast or a local diner's fare.  A greatly underrated meal - breakfast - but when thought of, eggs are always top of mind.


An egg cooking challenge for me has been to mimic the perfect Egg's Benedict.  The problem?  The first time I had this dish it was at a lovely sidewalk cafe not far from New York's Central Park and really, who can replicate the meal without the entire experience?  Why try?  It was a perfectly toasted muffin, Canadian bacon, a slice of tomato, the poached egg and a heavenly Hollandaise sauce.  The soft, pillowy eggs high above the crispy muffin, the salty ham and fresh tomato all brought together under a silky blanket of sauce - oh the memory alone is making me salivate.  


So, instead I continue the culinary journey to instead add to the Egg's Benedict memory list and rather than compare and contrast, simply log on more versions, memories and stories.  A rainy Sunday seems the perfect time to take out the saucepan, the vinegar and give the poaching a whirl.  Literally.  A splash of vinegar in the simmering water, the wooden spoon stirred in a clockwise motion to create the desired whirlpool effect, the egg cracked first into a bowl then slowly lowered into the water for 3 minutes exactly.  


A single slice of double protein toast topped with a few thin slices of tomato and the plate is ready for the set eggs to be plated.  No sauce is fine, a bit of salt and pepper were added after the photo.

Smoothiepolitan

In these times we are very lucky to have a wide assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables at our disposal throughout the year.  Seasonal produce is a more critical factor when buying local, but really, we do have the ability to buy most anything at any time.

Also, we are a bit more discerning about our fresh foods.  We want them to be picture perfect, smell and feel fresh, while we prefer to buy them from a local farmer, some will settle for simply grown in this country and for others, all bets are off if they simply want an exotic hybrid in January.

Unfortunately, we also waste a large amount of food.  Though I have no real statistics handy, I am sure that in my house, we waste enough food to feed another human per year.  This may be a result of over-buying, improper storage or simply poor planning.  Whatever the cause, I am aware and trying to reduce the waste.  I have used a serrated knife to shave away the offending end of bread so that it is so thin, the remaining slice can still be toasted.  I frequently re-purpose cooked left-overs and now, I am policing the produce.

Strawberries were recently on sale and so I bought a full quart.  I love the look, smell, feel, everything about this wonderful fruit.  Though my older son prefers to "doctor" the berries with a Nutella dip, a coating of sugar or a melted chocolate chip sauce, he does eat them as well.  I watched the berries disappear except for maybe a dozen that were starting to lose their luster and worried they would soon be wasted.  What to do?

Smoothies!!

The almost unwanted strawberries, a fistful of blueberries, one banana,  a few ice cubes and a splash of milk... whir, whir, whir

No, no yogurt, no ice cream, nothing but fruit and a splash of milk.

                   

The fun part for me was putting mine in a martini glass.  Smoothies don't have to be boring and no one will ever know what the fruit looked like before it went in.  I've also used the bananas that everyone passes by.  As an extra bonus, hubby with high cholesterol will drink one and I feel good about sneaking some fruit in his diet!