bacon, cheddar, and chive popovers

A few months ago I became obsessed with popovers. I wanted to make every variation of popovers I could find. So I went to William Sonoma on my lunch break and bought a 20 dollar popover pan. You can use a regular cupcake tray, but the popover pan makes the real deal popover. My first recipe was cheddar chive. They were good, but I wanted to make a popover for all my carnivourous friends who unlike myself get to enjoy one of life's best flavors, BACON. The key to a good popover is not peaking into the oven during baking. Be patient, they are worth the wait.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups milk
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter

5 strips bacon cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons chopped chives

1/2 cup grated cheddar

Directions

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Add the milk, flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat until just blended. Add bacon, chives, and cheddar, mix. Use bacon grease to grease popover tins. Fill tins 3/4 cups full with batter. Place the pan on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door (don't open the door!)

pizzoccheri alla valtellinese

This is an italian dish, and like most italian dishes, there is lots of butter and cheese. There is also an assortment of greens, which makes this dish a win-win meal. I made it with my Mom, and she tried to only put 3/4 of the butter in. Luckily I was there to put the rest in! I was worried because the Taleggio is a very sticky cheese, but at the end when i was looking at an empty bowl, the cheese complimented the dish perfectly!

Ingredients

buckwheat pasta

2-3 potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups shredded swiss chard

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 stick BUTTER

4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed

8 fresh sage leaves

1/3 cup pasta cooking water

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Taleggio cheese cit into 1/4 cubes

1 cup parm

Direction

turn the broiler on

boil large pot of water. Add potatoes and boil till tender. Remove potatoes. In same water, blanch chard and cabbage for 2 min and remove, then boil pasta.

In a large stainless steel pan, melt butter, garlic cloves, sage leaves and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Melt slowly over low heat, do not boil. after a few minutes remove garlic and turn off heat.

Add the pasta and vegetables to the butter sauce and coat. Finally, add the Taleggio cheese and 1/2 of the parm. Top the rest with parm and broil for about 5 min.

-Devin

homemade flour tortillas

another thing other than eating meatless twice a week in my house is that we have to eat mexican one night a week. thank the lord above i already have a boyfriend because let me tell you, mexican can catch up to you and your backside. mmmhmm.

my bf is from san antonio. every time we go, which is normally once or twice a year, i pig out on some mexican cuisine. i'm talkin' burritos, enchiladas, queso, chips, salsa, might as well just give me spoonfuls of lard. why not? i also learned from dating a texan, that if you slap some butter on a fresh flour tortilla you can see the pearly gates to heaven. ohmygosh-it's SO good. no surprise though right? butter and bread is the best combo everrrr! but you don't put butter on a store bought ( <--key word here) tortilla. no good!

so what am i suppose to do then when i head back home after spending a week in texas? just buy store bought tortillas? so i asked my live-in texan what i should do. he's reply.."just make 'em." ummmm...no? how about i have a full time job, a side gig with devin, in charge of cleaning house, have a social life, and don't have t-i-m-e. turns out i was wrong. i have the key to the pearly gates! and it only takes 30 mins. soften your butter now, you're about to have a fresh tortilla to slap it on...

whatcha need:

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp veggie oil

3/4 c. warm milk

whatcha do:

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes 8 tortillas.

*thank you to the homesick texan- check out her blog!*

-andi

eggplant melt

i try to cook a vegetarian meal 2 nights out of the week. i am not by any means trying to be on some "health kick" or ease my way into a meatless lifestyle. i'm just broke. plain and simple. i can't afford to eat meat every night of the week...so eating meatless 2 nights a week sounds easy...maybe have soup and salad one night, pasta the next, blah blah blah... and it would be if it was just me living in this household. but i also cook for the person who holds the #1 top rank for our nations pickiest eater. yes, this is the same person who eats kraft mac and cheese (sober) and wouldn't mind chopping up a hotdog to mix in it. yum! (not.)

so HOW did it end up that an eggplant melt would be his favorite vegetarian meal??!! seriously eggplant? not many people i know care for it. definitely not a veggie commonly found a grocery list. the key to this recipe is: good bread and good cheese.

whatcha need:

1 eggplant- sliced 1/2in thick rounds

good bread from the bakery

good mozzarella

good jar pasta sauce (spend the extra couple bucks)

bread crumbs- plain or italian

2 eggs

salt and pepper

olive oil

whatcha do:

preheat oven to 475. in a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper. spread bread crumbs on a plate. oil a rimmed baking sheet. dip eggplant in egg, then dredge both sides in breadcrumbs, transfer to baking sheet. bake 15-20min or until golden. spilt bread loaf in half, take out some of the center if you want, or just press it down to create a well. place bread on another baking sheet, layer with sauce, eggplant, and cheese. bake until cheese is a little brown about 8 min.

