04 March 2012

I've moved...

After three great years with Blogger, it's time for a change.  You can find all the content you liked on this site and much more at Simple Pleasures' new home: www.simplepleasuresva.com.  Come find me there!

23 January 2012

Chicken and chorizo stew

December is always a crazy month, packed with family, friends and parties.  And it's the month that I'm doubly excited to go to the mail box for the promise of Christmas cards.  The rest of the year I'm only excited to go to the mailbox for cooking magazines.  But with all the holiday hubbub, even my beloved cooking mags took a backseat.  I'm finally catching up and was pleasantly surprised to find that the January issue of Cooking Light, which arrived here right in the middle of the holiday mayhem, had several recipes I couldn't wait to try out.  This recipe was the first of several I'll be piloting and while it's heavily modified to our tastes, it turned out to be an excellent winter meal.

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
6 garlic cloves, divided
1 onion, quartered
1 medium carrot, unpeeled, chopped
3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, divided
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 cups cubed red potato
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
6 ounces chopped Spanish chorizo
1/2 teaspoon cracked red pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/8 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste

Combine 4 cups chicken broth, 3 whole garlic cloves, onion, carrot, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper and a hefty pinch of salt in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.

The poaching liquid awaiting the chicken

Add chicken to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 14 minutes or until chicken is done. While the chicken is poaching, mince the remaining garlic, cube the potatoes and chop the onion and bell pepper.

Remove chicken, reserving cooking liquid; cool. Shred chicken. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Wipe pan with paper towels. Sauté sausage over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Add potato, onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cracked red pepper, saffron and remaining black pepper; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add reserved cooking liquid; bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your tastes.

 Ready to simmer

Simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded chicken; simmer 5 minutes. Check seasoning again.  While the dish is simmering, add flour and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth to a container with a tight sealing lid.  Shake until all the flour is dissolved and no lumps remain.  Add to stew and bring to boil, and then let simmer for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally.  This will thicken the stew.  Ladle about 1 cup stew into each of 4 bowls.

 Chicken and chorizo stew, ready to be enjoyed!

22 January 2012

Gnocchi with white beans and spinach

I was cruising around the interwebs looking for something interesting to add to our dinner rotation this week and I stumbled on a recipe for skillet gnocchi with white beans and chard from EatingWell.com. I wasn't thrilled by the recipe as presented but used it as the inspiration for the recipe you see here.  This turned out to be a nice, warm pasta dish for a bitter cold night.  At about 500 calories a serving (4 servings), this dish packs a lot of flavor without layering in much fat.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chicken stock*
6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 15-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

*To make this dish vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock or water for the chicken stock

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic.  Season with cracked red pepper, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper. Saute for 1 minute.  Deglaze the pan with the 1/4 cup of wine.  Reduce heat to medium and add chicken stock.  Cook until the onion is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes.

 Onions and garlic sauteing with chicken stock, cracked red pepper, salt and black pepper

Add oregano and basil. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until it starts to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spinach melting into the onions and garlic

Stir in tomatoes and beans and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the gnocchi, cover and allow to simmer for 3 more minutes. Check the seasoning again, add salt and pepper to taste.

Red, green, and gold coming together in the pan

Transfer the gnocchi mixture from the skillet to an 8"x8" casserole dish.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.  Place the casserole dish under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly brown, about 2 minutes.

Just out from under the broiler

Allow the pasta to stand for three minutes before serving.

A heaping helping of the finished product
Enjoy!

17 January 2012

Red quinoa and black bean salad

As B and I continue down our weight loss path (unsurprisingly, he's been more successful than me, losing 9 pounds to my 7), I keep looking for interesting lunch items.  I found this one on Oh She Glows, a positive body-image focused blog that I follow, and it's excellent.  Like most everything you see here, I've adapted it to my own tastes.

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup red quinoa
1 15 oz can black beans
1 large avocado
1 large red pepper, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

For the dressing:

The juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil


Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pour the rinsed quinoa into a large mixing bowl.  Rinse black beans and add to quinoa.  Split the avocado and remove the pit.  Score the avocado into 1/2 inch squares and scoop, with a spoon, into the mix bowl.  Add the chopped red pepper and scallion.  Toss all ingredients together.

