Today I’m back in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland to be a bridesmaid in my friend Emily’s wedding. Emily is one of my oldest and best friends, and she’s also a big reason I became interested in cooking. When I moved to New York, Emily was already living there. She participated in a CSA (community supported agriculture) and every week would get big bag fulls of vegetables. We’d get together once a week and have a family dinner together using whatever vegetables she had. Together we stir fried, roasted, and boiled all kinds of veggies and sometimes our creations came out well and sometimes they didn’t. Those weekly dinners got me more interested in cooking (and also in vegetables), so today’s post about how to roast and prepare a butternut squash is dedicated to Emily. 

During the fall it’s socially acceptable to go squash crazy and eat them in in soups, sandwiches, stir fries, and even in drinks (I love you pumpkin spice latte). The mixture of hearty and slightly sweet makes squash one of my favorite food groups to eat and cook. However, for all of squash’s glory, I think they can be kind of intimidating. They are big, dense, and difficult to cut. No one wants to slice a finger trying to prepare dinner.

But it actually doesn’t have to be so hard. Just a few steps and a few simple tools, along with some patience and you’ll be the squash master in no time. Yes, the squash master. All you really need is a fork, a vegetable peeler, and a strong large chef’s knife. Oh, and I guess a cutting board. A spoon is helpful when it comes to scooping out the seeds, but the fork and knife together work fine too if you don’t want to dirty an additional utensil.

Ok, so first what you do is take your butternut squash and wash it. Even though you’ll be peeling off the skin it’s good to wash it because once you start peeling, your peeler will touch the dirty skin and then touch the dirty inner flesh. Now take your fork and stab the squash all over. You don’t need to make it crazy full of holes, but enough holes throughout. Then just pop the squash in the microwave and heat it for 2 minutes on high. This is just to cook it just a smidge and soften it up so preparation is easier later.

Side note, while I’m thinking about it, this preparation would work for other squashes that fit in your microwave. I’ve done it with acorn squashes before. I’ve never worked with a whole pumpkin, so I’m not sure about that – however pumpkins are less dense and therefore maybe easier to cut. But I’m getting off topic.

Take the butternut squash out of the microwave and let it cool until you can handle it. Use your knife and cut the ends off of the squash then peel it. From here you just want to cut it into uniform sized cubes, and you can do that whatever way you like best. For me, I like to cut the butternut squash in “half” at the point where it bulbs out. That way I have one half with seeds and one without. For the half without seeds, I’ll cut 1″ thick rounds, and then cut those rounds into 9 pieces, like a tic-tac-toe board. Then for the seeded half, I’ll cut it in half again, scrape out the seeds using my fork and knife (or a spoon if you like). From there I’ll cut long strips, then cut those strips into chunks. If these directions are confusing DON’T WORRY! Just cut your butternut squash into equal-ish pieces. I recommend about a 1″ cube or thickness. This way everything will cook evenly and you have nice big biteable chunks.

From here, you want to heat your oven to a high heat. Throw the squash cubes into a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the squash until fork tender – and that’s it. It’s pretty easy! If you want to step it up a notch, like the recipe shown at the picture in the top, here’s an easy add on. Roughly chop some sage and pecans and toast them in a dry frying pan until fragrant. When the butternut squash is ready just mix in the sage and pecans and you have a super delicious side dish. Job done ya’ll. Now you’re ready to be squash master.

Adapted from Torey Avey.

Messy level: Two spoons. Preparing and roasting a butternut squash is pretty easy and neat. The added sage and pecans creates just one extra dish. For not a lot of work and very few dishes, you’ll have a great side perfect for the season or for Thanksgiving.

How to Roast & Prepare a Butternut Squash

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, about 3 pounds but really any size will do
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons roughly chopped sage leaves
• ½ cup roughly chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C.
2. Stab the butternut squash all over with a fork.
3. Put the squash in the microwave for 2 minutes on high heat.
4. Remove the squash from the microwave and let cool until you can handle it.
5. Once you can handle it, cut the ends of the butternut squash, peel the squash, and remove the seeds, and cut the flesh into 1" chunks. (For more details on how to do this see the post's text)
6. Put the squash in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
7. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and pepper. Stir so all the squash is evenly coated with the seasonings.
8. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.
9. Meanwhile, in the last ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add in the sage and pecans. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sage wilts a bit and the pecans start to smell fragrant. This takes just a few minutes.
10. Once the squash is done cooking stir in the sage and pecans.
11. Serve!

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Weeknights after work are the least desirable times to start cooking. Work is tiring, commutes can be unpleasant, and by the time I get home I want to eat right now. I could order take out (and sometimes I do) but then I still have to wait for the food to arrive. And I could heat up something pre-made, but I rarely do that because I don’t find refrigerator section foods to have that much personality. So I cook at home, even when I don’t want to. This recipe for orzo with sausage and tomatoes (and some other vegetables), will be a meal you’ll be happy to cook and eat after work. 

Although cooking dinner after work can feel like a chore, I really do love it and think it’s important. I like that it makes the whole apartment fill up with the yummy smell of sauteing garlic or onions. It makes me happy that in less than hour something that didn’t exist before, that was just separate ingredients, has come together to make something tasty and filling. And also, when it goes well I love the appreciation I get when dinner has been delicious and satisfying.

