Tuna Melt
1 can of solid albacore tuna in water
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
handful of baby carrots, chopped
1-2 tbs pickle relish or fresh pickles
light mayo
grain mustard
tomato sliced
half an avocado
Muenster cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine first 6 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mustard (if you like extra) on your favorite 2 slices of bread.

2. Top bread with tuna, tomato, slices of avocado, and Muenster cheese

3. Bake in a toaster oven at 350 until cheese is bubbly. Here’s a trick – Don’t use the “toast” function on your toaster. The cheese will melt before the tuna gets warmed through.

Tuna Melt!

Happy Eating!!

Shrimp Cobb Salad – enough for 2 salads
Ingredients

• 4 slices center-cut bacon
• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 hearts of romaine
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
• your favorite blue or gorgonzola

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and lay on towel paper to drain. Pour out excess grease, but save enough to coat the pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle shrimp with paprika and pepper. Add shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss to coat.

2. While the shrimp cooks, combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, juice, oil, and mustard in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add lettuce; toss to coat.

3. Arrange half the lettuce mixture on each plate. Top each serving with shrimp, tomatoes, corn, avocado wedges, sliced egg and bacon pieces. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Happy eating!

Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Turnips, and Potatoes

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 3 sprigs of fresh poultry herbs (sage, thyme, and rosemary)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• a 4-pound chicken, giblets removed
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick pieces
• 3-4 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 6-8 medium new potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup water
• a beurre manié made by kneading together 1/2 tablespoon softened unsalted butter and 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 425°F. and oil a roasting pan.

In a small bowl stir together spices, coarse salt, and garlic. Reserve 3 tablespoons mixture in another small bowl and into remainder stir 3 tablespoons butter.

Rinse chicken inside and out, removing any excess fat from opening of body cavity, and pat dry. Arrange chicken, breast side up, in center of roasting pan. With fingers loosen skin from breast at both ends and push half of seasoned butter under skin, spreading over breastbone to each side of breast. Massage skin from outside to spread butter evenly over breast. Put remaining seasoned butter in body cavity with 1/2 a lemon and the fresh sprigs of poultry herbs. With small metal or wooden skewers completely close body cavity and neck cavity. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and salt chicken lightly. Roast chicken in middle of oven 20 minutes.

Scatter carrots, turnips, and potatoes around chicken and toss with oil still in pan (if chicken is very lean, add remaining tablespoon of butter). Roast chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes. Sprinkle vegetables with 2 tablespoons reserved spice mixture, tossing them. Roast chicken and vegetables for 30 more minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 170°F.

Remove string and skewers from chicken and pour any juices from inside chicken into pan. Transfer chicken to a platter and arrange vegetables around chicken, using a slotted spoon. Keep chicken and vegetables warm, covered loosely.

Add broth, water, and remaining tablespoon of reserved of spice mixture to the pan and deglaze on top of the stove, scraping up brown bits and dissolving caramelized juices. Boil mixture until reduced by about half and stir in beurre manié. Boil sauce, stirring, about 2 minutes, or until thickened slightly, and transfer to a sauceboat.

Serve chicken and vegetables with sauce. Here’s the finish product! Happy eating!

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

While I love going out to brunch, I do have one reoccurring issue over and over again. My healthy self is always at war with my inner “fat kid” as Kelly would say. I want to order the banana and caramel stuffed french toast, or the Huevos Rancheros on a fried tortilla, but I never do. I end up ordering an egg white omelette with sautéed mushrooms, or Eggs Benedict with the hollandaise on the side. Granted, these options are also very delicious, but I often feel a little sad when my friend across the table has something that looks better.

I’ve had a really busy week. I somehow overbooked myself and had plans every night! This, in addition to 1 work event makes for a fairly exhausted Jamie. Don’t get me wrong… I had a blast. I checked out the new Thompson property Gild Hall with my colleagues. Not only is Gild Hall a  beautiful boutique hotel, the bar is cozy and incredibly inviting. I also went to The Meatball Shop on the LES with another friend. The wait was over an hour, so we ordered take out and ate at his apartment. My chicken meatball sub was amaz-ing. The sauce was zesty, the cheese was melty, the toasted bread was, well, toasty. Tonight I’m off to the Bon Jovi concert. I’ve been dying to see them for years!

Anyway, I’m getting to the point, bear with me. I finally made it to the gym on my only free night – Thursday. P.S: I did the elliptical for 30 minutes and my knee didn’t hurt. How fantastic is that? I credit Omega-3 fatty acids and strength training.

Since I’ve been going out so much, I felt the need to detox with a healthy and simple dinner. S requested Huevos Rancheros. Cooking at home gives you the ability to control what goes into your food, so my Huevos were far healthier than any restaurant version. It took all of 10 minutes to make, only after making 2 stops at different supermarkets for ripe avocados and limes. Ugh, my neighborhood sometimes….