To prepare the dressing, mix the lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, cumin and cracked red pepper in a container with a lid.  Add the olive oil, snap on the lid and shake well.  Drizzle the dressing all over the prepared salad.  Toss the salad to evenly distribute the dressing.  Garnish with more fresh cilantro and serve!

16 January 2012

Slow-cooked smoky chicken and pinto beans

I'm constantly looking for new, healthy recipe ideas.  I thumb through magazines, new and old, I browse the web, but my favorite source lately has been other food blogs.  I love taking recipes other people have test-driven and adding my own twist.  This one is adapted from just such a recipe found on Taste As You Go and had the added benefit of being both a slow cooker recipe (I'm really into my slow cooker right now) and a total comfort food.

Ingredients

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
1 16-ounce jar of fire roasted salsa
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (ribs and seeds removed)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a 5-quart or larger slow-cooker, add beans, salsa, peppers, adobo sauce, flour, and chicken stock. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper. Sprinkle the cumin and chili powder evenly over both sides of the chicken as well. Place chicken in the slow-cooker, pressing the chicken down into the liquid mix as much as possible. Scatter the onion and bell pepper on top.

 All ingredients in the slow cooker, ready to go

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Remove chicken from the slow-cooker, shred into large pieces and serve, garnished with fresh cilantro.

13 January 2012

Restaurant Review: Hill Country Barbeque Market

I don't think classifying this post as a restaurant review is really accurate.  I think a more accurate categorization might be "ode to barbeque " or "prayer to the gods of fat and flavor." In short (and certainly in blasphemy), blessed are those who eat this barbeque.

We chose Hill Country Barbeque Market to celebrate the birthday of a coworker, S.  Her December 29th birthday screws her in the work celebration department since our office is a ghost town the week between Christmas and the New Year.  To make it up to her and also to relive some of the delicious barbeque we've enjoyed together on Southwest border travels, our little Communications team decided to give this place a try.

When I walked in, I was surprised by how large the restaurant is for occupying what looks like only a small store-front on 7th Street in the busy and crowded Penn Quarter neighborhood of DC. But this New York based barbeque joint is definitely trying to channel the "everything is bigger in Texas" vibe and does so pretty successfully.  I was also surprised to realize that while I made a reservation ahead of time, it's not a sit-down restaurant.  Once seated, you're each given a card with the menu on it.  When you've decided what you want you walk up to the counters and order, receive your food on a tray and take it back to your table.

Because we're good food sharers and like to try everything (READ: we're gluttons for the right food), S, V, and I decided to each choose one combo from the lunch specials list and have them throw it all together.  Together we chose a Brisket, Chicken and Rib Special, a Brisket Chomp Special and a Kruez Sausage Special.  The meat, wrapped all together in paper right there in front of us, totaled one-quarter pound lean-brisket, a half-pound moist brisket, a quarter of a chicken, one-third of a pound of jalapeno cheese sausage, and a large pork spare rib.  Each combo also came with a side of cornbread with ancho-honey butter and an 8 ounce side.  That meant between us we had three sides.  And here comes the real gluttony. We couldn't make do with just three because the Long Horn Cheddar Mac & Cheese looked too good for just one side so we added an extra to be able to try the Campfire Baked Beans with Burnt Ends and the Corn Pudding.  All unwrapped at the table, this was the spread for three people.


I'd like to say there were leftovers, but I'd be lying.  We laid waste to our meal, leaving only a few bits of lean brisket and pork rib and maybe all of three bites of our sides.  But this food was phenomenal.  We've all been to Texas and had real barbeque.  This may have lacked the smoke that you get there with outside smokers (you can't do that in downtown DC), but otherwise, it brought all the flavors we've come to expect from real barbeque.  The moist brisket fell apart on your fork, the chicken was so juicy I nearly spattered it on the guy sitting to my left and then there was the sausage.  I don't know what it is about us and sausage, but every time it's ordered it's enjoyed above all else.  I've written about this before.