Everyone should have a handful of go-to of weekday meals that they can get on the table in an hour of less. Some of mine are taco salad, spaghetti and homemade tomato sauce, roast chicken with broccoli, baked salmon, and chicken and vegetable stir fry. But sometimes, the old favorites get well…old, and so I experiment. Sometimes I experiment with recipes from other sources and sometimes I make things up based on what’s available in my house and the tiny convenience store I pass on the way home from the tube. This orzo recipe is one of those I just made up. And it’s pretty good ya’ll.

The orzo, which is pasta cut short and shaped like rice, was taking up space in my cabinet so I decided to highlight it for dinner. I especially like dinner recipes where I can fit multiple food groups together, so I decided to do something like a stir fry with sausage, tomatoes, and leafy greens. The sausage I had, the vegetables were what the conveniences store had. I figured it’d be easy and it would have protein, grain, vegetables, and fruit (the tomato I guess…) all in one. I like when the vegetables are woven throughout because it means I’m more likely to eat them than if the vegetables are kept on the side. Yes, I’m 30 years old and I have ways of tricking myself to eat vegetables.

The first time I made this I used kale instead of spinach. Ryan and I agreed we really liked the dish overall, but we really didn’t like kale. I know kale is a super food and has been impossibly trendy recently, but I just don’t like it. I’m sorry, I just don’t. No matter how it’s cooked kale always always tastes like a dead crunchy autumn leaf off of the sidewalk.

We decided for future iterations we’d use other leafy greens like spinach, but I think chard word work nicely too. Ryan also suggested adding peas, which I think adds nice color and a different texture. In fact, I think this recipe is really versatile and can easily be changed to suit your tastes. If you like kale, or collards, or whatever – use that leafy green instead. If you don’t like sausage you could do this just as easily by sauteing bite sized chunks of chicken breasts, shrimp, or tofu. It’s s-i-m-p-l-e. And that’s totally what we want for after work dinner. Also, it’s great as lunch leftovers for the next day too!

Messy level: Two spoons only because you need a pot for the orzo and a separate frying pan for everything else. Overall though, not too many dishes.

Orzo with Sausage and Tomatoes

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 sausages, in whatever seasoning flavor you like (about 400g or about 1 pound)
• olive oil
• 4 medium sized round tomatoes, chopped roughly to 1" pieces (about 380g or about .8 pounds)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup orzo
• water to cook the orzo
• 3 cups spinach
• ½ cup frozen peas

Instructions

1. Remove the sausages from their casings.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot add the sausage meat. Cook the meat until cooked through. This takes about 10 minutes depending on the heat of your pan. As you cook the meat, use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into bite sized pieces.
3. Cover a plate with a paper towel and put the cooked sausage on top. Try to pour out as much of the grease from the skillet as you can, but it doesn't have to be perfectly clean. This step helps to drain off the excess grease. You can skip this step if you want, but the overall dish will taste nicer without the grease.
4. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Once it's boiling generously salt the water. Add the orzo to the water and cook for 8 minutes (or check package for timing recommendations). When the orzo is done cooking, drain the water and set the orzo aside.
5. Return the empty skillet you used before back to the stove. Add a splash of olive oil if the pan is dry. Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the tomatoes are losing their juices and everything is starting to simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.
6. Add the spinach to the skillet. Stir the spinach in until it starts to wilt, about 1-2 minutes.
7. Next add the frozen peas. Stir the peas in until they lose their frozen look and start to turn brighter green, about 1 minute.
8. Now add the sausage and orzo to the skillet. Mix so everything is coated with the tomato juices and the vegetables are distributed throughout.
9. Serve in a bowl or on a plate.

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It’s Monday, which means everyone could use some caffeine to get the day started. Even if you’re an early riser there’s something about Monday that just requires an extra boost. And, since it’s summer doing it a cooling way is obviously best. That’s assuming of course that you’re in a hot weather climate. Here in London it’s been humid but cool and rainy. So very rainy. But, with a Thai iced tea I can at least pretend I’m in a tropical climate. 

I’ve been thinking about making Thai iced tea for a while now. A few years ago my friend Charlotte and I tried to make it “from scratch” using a recipe I got from a cooking with tea cookbook. When I say from scratch, I mean we used tea bags and spices instead of prepared mixes. This cookbook has successfully taught me to make yummy rooibos cookies, so I felt trusting. However, the end result wasn’t what we wanted. It did taste good, but the flavor was more like an iced chair. And perhaps most importantly, we didn’t get the great effect of cream sitting atop the tea, then slowly mixing into orange goodness. To us, that felt like a key component of Thai iced tea.

It’s probably been over a year since my one-time failed experiment, but recently I started thinking about it again. It could be because Thai food is Ryan’s favorite thing to order for take away. Whatever the reason, I started doing some research to find a great recipe. Do you know what I found? I found that everyone uses a pre-made tea mix! The tea mix uses yellow coloring to give it that orange color. It’s not some fancy spice, it’s just yellow. So I decided to refine what “from scratch” means. If everyone’s using tea mix then who am I to say that’s not scratch or official? I order Panthai tea mix from Amazon, but Original Thai Iced Tea mix would work too (it was just more expensive). Once I had the mix, it was super easy to make. It’s refreshing, delicious, and just as pretty as any tea I’ve had in a restaurant.

One note, I used coconut milk with the tea. This is in part because it was what I already had at home, and in part because I just like it. Feel free to use half and half or sweetened condensed milk if that’s what you prefer.