-andi

basic chicken noodle soup

i wish i had a REAL excuse for my absence on this blog. like i've been backpacking in europe and was so busy eating and drinking great food i had no time to blog. or i was preparing for the NYC marathon and was determine to have a some absurd record time. nope. didn't come close to any of those. honestly, my excuse is: laziness. i've been sitting on my butt this whole time. i didn't "feel like" pressing the on button and watch my slow computer load up. i didn't "feel like" typing. you know what i'm talking about. you had that same excuse today at some point. you didn't "feel like it".

well i'm gonna keep using my lame excuse. i didn't "feel like" cooking fancy tonight so i made the easiest soup recipe on the planet. chicken noodle soup .

whatcha need:

chicken broth (1 big container)

3 carrots- chopped

3 celery stalks- chopped

1 yellow onion- chopped

egg noodles (no yolk brand, or whatever noodle you want)

chicken breast (i used 2)

salt and pepper

whatcha do:

grab a stock pot. dump in broth. add veggies and chicken. add enough water so that veggies and chicken are covered. salt/pepper generously. bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and partially cover pot. cook for 35 mins. remove chicken and shred on a plate. bring water back to a boil, add noodles and shredded chicken. (add more water if you need too) cook until noodles are done, about 10 mins.

-andi

cioppino

Cioppino is the kind of dish that one should only make and serve on a special occasion. It shouldn't be a 40 dollar whole foods run on a Monday night when you are not cooking for anyone but yourself! I had the pleasure of having this soup for not only one meal, but three. Oh and also, my number one food fan Josh came over and had a bowl too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 tbsp. butter

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots,chopped

1 leek, white part only, trimmed, cleaned, and chopped

1 28-oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

2 pinches cayenne

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 pound halibut filet, cut into large pieces

8 sea scallops

15 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1–2 cups flour

1 crab

1⁄2 bunch parsley, chopped

parm

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil and 4 tbsp. of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Add carrots and leeks and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 cups water, 1 cup white wine, oregano, thyme, basil, and cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 min- 1 hour.

Clean and crack crab. Cut crab into four pieces, set aside.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil, 4 tbsp. butter, and garlic in a large, heavy skillet over high heat until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Dredge halibut, scallops, and shrimp in flour, and fry, turning seafood frequently, until golden, 1–2 minutes. Transfer seafood and crab to soup, cover, and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Serve with parm on top.

mushroom spinach stuffed shells with homemade vodka sauce

Andi makes the most amazing vodka sauce, so i decided to give it a try. It wasn't until I was reading her directions that I realized I would have to light the vodka on fire. This was really exciting for me! I was a bit embarrassed buying vodka at the liquor store with all the homeless kids on Haight on a Monday evening. I made sure to tell the cashier I was making vodka sauce, but he just stared at me like I was crazy. I made the vodka sauce last week with penne pasta. I have been wanting to make stuffed shells for a long time now, and decided that I could use the rest of my vodka and make a combo of the two.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1/2 onion, diced
1 15 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Vodka sauce
Box of jumbo shells

Andi's Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic sliced

1/2 cup vodka

2 cups tomato sauce

3 tbsp heavy cream

fire!

Directions

Cook oil and garlic together for 1 min. Add vodka and turn off heat (make sure you do this!). Light pan on fire and let burn off, about a minute. Add sauce and cream, cook for 20 min.

Cooking the Shells

cook shells as directed

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until golden brown (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the spinach, 1/2 the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly then add the mushrooms and onion sauté and combine.

Pour 1/2 of the vodka sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the shells in the pan. Stuff each shell with the ricotta and mushroom mixture. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Add the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top

sauteed brocollini

I like brocollini more than I like broccoli. brocollini is not only tastier but prettier. If you live in Sonoma County, head over to Green String Farm and pick some up! I got a huge bag of it (about 5 bunches) for 2 dollars.

Ingredients

brocollini

• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blanch the broccolini in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the lemon zest and garlic and stir. Drain the broccolini and add it to the garlic mixture and heat for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

cheesecake with blackberry sauce

This cheesecake is so filling! If you are looking for a cheesecake that is 3 inches tall, then this is the recipe for you. My Mom always tells me not to serve a dish before I have made it twice. I never follow this rule, and it turned out great with the cheesecake. The sauce is excellent too.