The sides were, for the most part, the same great combination of flavors (and, let's be honest, a whole lot of fat). The mac and cheese was rich and creamy. Having been made with penne rigate, every furrow of every noodle seemed to soak up the cheese sauce.  The corn pudding was a surprising favorite.  A dish I at least had never tried, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't mushy. Instead, the texture was a juxtaposition of still crisp corn kernels and a creamy pudding base.  And the natural sweetness from the corn was played up with just the right amount of salt. The last side, the baked beans, didn't wow me.  They were good, but not something I'd go back for.  Next time, it's all about the corn pudding!

By the time we cashed out, there was a lot of grumbling about how full we were and more than a little wondering about how we'd manage to stay awake for the remainder of the work day.  Somehow we managed it, but I don't think I'll be going back to Hill Country for lunch.  This will have to be dinner next time and it will have to be only as a special treat if I want my pants to continue to fit.

02 January 2012

An open letter to 2012

Dear 2012 -

I have high hopes for you.  2011 was good to me, good to us, for the most part.  It was a year filled with friends and family, travel and memories, food and laughter, health and wellness, interesting work and new opportunities. But there's always room for improvement. That's where you come in, 2012.

Your predecessor brought us fewer occasions to spend with loved ones than we would have liked.  It is incumbent upon you to bring several more opportunities to visit Michigan, see old friends, meet and get to know the new ones they're bringing into the world and spend time with our parents and brothers and sisters.  I'd also love to find myself at the end of your term riffling through pictures of travels elsewhere to be with those we love.  Halifax, Boston, Toledo, Denver, Chicago, I'm not picky, just bring our hearts to those they love.

Just as important as bringing us to those we love, bring them back to us.  Fill our table with the sounds of their laughter.  Allow me to cook and cook and cook and fill every dish with the joy it gives me to share them.  Let our dear ones return home or tuck themselves into our fluffy guest beds, full, content and with the same warmth from being in our house that we get by having them here.  (Hear that people? Come visit! We'll feed you!)

I'm also demanding that you provide ample opportunities for B and I to exercise our travel personalities.  Over the years, we've found that on vacation, especially just the two of us, we're different people.  We laugh easier, smile more and banter faster and with ever-increasing wit.  2011 took us for a short Vegas vacation and a mini-trip to Chicago. 2012, to do right by me, bring longer travel somewhere farther flung.  London? The Caribbean? Spain? I could content myself with any of these places, let's just choose and start planning.

Next, give my feet wings.  In March, I run my first half marathon. I'm doing it for my health, for the satisfaction of knowing that I can accomplish something truly difficult with the right mindset and dedication. I'm doing it for the opportunity to spend some real, no kidding quality time with my little brother before he's all grown up.  And finally, I'm doing it for my Dad.  Because 2012, you're going to be WAY better to my Dad than your predecessor.  This is not a request, it's a demand. The only way the word cancer will be uttered during your term will be as a memory of what he beat in 2011 and what he will continue to dominate.

Finally, while I was on the road in 2011 less than the previous year, I still slept 51 nights away from home for work. I averaged 50+ hours in the office per week (an average that was drastically impacted by a quiet November and December) and another 20+ hours per week from the warmth and comfort of my couch, but working nonetheless.  I said "no" to more social engagements than I can count thanks to the constant, stressful grind that is my job.  So 2012, here's what I want from you - a dramatic drop in work-related travel.  How about 30 nights? That seems like a good, realistic goal.  See what you can do. While you're at it, see what you can do to help B make it in the door 12 hours or less after he leaves every day.  Help us spend more than one hour a night in the same room while still conscious.  I'd love to request a way to diminish my average weekly hours, but I'm also realistic.  With new demands and changes and opportunities on the horizon, I understand the need to keep up the crazy hours, but let's try to keep them up from the metro DC area.

I hope my expectations are clear, 2012. Get to work!

01 January 2012

A new kind of New Year

Sometimes planning a trip with a group can be difficult with all the moving parts and individual needs.  And sometimes the trip comes together like serendipity with every piece fitting perfectly into the puzzle.  That's how it happened that we ended up in Boston to ring in the new year.  Midway through November our friends in Halifax, A&D, found a great last minute flight deal to Boston.  In just a few days, we'd nailed down the details with our Boston-based friends, J&P, and booked in our own flights from DC to join them to welcome 2012.

