Getting My Hands Dirty

Tonight's date night was even more intimate than my last one, as it was with myself. I love these nights because I can experiment with complicated recipes that I rarely make time for. They are also, as I said, experiments, so they could always end up being really gross. I am, therefore, the best dinner guest for such evenings.
I decided to get my hands dirty tonight and make some yummy turkey pitas, starting from scratch with raw ground turkey. So let's get down to business:

RECIPE:
1 lb ground turkey
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3 (or, if your me, 200) cloves of garlic, diced
1/3 cup mint, chopped
2 T dried oregano (or really any of your favorite herbs. Parsley and/or basil are other good options.)
1 egg
2 T bread crumbs
3 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper
1 T olive oil
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
Lettuce leaves of your choice (enough to place one or two in each pocket)
Pita pockets

Combine onions and garlic in a medium nonstick pan with your olive oil at medium heat. While this is cooking, combine ground turkey, green onions, egg, mint, oregano, bread crumbs, 2 t salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. Continue to stir and cook the onions/garlic until the onions start to become slightly clear but are still relatively firm. Remove from heat. Let cool, then add to the turkey mixture. 

Use your hands to form patties (the size of your choice--keep in mind the size of your pita pockets). Place on a greased (butter or Pam) nonstick pan at medium heat.

Continue to cook and flip patties until both sides begin to brown and even blacken.
While the patties are cooking, prepare your cucumber sauce. Put the chopped cucumber into a food processor and pulse until the cucumber pieces are really small. Like the picture below. I don't know how to describe that size. But really they can be any size you want, just know that the smaller they are, the more cucumber you'll get in each bite of sauce. Combine cucumber, 1 t salt, and yogurt and mix until completely blended.

When the patties are finished, place them on a paper towel for the excess grease to be absorbed. 

If your pita pockets are larger, feel free to cut them in half. Mine are medium-sized, so I cut about 1/3 off and used the larger "half" for my patty. Toast the pita (you can even use a regular pop-up toaster if your pitas fit) to the toastiness of your liking, then add cucumber sauce, lettuce, and a patty. 

By the time I finished washing my hands and putting all the pieces together, I had been snacking for so long that I wasn't even hungry. And it was 9 o'clock. You would think this would all add up to a really disappointing ending, but alas, my tastebuds still got their climax--I ate my whole pita. In like 5 seconds. I even got one of those lumps in my throat from basically inhaling my food. Ohmygosh. So good. Honestly, cardboard would taste good covered in cucumber sauce, but I promise the turkey patties are also extremely delicious. There is truly nothing you can't add to ground meat. 

Anyway, I know this recipe kind of takes a lot of time, but it is super easy and super fun nonetheless, so try it! 

Until your time again finds mine, 

Julia

Love Me Some Cauliflower.

This is one of the most genius inventions ever!! I learned this recipe from the blog Eat. Drink. Smile. via Pinterest. Here's what she's come up with:

ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Thanks Beth!

Until your time again finds mine,

Julia

Date Night!

Recipe inspired by Eat, Live, Run

Ha. One can dream. If my dates were half as great as a night in cooking for my mom, well, I guess I'd go on more dates. Don't get me wrong, I love dressing up and having a fun night out with a steamy dreamy boy, but really, when was the last time a 20-something college boy elected to stay in (and by in, I mean in the kitchen) and prepare a 3 course meal with his lady friend? Chivalry isn't dead, but creativity might be endangered.
Anyway, tonight I put away my date-making texting machine, changed into my not-for-sleeping PJs, and bonded with my mom over bacon and The Big Bang Theory. It. Was. Awesome.
It was basically date night for my mom and me.
So I had her sit in the living room blindly awaiting the food that would match the delightful smells wafting in from the kitchen. Mwahahahaha.

First Course
Couldn't you guess? Sweet Potato Soup.
Second Course
Tomato mushroom "pizza" with cauliflower crust. Oh yes.
Third Course
Strawberry shortcake kebabs!

My mom is the best cook of all time. If I exclude my extreme bias, maybe I could say she's one of the best. But still definitely top 5 of all time. The point is, she's really terrific, and if she tells me something I make is tasty, you better believe it's freaking tasty.
So do yourself a favor and one day, when you find not just enough time but the proper inspiration and your favorite company (maybe even a date!), make this yummy yummy meal.

RECIPE:
TOMATO MUSHROOM "PIZZA"
     I put it in quotes because while it looks like a pizza, it has no bread and must be eaten with a knife and fork.
Toppings:
1 Portobello mushroom
1 T butter
1 Large tomato
2 T Olive oil
2 T Balsamic vinegar (PLEASE use nice balsamic. Please.)
2 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper
4 T Basil pesto
3-5 T Goat cheese (it all depends on how much you like goat cheese. Personally, I'm obsessed.)
Crust:
This recipe is taken directly from the blog "Eat. Drink. Smile." which I came across on Pinterest. I'll make a separate post for her exact directions.
Regular crust is obviously a way easier option, but by way easier, I mean way less delicious.