Cheesecake

Ingredients

graham cracker crust

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

pulse crackers and sugar in a food processor, add butter. Press down in a spring form pan, making sure crust goes about half way up the sides of the dish. Bake for 8 min on 400. 

Filling

4 8oz. packages of Cream Cheese
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
4 whole Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream

1 tablespoon Real Vanilla
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, or, I used my food processor to make the crumbs, with melted butter
• Press onto the bottom of the pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
• Only press the crust up about half way. Part of the appeal of a NY Style Cheesecake is the unevenness of the crust (go back and look at that very first photograph)
• Onto the filling...In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
• Blend in Cream, and then mix in the eggs one at a time,
• Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth.
• Pour filling into prepared crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
• Turn the oven off and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours.
• Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 lemon

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 15 min.

pour sauce on top of cheesecake right before serving.

tortilla soup

This tortilla soup is one of the better ones I have made. I love soup, and have spent the last five years trying to find the best soup recipes. This will be added to my favorite tortilla soup recipe list. This soup is colorful, healthy, and it is also spicy! My good friend Josh couldn't come over to eat it, so now there is some in the fridge and some starting to freeze for winter. The best thing about soup, is that you can freeze it.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (seeds included)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 poblano pepper

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp salt

8 cups veggie broth

1 can diced green chilies

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

4 corn tortillas, cut into strips

juice of 2 limes

shredded cheese for topping

chopped cilantro for serving

Directions:

roast the poblano pepper over a burner on a gas range stove or under the broiler. You want the pepper to be very dark and charred—almost black. Set aside on a plate to cool then dice.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven or very large pot. Once hot, add the diced onion and jalapeno and cook for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and diced poblano pepper and cook for another minute. Add the chili powder and cumin and mix until well combined.

Pour in the veggie broth and add the diced tomatoes, green chilies, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Finally, add the tortilla strips and lime juice and cook until tortillas soften. Serve with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese on the side.

my grandma's fried potatoes

These fried potatoes are the best fried potatoes you will ever have in your life. No joke, these things are delicious. You have to make them or be good enough friends with me to have them (I make them every weekend). It is helpful if you own a mandolin (not the instrument). Make sure you use the safety or the tip of your finger might fall off onto your potatoes (true story, but I was slicing a cucumber). I grew up with my Italian Grandmother making them all the time, and the secret ingredient is parsley... oh and obviously BUTTER.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 potatoes (sliced thinly)

6-8 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

bunch of parsley

6 cloves garlic

Directions

Slice potatoes with mandolin. Heat two different frying pans with butter and oil, about 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 1/4 amount of potatoes in each pan. If you add too many they will steam instead of fry. Add salt and pepper, flip the potatoes every few minutes until they brown. Add parsley (handful or two) and garlic and turn off heat. Keep mixing to cook garlic, but do not burn it! Wipe down both pans and repeat with the other 1/2 of potatoes. Enjoy with a scramble-in, coffee, and some fruit.

spinach artichoke dip

I love dips. My favorite thing about getting older is actually going to parties where the host has actual food to eat (not just a keg in the corner). It seems that at these "mature" parties, there is always so many different kinds of dips. When I get invited, I always ask if I can bring something in the form of a dip. This is the dip that I will be making from now on. This dip is cheesy goodness that has some health benefits... not really. If you want to entertain or be a good guest, make this. Oh, and it is spicy... like most things I make.

Served perfectly with a good loaf of sourdough bread.

Ingredients:
1/2 package frozen spinach (thawed, drained and coarsely chopped)
1 can artichoke hearts (drained and coarsely chopped)

1 jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (grated)
1/4 cup pepperjack cheese (grated)

Directions:
1. Mix everything and pour it into a baking dish.
2. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 20-40 minutes.

fancy steak sauce

so this picture sucks i know. that steak looks like a piece of brown you-know-what but i'm tellin' you, that steak was melt in your mouth...

i went hiking the other day (uphill. which was awful.). i got to the top of the mountain, i was over looking beautiful sausalito, CA and i was hungry as all get out. ask my bf ryan, i bit his head off when i got to the top of this hiking trail. i told him if he didn't get me a granola bar or a damn cracker ASAP i was gonna lose it! i get bossy and angry when i'm hungry--and poor ryan was stuck on a mountain with me in middle of the woods far from a granola bar or piece of bread. so to make up for all of my snappy comments on the way downhill, i decided to make him a steak for dinner. with a killer steak sauce.

whatcha need: (makes sauce for 4 steaks)

steak (NY strip is what i used)

1/4 c. dijon mustard

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

whatcha do:

cook steaks in pan about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. transfer to plate and cover with foil. add vinegar to skillet, boil until syrupy (1 min). remove from heat; whisk in mustard, serve over steaks.