Recipe adapted from White on Rice Couple.

Messy level: Usually a drink is one spoon, but this one is two. The reason for that is that you have to strain the tea after it steeps. This is requires additional dishes and a little finesse to ensure you don’t spill orange liquid all over your kitchen.

Thai Iced Tea

 

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Cook time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 4-6 cups

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• ⅔ - 1 cup Thai Iced Tea Mix (use more or less depending on strength preference)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ice
• coconut milk (or half and half or sweetened condensed milk)

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling add the tea and sugar to the pot. Stir a bit to help encourage the sugar to dissolve. Lower the heat so everything is still bubbling, but the bubbles are gentle not vigorous.
3. Let the tea steep in the boiling water for 3 minutes.
4. Remove pot from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes.
5. Put a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or pitcher. Pour the tea through the strainer to strain the tea from the tea leaves. Discard the tea leaves. [Note: If you don't have a fine strainer, you can line your regular colander with cheese cloth. I think a couple layers of paper towels might also work]
6. Let the tea cool in the refrigerator. Alternatively you can serve it immediately over a lot of ice.
7. To serve, fill a glass with ice. Fill the glass ¾ of the way full with tea.
8. Top the tea with the coconut milk. Enjoy the beautiful look.
9. Stir and enjoy!

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I’m going to say something that will hurt my credibility with children everywhere. Here it is: I like broccoli. In fact, it’s my favorite vegetable. My go-to preparation for broccoli is to season it with Old Bay or garlic powder and then to steam it. But, if I’m honest that gets a bit boring sometimes so I have to find new ways to eat my vegetables. And that’s the thing, I like vegetables and I know I have to eat my vegetables, but I don’t always know how to do it in an exciting way that will make me want to eat my vegetables. That’s why I’m always doing green smoothies or baking it in to something. 

I know people do all kinds of cool things with vegetables, and make them the centerpiece of their meal, and thereby they eat less meat, and as a result those people are friendlier to the environment. I want to be that kind of person all the time, but I’m not that person all the time. Sometimes I don’t have much in the fridge or cupboards and I’ve had a long day at work and I’ve been dreaming of a heaping bowl of pasta and so when I get out of the tube and pop over to the Sainsbury local I buy pasta, sauce, and a single veggie as an afterthought.

So how do you make that afterthought become something glorious that shines on its own? By roasting it. I think all vegetables taste better roasted, and roasted broccoli is no exception. This recipe is adapted from the Amateur Gourmet‘s recipe “the best broccoli of your life.” The first time I made it I didn’t tell Ryan that it was supposed to be mind blowingly good because I wanted to see what he would say. And he tried it, and then said that it was incredibly good.

Roasted broccoli is delicious because the florets get a little soft and the flavor gets rich and caramelized. Even better, some little bits get crispy and dark and that crunch is so tasty. And finally, you can season your broccoli and really let that flavor settle in, in a way that’s not possible when you sprinkle a bit of salt after cooking.

Here is the best endorsement I can give this recipe: I find this broccoli so good, I eat it like popcorn. Meaning, if the broccoli finished first while I’m making dinner, I’ll pick up a piece with my hands, pop it in my mouth, and eat it while I finish cooking. If there’s some leftover and I’m doing dishes and haven’t cleared everything, I’ll snack on it some more. I’ll eat this broccoli alone, without an accompanying main dish. Broccoli that you snack on and can’t get enough is an amazing thing.

A few notes on ingredients… it seems like a lot of olive oil and it kind of is. But you want the broccoli to be nice and coated otherwise it will come out too dark and burnt and will taste like charcoal (and that’s not what you want). Second, I highly recommend using coarse sea salt instead of regular table salt. I think the granulated sea salt gives a nice crunch and a fresh flavor to the broccoli. If you can’t be bothered, just use a little less table salt and it should be fine. And finally, sometimes I like to sprinkle a little Parmesan at the end – it’s nice but I think it’s valuable to learn to love vegetables without cheese, which is why I didn’t include it in the recipe below. Is that blasphemous to say? If so, I’m sorry.

Adapted from Amateur Gourmet.

Messy level: Very easy to make and without a lot of dishes or clean up. I love this because you basically prep it and put it in the oven and forget about it until it’s done. It’s exactly the kind of easy, mess-free side you need for weekday dinners.

Roasted Broccoli

 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more if needed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
• lemon wedge
• lemon zest, optional

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. [Note: a rimmed baking sheet is nice in case you go crazy with the olive oil, but it's not necessary]
3. In a medium bowl stir together the broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, and chili flakes. Stir so that everything is well coated.
4. Spread the broccoli mix on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil if you're feeling so inclined.
5. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned and everything is fork tender.
6. Remove from the oven and squeeze the wedge of lemon so juice gets all over everything. Optional: sprinkle a little lemon zest over the broccoli if you want a little more lemony flavor.
7. Serve warm and devour.

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I think I’ve developed a minor obsession with basil. In the past month I’ve made blueberry basil lemonade and basil Thai chicken – and now pesto. I know that you can buy pesto from the store, but this isn’t a blog about things you can buy – it’s a blog about cooking. And pesto is so easy to make! Most importantly, as with anything you cook, you can make it appeal to your personal tastes.