Ingredients: (serves 2)
4 large eggs
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 tsb cumin
1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa – divided
1 avocado (halved, and sliced)
shredded cheddar cheese
1 fresh lime
1 scallion – chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine black beans, cumin, and 1/2 salsa in a small pot and cook until heated through.

Heat a large, non-stick saute pan on medium heat with a little olive oil. Crack 4 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until desired doneness. I like my eggs pretty well cooked, so I flipped mine over after a few minutes.

Place 2 eggs on each plate.

Top with hot beans, remaining salsa, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Sprinkle each plate with fresh lime juice. Cilantro would also be a great garnish.

I opted to leave out the tortilla, and I didn’t even miss it. I will absolutely make this again.

Here’s the final product.

healthy huevos

Happy eating!

We had some free time this weekend, so we decided to have a re-do of Valentine’s Day on Sunday night. We braved the frigid winter weather to run errands in our old stomping ground, Cobble Hill. First, we went to the Italian butcher to pick up some fresh steak. After making a stop at the produce stand for potatoes, and then Court Pastry Shop for some Cannoli, we were on our way home to prepare dinner.

I tried multiple times to “help” S cook. Watching him run from the grill outside to the stove inside was slightly scary. He kept reminding me that this was HIS meal, and I was relegated to watching from the couch with a glass of Syrah.

He has improved in leaps and bounds since his early attempts to help me in the kitchen. I recall an incident where I asked him for 1 tablespoon of scallions. What I got was 1 scallion rolled up into a ball and placed in the measuring spoon. Lesson learned Jame, be specific. S’s response when I questioned his work? “You never said to chop it!” But I digress…

Not only is my hubby the king of breakfast foods, he is also now the grill master!  The man stood outside in the freezing cold just to get the true grill sear! He got the hash brown recipe from Morton’s Steak Bible. They came out perfectly crunchy and salty, (and also all over the counter, stove, and floor.)

Cannoli from Court Pastry

We shared 1 chocolate and 1 vanilla Cannoli for dessert.

Dinner was fantastic, and it was a treat not to be the one cooking. The kitchen took a beating and needed to be thoroughly cleaned afterward – a price I willingly paid for perfectly cooked steak. Gotta love him.

messy kitchen

lots of dishes!

 Here’s what he made:

Steak
2 8 oz Rib eye steaks, trimmed

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, seared and then grilled until medium rare on our Weber Grill.

Morton’s Hash Brown potatoes

Ingredients:
3 Russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
3 tbs butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Shred the potatoes, with the skins, into a large mixing bowl. Put the shredded potatoes in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Drain and repeat until the water runs clear. Wrap the potatoes in a dish towel and pat dry, or dry by spinning potatoes in a salad spinner. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper, or more to taste.

In a 10-inch nonstick sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shredded potatoes to the pan.

Using a spatula, shape the potatoes into a round large enough to fill the pan. Do not press down on the potatoes.

Cook, occasionally shaking the pan, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Turn with a spatula, level the top, and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or until golden brown on both sides.

Lift the pancake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to drain.

Transfer the hash browns, still on the rack, to a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Roasted Asparagus
Asparagus spears
garlic pepper
salt

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil

Sprinkle with garlic pepper and salt

Roast on 400 degrees 10 minutes or until tender

Steak, hash browns and asparagus

Here’s the final product. Yummy!

Thanks honey. You can make me dinner anytime! Happy belated Valentine’s Day.

“Hook is a codfish, hook is a codfish!”

This was my inspiration for dinner tonight. I used my new iphone (yes I got a new phone!) to search the Epicurious app for cod dishes and here’s what I found.  Alaskan Black Cod with Hoisin and Ginger Sauces The recipe suggested I sautee the fish first and then bake it. Rather then dirty multiple cooking vessels, I opted for the preparation below. Since I was only making 2 filets, I halved the sauce amounts. Coconut jasmine rice and baby bok choy sauteed with ginger and olive oil were the perfect side dishes for this sweet/spicy fish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon honey
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste – I used Sriracha
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 7-ounce Alaskan black cod fillets
Coconut jasmine rice: substitute coconut milk for water and prepare as directed

Hoisin-Ginger Cod with bok choy and jasmine rice

Whisk first 6 ingredients – through garlic – in small bowl.
Sprinkle cod with sea salt and pepper.
Stir hoisin and chili paste in another small bowl.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
Add cod, skin side up and cook for 2 minutes, then turn over.
Spoon hoisin mixture over fillets, dividing equally.
Cover and cook on medium-low until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes.
Place 1 fillet in each of 4 shallow soup bowls.
Spoon ginger sauce around fish and serve with jasmine coconut rice and baby bok choy.

Of course, it wasn’t always GOOD music. I remember a certain child star named Miley Cyrus coming out with a Christmas album… that was disappointing.

Anyway, I have no time to search for new and interesting music, and the radio is useless. My collective of eclectic friends must have suggestions. My ipod is boring me. Help!

love,
me

Luckily I am a much better cook than I am sports fan. Watching football is a great excuse to make “football type foods”. You know, cheesy things, meat-filled things, dough-wrapped things… you get the picture. When S and I decided we would be in Philadelphia for the Super Bowl, I immediately began thinking about what I wanted to make for dinner.