In my experience, packaged crumbled goat cheese is either impossible to find or ridiculously expensive, but the ultimate goal here is to have crumbled goat cheese. So I buy the regular kind. Open your package of goat cheese and basically de-densify the cheese with a fork. Store the opened cheese in the fridge until the crust is ready. The fridge and "de-densification" will help to dry out the cheese so that it can be more easily crumbled when it's time to add the toppings to the pizza.

Cut your tomato into thin slices and marinate in a mixture of your olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper.  Let the slices sit in the marinade for a couple minutes. Just while you're chopping up your bacon for the soup or something. Place the tomatoes in a pile of sorts onto a large sheet of foil. Pour the marinade over the tomatoes and fold the foil into a not obsessively-tight pouch like you would see on a Reynold's wrap commercial. I used a confection oven at 400º. My tomatoes were roasting away for the entire time I was making my 1st and 2nd course, so you really can't overcook them. Think of it this way: sizzling is good; popping, smoke, or fire is bad. Remove them when the crusts are ready...

Cut your mushroom into slices about 1/4" thick and simmer in a medium nonstick pan in butter at medium heat. Keep them in motion, either by shaking the pan or stirring the mushrooms periodically. Cook them for around 10 minutes or until the white of the mushrooms turns to a pale brown, whichever comes first.

After the cauliflower crusts have baked for 15 minutes as "Eat. Drink. Smile." instructs, remove them from the oven and spread the pesto evenly across the tops as you would tomato sauce on a regular pizza.
Place your tomato slices on the pizza. If they are not super delicate and a total pain to pick up, you haven't cooked them long enough. Add the mushrooms, then sprinkle your professionally crumbled goat cheese on top.

Put the pizza back in the oven on the lowest setting while you eat your 1st course. 

By the time you're ready for pizza, the pizza will be ready for you! I plated mine by drizzling a reduced balsamic glaze over my plate and then layering two halves of the pizza.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE KEBAB
[Inspired by an image from Pinterest.]

This recipe uses strawberries, whipped cream, and mini pancakes. I switched things up and used homemade cream cheese icing and greek yogurt pancakes.
So. You'll need:
Strawberries. Duh.
Icing:
Cream cheese.
Powdered Sugar.
Vanilla.
Pancakes:
6 T Greek yogurt
1/2 beaten egg (I know this is weird. Get over it.)
4 T flour
a pinch of baking soda
[Pancake recipe inspired by everyday belle.]

I fail to give measurements for the icing because I believe there is never anything wrong with leftover homemade cream cheese icing. Bad day? Screw the pint of Ben & Jerry's and save yourself the Reddi Whip-induced neck ache. Grab a rubber spatula and dive in to some creamy dreamy icing.
Anyway. You know what icing looks like. Start with cream cheese, add vanilla but not enough to drastically change the color, also a ton of vanilla tastes really gross, and then add enough powdered sugar to correct the liquidy consistency. Voila. Icing.

Mix all of your pancake stuff together. It should be a pudding-like texture. If it is too wet, add flour. If it is too dry, feel free to add some milk. Milk substitutes like soy milk or almond milk are fine to use. Use a spoon to drop gum ball-sized amounts onto a hot nonstick pan. Flip until both sides of your mini pancakes are golden brown.

I chilled all of my ingredients in the fridge while I was eating because I didn't want the pancakes to melt the icing. Also warm strawberries are icky.

Slide pancake-icing-strawberry layers onto a skewer like you see in the picture.

Devour.

Date night for me ended with my mom and me playing with our very unplayful dog, Belle. Our other dog was outside the whole time. We feel really bad.
This is sweet Belle:

And now, as I sit on my laptop acting like the blogger I hoped to never become, I bid you goodnight, as date night in this household apparently ends at eleven. I don't mind. I'm stupid tired.

Until your time again finds mine,
Julia

But What About the Veggies?!

The soup post was getting obnoxious so congrats, veggies! You get your own post! They really should though. It's my own recipe, and by "my own," I don't mean I ate this somewhere and decided to recreate it and since I wrote the recipe it is now my own. I mean I literally made this up and it's one of my signatures. Super easy, super delicious.

RECIPE:

Veggies, your choice. Seriously.

Olive oil, enough to coat the veggies.

Sesame seed oil, half as much as the olive oil.

Kosher salt, to taste.

Garlic chips, to taste. 

Ground pepper, to taste. You can't have too much.

Fresh thyme. A good amount would be half as many sprigs as you have veggies. Again, you can't have too much. 

Preheat your oven to 400º.

I recommend sliding the thyme leaves off the stems, but if you don't like the leaves in your food or something ridiculous, you can leave the whole sprigs in with the oil. Just make sure they're completely coated in oil so the flavor properly infuses. 

Toss it all together in an oven safe container. Use your hands. Get dirty. Seriously.

Cook until it looks good. I mean it. This can take up to 30 minutes so go take a shower or something. A quick one, maybe just a rinse to be safe. My showers can get pretty long. But if you're an efficient showerer then go shower. Maybe call a non-chatty relative. 