One of the reason I like pesto is because pasta is my favorite food to eat and pesto is a nice alternative from regular tomato sauce.  It’s also green so you know you’re sneaking in a bit of vegetables into a bowl full of high-carb spaghetti. I also love pesto because it’s got such a strong sharp flavor.

Yes, I admit pesto leads to bad bread central with all that uncooked garlic but I don’t care. Eat pesto with someone you love who won’t judge you for garlic breath. And on that note, eat pesto with someone who will tell you if you have green bits in your teeth. Nothing worse than walking around with food in your teeth. I think a person who eats pesto with you is probably a true friend since they’ll deal with the stink and make sure your teeth are clear.

But, recently I’m liking pesto on sandwiches. When I worked in DC I would sometimes go to Springmill Bread Company in Eastern Market and I would get a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich toasted on whole wheat bread. It was simultaneously simple and decadent.  Lots of melty cheese, bright tomatoes, and bold pesto – it’s like a caprese salad in a sandwich. What’s better than that? So it’s summer time practically, basil is in season – go crazy and make some pesto. Slather it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, and find new ways to use it then email me so I can try them. We know I’m obsessed with basil and I’m always looking for new ways to try it out.

Now, even though pesto is so easy to make, I don’t always like to make it because pine nuts can be quite expensive! However, if you don’t want to use pine nuts in your pesto I’ve had success using almonds instead. Sure, it tastes a little bit different and might be less “authentic”- but if you like almonds it’s a pleasant change and you’re still getting the same garlic, cheese, and basil flavors. Main lesson here, you can make pesto without breaking the bank!

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Messy level: One spoon. All you need is a blender. You don’t even really need to cut anything (although you do need to peel the garlic). And if you don’t want to you don’t even have to measure. You can just pour the ingredients into the blender, blend, taste and adjust. Job done and so easy and dish free.

Pesto

 

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Ingredients

• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• 2 - 2½ cups basil leaves
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¾ cup of olive oil
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. This step is optional, but adds a nice flavor: In a dry skillet over medium heat add the pine nuts to toast. Stir regularly to keep from burning. Toast the pine nuts until brown in a few places, this takes about 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts to a blender.
3. Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the blender.
4. Blend on high until smooth.
5. Eat it with whatever you prefer. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. If it gets too thick just stir in a little more olive oil.

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I live near a lot of grocery stores. When I get out of the tube, to the left on the corner is a Sainsbury local and to the right on the corner is a Tesco metro. Just a short walk away from that is a full sized Waitrose – but before I even get to that there are a few small independent market and a new organic market. And the truth is, I go to all of them. If I need something quick I’ll go near the tube. If I want a proper shop I’ll go to Waitrose. And if I’m feeling curious, then the organic market. It’s a little bit of overkill, but when I can’t find an ingredient at one place, it helps to have so many others.

Recently, I discovered yet another place that’s also close to my flat but off the main street. It’s French themed, they bake their own bread, and the place smells amazing. I went there because after going everywhere else I couldn’t find basil for blueberry basil lemonade. They didn’t have basil, but they did have platanos. Platanos in Spanish – plantains in English. And not just green plantains, which I kind find easily enough, but they had perfect, soft, ripe, black plantains. Or, in spanish – platanos maduros. 

Now getting excited about wrinkly dark plantains might sound weird. If it was a banana, I wouldn’t eat it and I’d be thinking about banana bread. But dark plantains are my favorite. Why? Because it reminds me of my family. These plantains are so soft and sweet, which green plantains are not. And also, this recipe is so flippin easy to cook. Seriously, if you’ve thought about learning to cook Puerto Rican or Latin American foods this is where to start.

I was also really excited by the plantains because even though I have half a dozen grocery stores at my disposal I have a hard time finding Latin American foods here in London. I’ve done some searching and found there are a few specialty shops – but I still haven’t found anyone that sells Goya brands. How is a girl supposed to live without her pinto beans and arroz con gandules?! So anyway, it’s nice when I can find the ingredients and flavors that remind me of home cooking from my parents.

It is easy to double or triple this recipe, just buy as many plantains as you want. I used two plantains and that makes about 3 servings if everyone has 4 slices. This recipe is best right after cooking, but the plantains are just fine reheated in the microwave the next day. Eat as a snack, or serve with a big plate of rice, beans, and arepas.

Messy level: This is the lowest maintenance cooking and cleaning ever. You need two ingredients, a knife, a cutting board, and a pan. One spoon all the way.

Platanos Maduros (Sweet Fried Plantains)

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 2 plantains
• vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cut both ends off the plantains. Using a knife, score the skin lengthwise on two sides. Then, slowly peel the skin off the plantains. Plantains don't peel like bananas, so these instructions are important and will help you easily get the skin off.
2. Cut the plantain flesh into slices on the diagonal. [I don't know why this is the established method, you could do it lengthwise or in coins, but for some reason it's always done this way.]
3. In a large pan, heat about ¼ inch of oil on medium-high heat. Heat until the oil is very hot. Test this by flicking a little water into the oil. If it pops and sizzles then your oil is ready.
4. In batches, add the plantains to the oil. (I did about 6 slices at a time) It's important to do this in batches so you don't make the oil temperature drop too much.
5. Fry the plantains for about 2-4 minutes on each side. They are done when they are a little bit browned and look kind of caramelized.
6. Remove plantains from the pan and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel. This is done to drain off any excess oil.
7. Serve and eat!