-andi

easy peasy apple tart

this apple tart recipe is waayyy too easy. great to make if you're having friends over and need a quick dessert. or if you're like me, and all your friends live across the country, you could try this idea: spilt the dough in half, make a mini pizza, make this dessert (1/2 recipe ingredients) and have a meal + dessert in one. don't forget the vanilla ice cream ;)

whatcha need:

store bought pizza dough (1lb)

TBSP flour

stick of butter (unsalted, room temp./then cut in cubes)

TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP light brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 + 1/8 tsp cinnamon

2 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, & very thinly sliced)

1 lg. egg yolk

tsp sugar

ice cream

whatcha do:

on floured surface, roll dough to 6X14in rectangle. place butter cubes on upper 2/3 and fold into thirds (like a letter) starting with unbuttered portion. roll dough to a 6X14in rectangle; refrigerate on baking sheet for an hour. cut dough crosswise into 4 equal parts. place dough on sheet lined with parchment.

preheat oven to 375. in large bowl, gently toss lemon juice, flour, b.sug, salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, & apples. leaving a 1/2 border, arrange apples over dough, overlapping slightly.

in a small bowl, combine egg yolk with tsp. water. in another bowl, combine sugar and 1/8 cinnamon. brush edges of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. bake until crust is golden and apples are soft. (30-35min.)

-andi

my favorite appetizer

brushetta is my all time favorite appetizer..ever. i could really care less who makes it. i go to fancy restaurants and order it, i make it, my friends make it, i will even admit i kinda like olive garden's version. so as you can see my standards are really not super high.

when my mom was in town in june, we took a mini road trip up to sonoma to do some wine tasting. one of our favorite wineries was chateau st. jean. mainly because they had bread pieces you dip in grape seed oil and after a few glasses of wine bread dipped in anything is amazing. well, i wound up buying garlic flavored grape seed oil and let me tell you it was a great half-drunk-purchase. i sliced up some heirloom tomatoes, grabbed some fresh mozzarella and basil, then drizzled some of that garlic oil on--and it was awesome. one last thing. get great bread to go with this. it makes such a difference!

-andi

roasted carrots and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette

As I sit alone in the kitchen writing this post waiting for two pizzas to cook in the oven, I am reminded on how much I love cooking with other people (only if they know how). This recipe was the first time in a long time that Andi and I got to cook together. Andi decided to introduce Mikayla and I to firefly sweet tea vodka, and we though it would be fun to a have a few before we opened a couple bottles of wine. Smart move for Wednesday night (sorry Erin (boss), if you are reading this). We had this with lemon butter sole over polenta, which i will eventually blog. The vinaigrette really brings this dish together, and it is truly delicious.

Ingredients

4 carrots/parsnips

4 medium red onions

2/3 cup olive oil

4 thyme sprigs

2 rosemary sprigs

1 head garlic, halved horizontally

8-10 brussel sprouts, halved

salt and pepper

2 medium sweet potatoes

30 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp small capers

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375. Cut carrots into 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

Peel the onion and cut each in to six wedges

Place the carrots and onions in a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic, i teaspoon salt and some pepper Mix well and spread out in a large roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes.

While carrots are cooking, cut sweet potatoes width-ways in half, then each half into six wedges. Add the potatoes to the pan with the carrots and onion and stir well. Return to oven and roast for 40-50 more minutes.