We arrived on Friday, looking forward to getting to spend time with our friends over a low-key weekend with far more focus on the company than on outside activities. And that's exactly what we got.

When we arrived, A&D were at the zoo with X, their 20 month old daughter, giving us a few minutes to catch up one-on-one with J&P.  But an hour or so later we were finally all under one roof, having exchanged long over due hugs and greetings.  To our wonderful surprise, X wasn't even a little bashful being thrust into this whole crowd of faces she rarely sees in person.  So while she got familiar again with all the crazy people in the room, all of whom enjoy the sweet "aunt" and "uncle" monikers by which we're called, we set about deciding what dinner would entail and making a food plan for the weekend.

X has a lot of food sensitivities right now, which leaves eating out as a tough choice.  Conveniently, this trip included a whole bunch of people who like to cook and have no concerns with making adjustments to accommodate food sensitivities and (in my case) allergies.  As the Executive Chef of the J&P household, P had already laid a plan to make a hearty veggie-filled pasta for us the first night, bursting with Portobello mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini.  As a group we decided on a classic steak and potatoes meal for New Year's Eve and before long we were off to Whole Foods to get everything we needed (and of course, to stop at the liquor store to ensure we had plenty of "spirits" with which to welcome 2012).

Dinner that night was a big hit, both with the adults for the great combinations of flavors and well-prepared veggies and with X for the bow-tie pasta.  In fact, Uncle P's pasta making skills made him very popular for the duration of the weekend.

 Chef P chopping tomatoes to add to our pasta

We spent the duration of the evening doing what we do best, catching up, talking, laughing, basking in the presence of these people that we so seldom get to see.  Before we knew it, midnight was creeping up and we were debating if B and I could even catch a cab from Jamaica Plain back to our downtown hotel.  Luckily, P took control and within about 20 minutes we were headed for a good night's sleep (or so we thought).

Turns out, the beds at the Marriott Copley Place are medieval. Hard and awful.  But that made it easy to get up at a decent hour and get back to JP to start our day.

By the time we rolled in, A&D and X were already on the move and J&P weren't far behind.  D had offered early on to be our breakfast chef and was already one batch in on the steel cut oats that would be our morning meal.  After some "getting to know you" with the stove, I managed to produce some nicely broiled bread to enjoy with jam while we awaited the oatmeal. After enjoying D's excellent oats, we decided to head down to the Wharf to go to the Aquarium.  With all the creatures and colors, A&D hoped it would be a hit with X and let's be honest, the rest of us are pretty easily entertained as well.  Show me a penguin and I'm a happy girl.

I didn't have to wait long either, the penguin habitat is just about the first thing you see when you walk in the door.
Two penguin friends on display

After the penguins, we wound our way around a giant fish tank, filled with gorgeous tropical fish, rays, sharks and even a sea turtle. 

 A very blurry tortuga

Another blurry shot, this time of X saying "Hi!" to all the passing fish

Not long after, we got separated, J&P, B and I ending up in the outdoor sea lion habitat while trying (and failing) to follow A&D and X to the touch tank for X to meet a ray and a small shark up close and personal.  But somehow we managed to meet up around the front door just as we were all hitting our limits on tourist activities and hoping for a little lunch. Most of the nearby restaurants were crowded, but we managed to get a table at Joe's and enjoy a relatively peaceful lunch (if you discount the wretched waitress who was, shall we say, less than helpful). 

By the time we finished our late lunch it was dark and we decided to head back to J&P's by way of Faneuil Hall.  The whole plaza was filled with Christmas decorations including an ENORMOUS Christmas tree and an ice sculpture sleigh.

J&P in front of the Christmas Tree

After watching a street performer for a few minutes, we made our way to the T and back to J&P's to relax and eventually get to making dinner.  Everyone was ready for some down time when we got back and we all piled into J&P's living room. X, however, had napped on the T on the way back and was ready to burn off some more energy. So while we all sank into couches and spots on the floor, X got out her boogie book and leggings and did some reading and dancing.