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Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about sandwiches. I’m been dreaming about this amazing smoked meat sandwich we had in Montreal. It was simple, just meat, rye bread, and mustard but the size of it was massive and the taste was delicious. I still regret not getting a second one immediately after I finished the first. I’ve also been dreaming about the turkey cranberry sandwich I used to have at Earl’s Sandwiches when I lived in Arlington. That sandwich was like Thanksgiving any time of year.

But those are specialty sandwiches, and although I sort of need to find a specialty sandwich place here in London, I’ve turned my attention to takeaway sandwiches.  You know, the kind you can just grab on the go. I’ve found I don’t often like the takeaway sandwiches, and usually it’s because of too much mayonnaise. But I did find some local flavors I like, such as coronation chicken, tuna and sweet corn, or salt beef and gherkins. However, nothing has truly been cutting it. The sandwich I am craving and missing is such a simple one! It’s the Mediterranean sandwich from Potbelly in the US. Once I got thinking about it, I was sure I could recreate.

I discovered this sandwich the summer after I graduated with my Masters in Museum Studies from NYU. I felt like having a Masters meant I should have a real job and be a professional, whatever that means. But instead, I was working at a temporary science exhibit in a place that had no air conditioning and no plumbing. In DC. IN. THE. SUMMER. If you don’t know DC in the summer, it’s like 95°/35° all the time and it’s about 1000% humidity. A woman who lived in the apartment building upstairs and regularly brought her granddaughter to the exhibit would sometimes offer us water and popsicles. It was so hot that the plastic balls in one of the exhibits would become misshapen so the exhibit no longer worked. Needless to say, I didn’t feel especially professional sweating it out and I hadn’t thought that this was where my degree would take me.

My one solace from the heat was Potbelly restaurant around the corner. There I could enjoy cool air and a bathroom. I’d buy a cold water and a Mediterranean sandwich and luxuriate in the comfort of the restaurant and the food. The Mediterranean sandwich might not look like much, but for me, it has a special significance because it was there for me during frustrating time. And besides, it is freaking delicious. I love Mediterranean flavors, as I told you when I confessed that I eat tons of Greek salad when Ryan is away. I love the crunchy, salty, oily, creamy combination of fresh and canned vegetables all coated in cheese and hummus.

I love this recipe also because it allows you to have a little freedom. For example, use whatever hummus you like. I found lemon and coriander (cilantro) hummus here and loved it. But I think regular, garlic, or roasted red pepper would all be amazing. I used a jar of roasted red peppers because I like the roasted flavor and I didn’t feel the sandwich needed additional crunch. However, feel free to use fresh peppers if you like that flavor better. Also, I mixed all the ingredients, minus the hummus, together and then stuffed the pita. I like this because it makes the bites diverse. If you like layering your ingredients for uniform flavor bites, that works too. Do what you like, just be sure to enjoy this in a cool and comfortable place.

Messy level: Ordinarily a sandwich is an easy one spoon recipe. I’m giving this two spoons just because you have to do a little chopping, draining, and mixing. The added steps create more dishes, but help make the sandwich more delicious.

Copycat Recipe: Potbelly's Mediterranean Sandwich

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Copycat recipe for Potbelly's Mediterranean sandwich. I am counting one serving as two halves of a round pita. Depending on size of pitas, this recipe will make 2-3 servings.

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• ½ cup artichoke hearts, drained from a jar
• 2 roasted red peppers, drained from a jar
• ½ cup roughly chopped cucumber
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons hummus (any flavor you like)
• 2-3 pita pocket rounds (size depends on how many sandwiches you get)

Instructions

1. Preparation note: If you haven't already prepared the cucumbers, chop them now. I cut the whole cucumber lengthwise in quarters. Then I chopped along those quarters and made tiny little wedges. (As if you cut coins of cucumbers then cut those circles into quarters) However, shape doesn't really matter, it just needs to be easy to stuff in your sandwich.
2. Cut the roasted red peppers into slices. Again, size isn't so important, just medium length slices that can easily be stuffed into a sandwich.
3. Scoop the artichokes out of the jar and let excess oil or water drain off. You can pat them with a paper towel if you want them especially dry. Put the artichokes in a small bowl.
4. Add the chopped cucumber, sliced roasted red peppers, and feta cheese to the small bowl with the artichokes.
5. Mix the sandwich ingredients until things are mixed up and a little cheese looks like it's gotten stuck to everything.
6. Cut the pita rounds in half and open the pita pockets. Using a knife generously spread hummus inside each half of the pita pocket. You don't have to measure, but about 1 teaspoon should do. If you like more, do more. [Note: If you make sandwiches from 3 pita rounds, then you'll use a total of 1 tablespoon of hummus]
7. Fill the pita pockets with your mixed sandwich ingredients. Depending on how much you fill and the size of your pita pockets, you'll have about 2-3 sandwiches.
8. Serve the sandwiches on a plate. Spoon a large dollop of hummus on the edge of the plate. Use this for dipping your sandwich or any vegetables that fall out. The more hummus the better!

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The post Copycat Recipe: Potbelly’s Mediterranean Sandwich appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

For whatever reason, I’m generally somewhat intimidated by cooking fish. It seems so easy to over cook it or under season it. And it’s just not something I eat a lot when I’m out, so I’m not sure how I like to have it when I’m at home. But this recipe – this wonderful recipe – is so darn easy. It’s so easy and quick, you can make it for dinner after you get home from work. In fact, this recipe is so easy it’s one of the first recipes I ever learned.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: my first cookbook was a few handwritten recipes my mom wrote down in the back of a spiral notebook. She made this my sophomore year of college, and it was my cooking bible until I was 25. The recipe I made the most was for “plain-ass chicken,” which I’ve turned into a beginner chicken dinner recipe. The second recipe, was for baked salmon in foil. 