After 30 min, throw in brussel sprouts

When all the vegetables are cooked through, stir in tomatoes. Roast for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, capers, maple syrup, mustard, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Pour dressing on top, stir well, and enjoy!

spicy mac'n'cheese

Two things I love are spice and mac'n'cheese. When you put them together, you get a spicy party in your mouth. I'd like to think of myself as a connoisseur of macaroni and cheese. Cheese, pasta, cream, and butter are the main ingredients in any comfort food. I have been making this recipe for almost 4 years now, and have had no complaints from the people who I have served it to. You can feed a lot of people with this recipe, I am hoping that my roommate Joey (a.k.a. human garbage disposal) will be in the mood to have at least 3 helpings.

ingredients

1 pound pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic

4 jalapeno chiles seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup cilantro chopped

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 cup veggie broth

pepper

4 cups cheese (i like to do 1/2 shard cheddar 1/2 pepper jack)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook pasta

2. heat oil add onion, garlic, jalapenos cook 5 min stir in cumin and cilantro

3. in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour for 1 min, then whisk in the milk and veggie broth; season with salt and pepper. simmer and cook for 5 min. add two cups cheese

4. add cheese sauce to pasta and mix. spread half pasta in baking dish. add half of the onion garlic mix and spread over the pasta. Pour the rest of pasta on top and then the rest of the onion garlic mix on top of that. sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. bake at 350 for 20 min. Then broil for 5 min.

root vegetable pie

I love pot pies. Why wouldn't you want a dish served with buttery crust on top? I always fall in love with dishes that have meat in them, the only problem is that i don't eat meat! This has been an ongoing problem for 8 years now. I want nothing more than to eat a giant steak, I just can't bring myself to do it. The original recipe that i found was lamb shepherds pie... i know, amazing. It even called for a can of guinness in the recipe. Instead I decided to try and make it a bit healthier with root vegetables. It actually tasted great, but i am sure that the lamb pie would taste better. If you want warm comfort food that is healthy, then this is the dish for you.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 leeks

5 cloves garlic

1 onion

1 bunch tuscan kale

4 carrots

4 parsnips

2 zucchini

2 purple potatoes

1 sprig rosemary

2 yukon potatoes for topping

1 can whole tomatoes

3 cups stock

1/2 cup parm

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

preheat oven to 350

1. chop all ingredients

2. heat olive oil and butter in dutch oven, toss in onion and garlic. saute for 5 min. add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. cook for 10 min. add zucchini and cook for another 5 min. add stock, tomatoes, and kale. cook covered for 20 more min. Add parm and let cool.

3. Slice potatoes very thin and set aside

4. pour vegetable mix into a pie dish, top with potatoes. brush olive oil over potatoes. insert rosemary in the center.

5. bake for 25 min, or until potatoes are brown

leftover pie

flashback to 1994. i was 8 years old. my family was all about the one-pot meals. crock-pots, stews, casseroles, you name it. we were busy. my mom dragged us all over town and sometimes we needed something quick, easy, and would be great leftovers- just in case.

now fast forward to 2011. i'm 25. broke like it ain't no joke. living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and remember that 10 year old boy stuck in a 30 year ol' man's body? yeah. well he's still here and i'm cookin' for him tonight. so you best bet ima gonna cook somethin' C-H-E-A-P with REAL cheddar cheese. shepard's pie it is. "leftover pie" as i'll call it tonight. i had a lot of veggies in my fridge/freezer that needed to be used up, so i decide to spend $6 tonight on some meat and throw all those veggies in with it. i had leftover taters from the other night (see pork chop n' taters post) and threw them in the mix too. this is definitely a meal where i was trying to use things up leftover from the week--not trying to be on some "healthy kick". you can use whatever veggies you have or prefer. tonight i used: peas, corn, green beans, onion, red pepper, and carrots. so raid your fridge tonight and flashback to the early 90s. maybe crank some ace of base or TLC while you're at it!

whatcha need: (serves 4-6)

1lb. ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup beef stock

onion (diced)

carrots (sliced/chopped/whatever)

frozen peas (eyeball it.)

frozen corn (eyeball it.)

*and any other veggies you want to add*

mashed potatoes (rinse, peel, and cut into cubes 3-4 russet potatoes, boil in salted water for 10-15 min., drain & mash with butter and salt and pepper)

butter

salt and pepper

grated cheddar cheese (optional)

whatcha do:

preheat oven to 400. make mashed potatoes (see above recipe).

in large skillet, melt some butter (whose counting?) over medium heat. when melted, add onion and carrots. saute for about 3-5 minutes until soft. add meat. cook until most of it is no longer pink. add other veggies. cook until all meat is no longer pink. season with salt and pepper. add beef stock. simmer for about 8 minutes until slightly thickened.

get your casserole dish out--pile meat mixture in it. top with mashed potatoes. decorate with cheddar cheese. bake about 20 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