After being thoroughly entertained by X dancing (and J's failed attempts to do the robot), we finally had to get it together to start on dinner or we really would be eating at midnight. P was in charge of the steak and roasted brussel spouts and I had potato responsibility.  While P prepped at the counter, I sat down at the table to peel and slice potatoes for Patates sto furno, Greek-style potatoes cut into spears and roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt pepper and oregano.  Not long after getting down to business, I had some sous chef assistance from X.  Once all the potatoes were down in the pan, X helped dress them with oregano and salt.  After I mixed it all together with the olive oil and ensured every potato was covered, X showed her cooking skills, informing me that the potatoes needed more salt, which she happily tossed in for us. 

With dinner on the way, we sat back to enjoy our evening with more chat and laughter.  We opened a few bottles of wine, enjoyed some stinky cheeses, but mostly again, just enjoyed each other.  At some point, as we all sat around the table, X crawled up into A's lap to play.  Part of that play included A and X going through the motions of "rowing" while A sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  And because we are awesome, we all joined in.  And then we started singing in rounds, with A&D singing the first, B the second, J and I the third and P coming in on the fourth with his own tuneful rendition of "I Had The Time of My Life" which oddly, fits right into the cadence of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  X dug the full-court press we were giving her song and proceeded to row and laugh and row some more.  When the singing had finally lapsed, B even graced us with his bizarre spoken word rendition.

After all this excitement and her train nap, X finally consented to sleep, just in time for the adults to sit down to dinner and to ring in the new year.  While it wasn't the crazy, booze-soaked new years of the past, the company, down to the newest little member of the crew, made it a perfect way to welcome 2012!

The next morning we were a little slower to get moving and finally all came together for breakfast (or in X's case, Breakfast Round 2) around 1030.  D made us some excellent blueberry pancakes and bacon while we all milled around in the kitchen, knowing it was our last day all together.  The highlight of this meal though, again, was X.  Crawling up on a chair at the table, she declared (after some prodding from a certain Uncle B) that "Uncle B is awesome!", "X is awesome!", "Everybody's awesome!". 

And this cuteness wasn't the last thing X had in store for us at breakfast.  She followed up, with some more help from a certain rotten Uncle, with "Aunt J is naughty" which she proceeded to repeat as long as we continued to laugh, which wasn't hard to negotiate considering what she was saying.  

After breakfast we decided it was time to take our awesomeness outside for a walk in the gorgeous 50 degree weather.  We meandered up to the Arboretum, which is just a few short blocks from J&P's place.  Full of people running, biking and walking dogs, we weren't the only ones looking to take advantage of the nice weather.  We spent about an hour roaming around, more or less following A and X wherever their wanderings took us.  

 A and X, negotiating where to go next

When we finally arrived back at J&P's, we only had a couple of hours before B and I would have to pack up for the airport.  We spent the last of our time where we had spent most of the weekend, clustered around the kitchen table, snacking and chatting and laughing.  Which brings us to the last official act of the weekend - the great Hall Street sprint.  My memory has failed and I have no idea how this argument started, but not long before we were due to depart J&P began to argue about who could spring faster.  B and I have arguments like this too as we're both pretty competitive.  However, our arguments tend to end as intellectual exercises, each postulating why we think we're superior.  Not J&P.  They each presented their case for greater sprint speed, but they didn't leave it at that.  They took it outside for a foot race!

J (who may  have been at a disadvantage in her skinny jeans) and P, ready to head outside to race

Getting set at the starting line with B as the line judge

D and X on the porch, waiting for the race to start

P, about to cross the finish line, about 15 feet ahead of J

Needless to say, P smoked J.  But their race was hilarious and a great, light-heated way to end a wonderful weekend.  Before long we were getting suitcases in the car, giving last hugs and saying our goodbyes. 

I can only describe this weekend the way I describe most times spent with these incredible friends.  Cathartic. Soul-soothing. Necessary.  Thank you all for a great trip and new year's celebration. We can't wait to do it again!