I used to make this recipe using a package of frozen salmon fillets that I’d defrost, season, then bake for too long until I was absolutely sure it was all cooked through (and therefore also pretty dry). Today, I use fresh salmon fillets but frozen will still do the trick too.

To make this chicken, you’ll need three of the seasonings I’ve outlined in the Kitchen Essentials post. Specifically, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In addition to those, you’ll need olive oil (or butter will work too), aluminum foil, and a baking sheet. If you don’t have a baking sheet, that’s ok. Just rip off a long piece of aluminum foil and use it to cover the rack in your oven. You’re doing this, or using the baking sheet, so that juices don’t drip onto the oven and burn and smell and make smoke. I know I didn’t include olive oil, aluminum foil, and a baking sheet in my top 10 kitchen essentials list, but if I made a top 15 list those items would be in it. Overall not too expensive and they are versatile items you’ll use often in your cooking.

Anyway, the best part of this recipe is that it is so easy – all you have to do is trust yourself. Put the fish fillets on a sheet of aluminum foil, season generously – you really don’t need to measure, fold the foil into a packet, bake until the fish is cooked through and flaky (see picture above). The length of cooking is all about the thickness of the fish. Isn’t not so serious the size of the fillets. Buy what looks like a good portion for your appetite and you’ll be fine.

Once you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, there are tons of options for variations. Try using dill or paprika in addition to salt and pepper. Or marinate the fillets in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. Basically, use the same method but change the flavors to make it your own. See, I told you it was easy? Now there’s no reason to be intimidated by making fish because we can nail this recipe.

Messy level: You can cook this without dirtying any pots, pans or utensils. HOW COOL IS THAT? Just put the fillets directly onto the aluminium foil, season, close it up, cook. Job done – no mess.

Easy Baked Salmon

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 salmon fillet per person (size isn't so important)
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C.
2. Rip off two pieces of aluminium foil. When you put your salmon fillet in the middle, you want that aluminium foil to have about 3 inches of space on either side.
3. Put the fillet in the middle of the aluminium foil. Lightly drizzle the salmon with olive oil. If you want it all perfectly even, use a spoon, brush, or your finger to make sure the salmon is evenly spread.
4. Generously sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't shake the seasonings out aggressively, but you can put a visible layer of each on your fish.
5. Close up the aluminium foil so that you have a nice little fish packet.
6. Put the packets on a baking sheet and put in the oven.
7. Bake for 13-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. It is cooked through when the fish is flaky. The length of cooking time is based on the thickness of the fish. Think about 6-8 minutes per ½ inch of thickness.
8. Remove from the oven, take out of the foil, and serve. Serve alongside a wedge of lemon if you like.

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The post Easy Baked Salmon appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

When I made corn chowder, I told you that I liked to go to Zumba on Mondays. That means Monday dinner kind of gets short changed because I need something light and quick. This recipe fits the bill. Last Monday, I made this simple chicken dinner with broccoli and rice. As we were eating it I said to Ryan, “this is college Mariel dinner,” and he chuckled and nodded.

This was the meal I made all throughout college. It is the first real meal I ever knew how to make. It is probably the first meal I ever made for Ryan. In college I would’ve made this with defrosted frozen broccoli and a box of Near East rice pilaf, but over the years I’ve stepped up my game and now I can make everything from fresh ingredients.

I haven’t shared this recipe on the blog before because it didn’t seem very special. It seemed so straightforward, who would need this recipe? But the truth is my mom wrote this down for me when I was in college and didn’t know how to cook anything. She was writing down recipes for me in a spiral notebook and I felt like everything she was writing was too fancy (liked baked salmon filets). So I asked her, “how do I make just plain-ass chicken?” And this is it, plain-ass chicken.

This recipe is a great beginner recipe. It’s perfect for college students, busy people, people with few kitchen appliances, and people who want to learn to cook. Here are four other reasons why this meal is awesome.

1. It’s fast. The whole thing will take you 45 minutes. Yes, 45 minutes is longer than it takes to defrost a pizza, but it is faster than it takes to defrost a lasagna and can sometimes be faster than delivery.
2. It’s cheap. All the ingredients costs me less than £10. It serves two and you’ll still have rice and stock left for a future meal, so really cost per person is even lower.
3. It’s made of all whole, fresh, normal ingredients. So you can feel good about making a quick dinner with all ingredients you can pronounce.
4. It’s going to teach you three valuable basic cooking skills: how to make rice, how to steam vegetables, and how to cook chicken. Learn the basics and you have the foundation to make all kinds of more complicated stuff in the future.

Now a few notes on preparation. The only special equipment I recommend is a vegetable steamer. I like steaming vegetables because it is healthy and quick. Also, for beginner cooks you’ll be making everything on the stove which is good because it will be easy for you to keep your eye on everything. Also you can steam all kinds of veggies, green beans, asparagus, whatever you like. The vegetable steamer I use is pictured below. I like it because it’s easy to clean and store. It’s kind of floppy though so using the handles to remove the vegetables and steamer is a bit hard. If you aren’t going to steam your veggies, then I recommend roasting them. You can find my favorite roasted broccoli recipe at the Amateur Gourmet’s blog.