(I strongly recommend doing NONE of this and just making my freaking sweet potato soup instead, but whatever you want. But really.)

The veggies go well with ANYTHING and they're a perfect go-to item for any last-minute pinch. 

Hope you like!

I mean I know you will though. 

Until your time again finds mine, 

Julia

Home Alone - Thank Goodness I Didn't Find Brownie Mix

Last Friday I went to Table 274 twice in one day. As much as I make it my hobby to eat at delicious restaurants as often as possible, I promise I don't typically consecutively frequent a single restaurant. Anyway, five days ago I definitely did. And I loved every savory bite of it. Not only did I dine at this magical establishment twice, but when I did I ordered the sweet potato soup. Twice. Honestly this stuff is the liquid starch of the gods.
It goes without saying that I found the time to make it myself.
But I can say it. I can say it a million times because I made it and it was so amazingly satisfying I didn't know what to do with myself. I'm still in a state of bliss. Possibly from 5 days ago, but more likely it's just a more recent, reinstated bliss.
This soup is super duper easy to make, not to mention fun (who doesn't love dramatically stirring hot concoctions with a long wooden spoon?). I can say this only because I totally cheated by starting with already made sweet potato soup and adding my own bits and pieces of yumminess.
So do not fret! Do not be repelled by your lack of juicer or food processor! You can do this.

RECIPE:
1-2 cups (I make for one. It all depends on how hungry you are.) of sweet potato soup (I got a box from Trader Joe's)
1/2 t hot sauce
1/2 t cayenne pepper powder
1 t salt
2 t ground pepper
1 T half & half
2 strips of bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 T sour cream (aside: I did not have sour cream. I mixed half & half with greek yogurt - equal portions, and it did the job just fine. It's not enough to even notice a difference anyway)

Stir soup, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, & half & half into a small saucepan on medium heat.  Since the soup is already made, you're literally just heating it up.

When the soup is hot, a.k.a ready to be inhaled because I'm telling you you will love it, pour it into your favorite soup bowl.
Table 274 drizzled the sour cream onto the surface of the soup but I am far from mastering that technique so I just dropped dots of it onto the surface and then took a toothpick and dragged it through the dots to make a pretty design. If your cooking for yourself like me, let's be honest it really doesn't matter. Just plop a dollop and be done with that shiz.

Sprinkle bacon and green onions.
Eat.
Experience party in mouth.

Until your time again finds mine,
Julia

In-home D&D... Is this real life?

Holy. Smokes. I seriously don't think a recipe has ever gone so well for me. Nor do I think I've ever followed a recipe (provided by one of my friends who works behind the D&D food counter) so intently. Go me.
Yesterday I made this Dean & Deluca sesame sweet chili tofu. SO TASTY. The seaweed salad is pre-made from Costco and it's totally delicious & you would never believe it was packaged, but it has nothing on this freaking tofu.

RECIPE [in my own, possibly very confusing, words]:
3 T Canola oil
1 brick of firm-super firm tofu cut into bite-sized cubes
6 T Sweet chili sauce (most grocery stores but I got mine at Trader Joe's)
Black or mixed sesame seeds
1 diced sweet Vidalia onion
Chopped green onions (depends on how much you like them, I used the entire bundle from the store & that was a LOT)
1 T olive oil
1/2 t Lawry's seasoned salt
1 t ground pepper
1/2-1 t chili flakes (to taste)
1 fire extinguisher (hot oil... you never know!)

Perform directions for tofu and onions simultaneously:
Tofu - In a large nonstick pan, heat canola oil at medium heat until a tofu cube placed in the oil sizzles angrily at which point you can CAREFULLY add all of the tofu cubes. Use tongs to turn each cube until all sides are golden brown. Use the tongs to remove the cubes and place them in a large bowl so that most of the oil remains in the pan.
Onions - In a medium-large nonstick pan, heat olive oil at medium heat. I've found that you can really add the onions whenever you want, regardless of the temperature of the oil. Add seasoning salt, pepper, and chili flakes to the onions. Stir until the onions are evenly coated in the oil and all seasoning. Continue to stir periodically until onions are caramelized & remove from heat.

Add enough sweet chili sauce to the tofu to evenly coat the cubes.
Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and toss the tofu so that the seeds evenly coat the cubes.
Add onions and stir mixture.
Let the combo chill in the fridge. Once it is cold, stir in the green onions.
EAT & ENJOY

It's not the simplest recipe, especially because of the risk of firey combustion, but if you ask me it's seriously worth it. In the end, you can always just go to your local D&D and have someone make it for you!

Until your time again finds mine,
Julia

Big Deal: Post One

Honesty time: I've never had a blog and I have no idea what I'm doing. So while you'll be viewing my various techniques in the art of time-filling, you'll also be following my journey while I figure out how to blog. Because seriously, I have no idea how to do this. 

Until your time again finds mine,

Julia