-andi

shrimp alfredo with pancetta, peas, and broccoli

my boyfriend sometimes reminds me of a 10 year old boy stuck in a 30 year old mans body. i'll ask him if he has any 'requests' for dinner during the upcoming week and most of the time his responses are "mac n' cheese..with VELVEETA..not the fancy mac you make". (fancy?! please. you think velveeta is good! i'm using REAL cheddar and slaving over a hot stove.) or most common response "maybe alfredo sauce with chicken?" . so with that last part said, i decided to take advantage of the situation. i whipped up a quick meal using shrimp, pancetta, peas, and broccoli with.. drumrolllll...canned alfredo sauce. yep. you read that right. i decided NOT to slave over a hot stove tonight perfecting an alfredo sauce for my live-in-10-year-old-boy. and the end result was fab. here's the recipe for you folks. enjoy!

whatcha need: (serves 4)

1lb pasta (any kind will do)

1lb shrimp (raw, deveined, and peeled)

frozen peas (however much you'd like to add)

broccoli (again, however much you want)

pancetta (5-6 slices/however much you want)

canned alfredo sauce (i used newman's own)

butter

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

whatcha do:

bring large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. add pasta. cook 8-10 minutes. drain. return to pot with tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

heat peas and broccoli in bowl filled with water in the microwave for 3 minutes. drain. and return to bowl.

in large skillet, heat tablespoon of butter over med. high heat. add pancetta. cook for 2-3 minutes. add shrimp. cook until majority of shrimp are pink. add broccoli and peas. saute until shrimp are cooked- no longer than 5 minutes.

add canned alfredo sauce to pasta, then add shrimp-veggie mixture. toss together. salt and pepper to taste.

-andi

tomato basil soup with fancy grilled cheese

This recipe goes out to one of my best friends in the world Scout Burkle. She taught me all about grilled cheese and tomato soup. I remember cold wintery days in Tahoe, sitting with her on the couch dipping grilled cheese in steaming hot tomato soup. Scout, you are one of the best people I have ever met, and I love you to the moon and back.

-Devin

The best thing about this soup, is that my Dad grew the tomatoes!

ingredients

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (I used a variety), cut in half lengthwise

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 cups chopped yellow onion

6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

28 ounces canned plum tomatoes with their juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 quart vegetable broth

Directions

preheat oven to 400

1.toss fresh tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper

spread in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes

2.In a pot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for ten minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and broth. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including juices.

3. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill with the coarsest blade.

This recipe makes a lot, so you can do what i love....and freeze some for later. I also love to give this out to friends in mason jar as a gift.

Fancy Grilled Cheese

Everyone knows that a grilled cheese is not a grilled cheese without some butter. If you are trying to be healthy/or on a diet, you should not be eating cheese and bread anyway. If you are like myself and run 4 miles a day so you can indulge in life's greatest gifts, food, then make a grilled cheese and put butter on both sides of the pan!

ingredients

1 good loaf of bread

sharp cheddar

BUTTER

Directions

Slice bread and cheese and make a sandwich.

Heat frying pan and throw sandwich on the pan. Leave on one side for a minute and flip. Take a big slice of butter and lather up the side flipped. Flip again and repeat. Let brown on each side for 4 min. Cover with lid to help the cheese melt.

pork chops n' taters

i never really buy pork chops, but when i do, i like to go all out. this dish is a great twist on a comfort classic. a great meal easily done in 30 minutes. i used plums for the pork chop topping, but you could use whatever fruit you'd like (peaches, apricots, apples, etc). add a small salad and you're set!

whatcha need: (serves 2)

2 bone-in pork chops

2 tablespoons oil

1 yellow onion (diced small)

2-3 plums (or peaches, apricots, apples)

4 russet potatoes (rinsed, peeled, chopped)

2-3 garlic cloves (smashed and chopped)

1 cup milk

butter

salt and pepper

whatcha do:

fill large pot of salted water for potatoes. add potatoes and garlic, bring to a boil. cook potatoes until pierced easily with fork (10-15min).

meanwhile, season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. heat oil in large skillet over med. high heat.

add chops and cook about 7 min. flipping once.

transfer chops to plate; tent with tin foil.

add onions to pan, cook about 2 mins. add fruit and cook until soft about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper; top on pork chops.

drain potatoes, return to pot. add butter and milk. mash until creamy. season with salt and pepper. add more milk if you want creamier potatoes.

-andi

easy pickles

These pickles are easy and yummy. You get the taste of a pickle with the crunchiness and freshness of a cucumber.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup white vinegar, eyeball it
• 2 rounded teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove cracked garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

DIRECTIONS

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.