We’re going to be using boneless skinless chicken breasts. They don’t often get a lot of love because chicken with bones and skins have a bit more flavor. But boneless skinless is cheap to buy, easy to prepare, and quick to cook. You want to make sure that your chicken breast is uniform in thickness. The reason for this is that the thinner side can cook and dry out before the thicker side is even cooked. To even your chicken you can hammer it with a meat mallet. I don’t have that so I’ll sometimes use the bottom of a sturdy glass. You could also cut your chicken breast lengthwise, giving you pieces of even thickness. This is the method that I like, also because it also cuts down on cooking time.

Last note, for seasoning I used adobo and Old Bay, because that’s what I like. You should use what you would like. Don’t know what you like? Garlic powder, salt, and pepper are always a good choice.

Ok, now let me take you back in time to Mariel’s college days.

Messy level: This recipe is really easy and there isn’t much opportunity for spills or splatter. Still, you have to use three pots so that’s almost a full sink of dishes. Overall though, clean prep and easy clean up.

Easy Beginner Chicken Dinner

 

Print

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

An easy recipe for a beginner's chicken dinner

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup white rice
• 1 cup chicken stock (you can use water, but stock is more flavorful)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• adobo (or your preferred seasoning for the chicken)
• 1 medium head of broccoli
• Old Bay (or your preferred seasoning for the broccoli)

Instructions

1. Start with the rice. Put the rice and stock in a medium sauce pan. Heat on high on a back burner (since you're going to set it and leave it). Bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to low. Cover the pan, let it simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. This takes usually 35-40 minutes, but check your packaging. [Beginner tip: to check for doneness, lift the lid, and use your spoon to push aside a bit of rice to see the bottom of the pan. Is there liquid? If so, not done]
2. Now prep the chicken to make the breasts even (see note above) Season generously with adobo/seasoning of your choice. Set aside.
3. 
4. Wash the broccoli. Cut into little florets.
5. 
6. In a medium saucepan put about ½ inch of water in the bottom. Put the steamer on top of it. Make sure the water doesn't come up over the steamer.
7. Put the vegetables on top of the steamer. Sprinkle with Old Bay or the seasoning of your choice.
8. 
9. Cover the broccoli. Cook on medium-high for about 10 minutes. [Beginner tip: At about 7 minutes, lift the lid and take out a piece of broccoli and test it to see if it tender enough for your liking. Turn off the heat when you feel it is cooked enough]
10. Put a little oil in a skillet. Heat the pan on medium-high.
11. Flick a little water into the pan. If it does nothing, your pan isn't hot enough. If it pops and sizzles aggressively then it is too hot. If it just jumps a little, you're ready.
12. Lower the heat to medium. Add the chicken. Cook on one side for about 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 3-5 minutes. Chicken should be done at about 8 minutes. [Beginner tip: Make a small cut into the chicken breast. Still pink? not done. Increase the heat if it's taking forever, lower the heat if you feel it is browning too quickly]
13. Turn off the heat and serve.

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The post How to Make an Easy Beginner Chicken Dinner appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

My mom recently read an article on how people in their 20’s and early 30’s don’t know how to cook. She also sent me this article, which just hurt my brain. How could anyone, even if it is just 11% of people, think that eggs come from wheat? My mom suggested that I could use my blog as a place to teach young people how to cook. And it’s a good idea, I’m twenty-something and I make my living teaching and explaining things to people.

My college friends and me cooking up a storm!

But I didn’t really believe that it was true, so I decided to talk to my friends. I felt sure that my friends knew how to cook. My college friends and I used to do a cooking blog together. And I was sure I had either eaten something, or seen my friends eat something, that they themselves had made. So imagine my surprise when some of my friends did say they didn’t know how to cook!

However, it sort of seems to me, they think they don’t know how to cook, because what it means to cook means different things to different people. People said cooking was something more than putting prepared ingredients together. It’s making the inedible, edible. It usually means using heat. For some people it was knowing how to improvise and go off from the recipe. And it’s putting largely raw/basic/unprocessed ingredient together so that the finished product is better than the individual parts. It’s not a super clear definition; because is a sandwich from a panini press cooking? Is making a salad cooking? Opinions were mixed, but what’s obvious is that cooking is on a spectrum. I mean, I would say I know how to cook, but I haven’t been doing it for very long and I’m no celebrity chef. I know how to do many things, but I don’t know how to cook everything! Ultimately, what it means to cook is varied. For my friends who say they can’t cook, I hope this is encouraging and might make you feel like you can cook. Or, at the very least, maybe I can help you find some recipes you’re comfortable with.

I’d also like to say, that in considering this topic, I went a little overboard. I asked my friends a bunch of questions, I sought out articles, I thought about this all the time, and I wrote pages and pages of single-spaced commentary. I was getting consumed with the ideas of why people didn’t cook, regardless of their cooking ability. But I felt like I was getting crazy and somehow moving off track. What I want from this blog, is to have a place to share what I’m cooking. I want to share my learning experiences. I don’t know everything and I’m trying to challenge myself to make good meals, and to try to cook things that I only ever thought I’d buy at the grocery store.

This funny guy is from Microsoft Word Clip Art

And that’s when I realized I should definitely take my mom’s advice and make an effort to share some great recipes. I want novice cooks to have some recipes where they can learn and challenge themselves. I get excited with myself when I make something new and  it tastes good. I’d like to help other people have that feeling. So, I’m going to mark beginner recipes at the start of a post using this funny picture of a chef. He looks like he’s marching boldly forward into new cooking terrain. And that’s what I’m trying to do with this blog, and I hope it’s what you’ll do if you want to learn to cook. And I think recipes that are good for new cooks are those that have some combination of the following:

1. Ingredients you probably already have in the house

2. That have simple techniques, but also might push you to learn new skills

3. That take less than an hour to make

4. Are so darn delicious that you just gotta get out of your comfort zone and try it.

Today’s recipe, has 1, 2, and 3. I mean, it’s also delicious but it’s not likely to be hugely out of your comfort zone. Something I think would be a good #4 is the post I did on Pad Thai Inspired Noodles.

Also, before we get on to the recipe, I wanted to share the reasons why I cook. These reasons make me happy and maybe something will resonate with you.

My reasons:

1. Makes me feel healthy – Being healthy means a lot of different things. I don’t always cook nutritious and low-calorie foods, because I love sweets and cheese. Cooking makes me feel healthy because the number of ingredients in prepared foods makes me nervous. I like knowing what’s in my meals.
2. Cost – I get to have yummy leftovers for lunch and so don’t have to go out to eat all the time.
3. Spending time with my Family – I grew up every night eating home cooked dinners with my family. Yes, we could have had the same experience over pizza but there’s something special about cooking. My parents would experiment and try new dishes and see how it played with the family. And cooking at home builds anticipation! There’s bubbling sounds of soups and the yummy smell of baking cookies. There’s also the less good sound of a shrieking fire alarm and the smell of a smoky kitchen. But even when it goes a little wrong, it’s funny later and makes for a good memory.
4. I like shopping – I can’t afford to go out and buy dresses, shoes, and purses every week. It’s bad for my finances and a little excessive. But food, I can buy all the time. And I have fun browsing the farmer’s market and the grocery store, choosing the most beautiful red strawberries, the smoothest olive oil, or the crunchiest granola.
5. Productive Leisure Time – I like watching TV, playing video games, and starring off into space but I also like spending my time doing something useful. I like that I get to be creative, to challenge myself, and to make a beautiful and tasty finished product.

Teeniest strainer with a quarter for scale. Photo Credit: Charlotte. THANKS!

Now I’m done philosophizing on cooking, so let’s get to the recipe. Quiche always makes me think of my parents because the first time they saw the word they thought it was pronounced “kwee-chee.” It’s really pronounced key-sh. If you’re not familiar with kwee-chee, it’s a dish usually associated with the French. It often has a pastry crust (although this recipe is crust-less) and the inner filling is made with eggs and milk or cheese. Basically, it’s like a pie with eggs. And it’s something that you can pretty much eat at any meal. I think this recipe is good for beginners because it has ingredients that are probably already in your house. Also, if you’re feeling brave there is opportunity to improvise and make the recipe your own. Now, my friend did most of the cooking for this recipe, and I was the sous-chef. My job was to blanch the asparagus and use the world’s teeniest strainer. I didn’t take too many pictures because I was the assistant. My bad.

Ingredients:

2 cups asparagus, chopped

1  12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 large eggs, beaten

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

If you’re feeling adventurous: In this recipe you can substitute asparagus and mushrooms for other ingredients. Think of the things you prefer in an omelette. Ham? Bell peppers? Do it! Just stick to 2 1/2 cups or less of your fillings. Also, if you prefer mozzarella, you can use that instead of Cheddar!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan. Use cooking spray or butter

3. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes. Blanching means that you’re putting the vegetable in boiling water for a very short time. What this does is to cook it just a bit before the “main” cooking. It’s usually done with a firm vegetable, like asparagus. This is also something you do to clean the vegetables, so if you’re thinking of freezing veggies, you should blanch them first.

4. Drain asparagus and set aside.

5. Whisk evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl until well mixed

6. Stir in cheese, asparagus, and mushrooms

7. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with the egg mixture. Stir the mixture after every few cups. This is to make sure the veggies and cheese don’t sink to the bottom. You can see that we filled more than 2/3 full. I recommend you stick to 2/3.

8. Bake for 25 minutes. It could be more or less time depending. You will know it’s done when it’s lightly brown on top and if you stick a toothpick in the center it will come out clean. It is NOT done if it looks wet or jiggly in the middle. Because we super filled the cups, most of them overflowed and looked like muffins. Some just cooked straight up in the air, and had a nice shape. Regardless of what they looked like in the pan, they all deflated a little when we took them out of the oven. So, it might look weird in the oven, but it will look like an nice little egg biscuit at the end.

9. Let them cool for 10 minutes.

10. Use a knife and run it around the edge of the quiches. This is to loosen the quiche from the pan. Sorry I don’t have a picture of it out of the pan. But aren’t they pretty anyway?

11. Serve and eat!

Messy Factor:

Low. The biggest mess we had was when I used the teeniest strainer to strain the asparagus. And that was barely messy because all I did was drop asparagus into a bigger bowl. This recipe requires very few dishes and the quiches pop out of the muffin tin really easily. Even when they overflowed in the oven, the quiche shrank down to size, making very little mess.

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