I knew my mom and I would have a blast preparing our football meal for our hungry family. I have always loved cooking with my mom. Thanks to her, I grew up eating healthy and expertly prepared meals. With it, came a love and appreciation for good food, good wine (which my dad definitely had something to do with) and quality mother/daughter time in the kitchen. Whether we are cooking a Thanksgiving holiday meal for 20 people or a something to eat in front of the TV, it’s so much fun being together and laughing as we go. The best part is that we get to eat the results.

Our Super Bowl menu consisted of Fontina Nachos, Goat Cheese-Edamame Dip with Spiced Pepitas and our take on Spicy Cincinnati Chili. Shout out to Stephanie for the awesome iphone photos!! Thanks Dear.

Fontina nachos: Fontina melts perfectly and tastes amazing. The gooey texture was perfect on the baguette!
Ingredients:
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, drizzled on both sides with olive oil and seasoned with salt
3 cups shredded Fontina cheese
2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini or other hot pepper
cilantro to garnish

cheese is good.

1. Preheat broiler to high with rack 6 inches from heating element
2. Broil baguette rounds on a baking sheet on both sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes total. Watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn!
3. Sprinkle Fontina cheese on slices and broil to melt cheese 2-3 minutes
4. Top nachos with tomatoes and pepperoncini, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Goat Cheese-Edamame Dip with Spiced Pepitas: This recipe is from Food and Wine magazine.
Ingredients:

Dip
1 1/2 pounds shelled edamame
1 cup sour cream
5 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
3 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
* Pepitas
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon chopped oregano

Goat Cheese-Edamame Dip with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

1. In a medium pot of boiling salted water, simmer the edamame until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor.
2. Add the sour cream, goat cheese, chipotles, adobo sauce, lemon juice, garlic and salt and puree until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl.
3. Stir in the oregano and transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight
4. Preheat the oven to 375°.
5. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper.
6. Bake for 7 minutes, until the seeds begin to brown.
7. Transfer the pepitas to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest and oregano.
8. Serve the dip at room temperature, topped with the spiced pepitas.
9. Serve with pita crisps or veggies
Note – When I made this recipe, it turned out really spicy.  A good trick when this happens, is to add some nonfat greek yogurt to cut the spice. If I make it again, I would go a little easy on the adobo sauce. Yowsa!

Cincinnati Chili: The cocoa powder and cinnamon bring something really different and interesting to this chili recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sirloin
1 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbs veg oil
3 cups v-8 tomato juice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 or 2 cans of beans (drained and rinsed):  your preference of kidney, cannelini, chickpeas
salt and pepper

Cincinnati Chili

1. Saute onions, garlic, meat, and spices until meat is cooked through
2. Add v-8, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and vinegar, bring to a simmer.
3. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until slightly thickened. 1-1 1/2 hours
4. Add beans and cook until heated through
5. Garnish with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and jalapeno
Note – you can also serve this chili over spaghetti or with elbow noodles. I’ve adjusted the liquid amounts. If your chili seems too thick after simmering for 1 1/2 hours, add 1/2 cup more v-8 juice.

Leave a comment if you try any of these recipes!

Happy eating.

Happy eating.

mmmm garlic

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil – I used slightly less. Just use enough to saute the shrimp
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp (raw; 20 to 25 per lb)
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb capellini (angel-hair pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water if necessary to keep moist.

P.S: If you choose to make cous cous or rice, don’t add the extra pasta water. You won’t need it.

The Sign Guy - still around today!

When I was younger my family had season tickets for the Flyers, 8th row from the ice. I loved those seats! It felt like I was right in the action, whether I was being struck in the thigh by a stray puck, or watching Lindros check an opponent into the boards… hard. Who remembers the crazy sign guy? I always appreciated the speed of the sport more than anything.

Basketball is apparently just as exciting. In addition to action-packed shooting with multiple 3 point shots and slam dunks, here are some observations I made as a newbie to live basketball games:

1. Basketball players are insanely tall. I know you’re saying, “Duh, yes Jamie we all know this.” But really. I couldn’t get over how massive and muscular Danilo Gallinari was! He made players like John Wall look miniature at 6’4. I also loved the way the announcer said his name. “Danilo Gaaaaallinaaaaaariiiiiii”

Fashion fail.

2. Spike Lee is a horrendous dresser. Honestly, I know he’s famous… but someone needs to help that man out with his wardrobe. Orange. All orange?Maybe he does it so people can spot him in a crowd?

3. Billy Crudup is adorable. Some random journalist made a complete fool out of herself interviewing him from the floor, and he still made the best of it. My favorite was the following: Journalist – “What do you have in common with Peter Frampton?” Billy:  ”Acid.”

Housewives get good seats

4. The Real Housewives of NY are everywhere! Or as S said, “Aren’t those the real stupid B*#%h’s of whatever county?” We saw Romona out with friends on the Upper East Side this weekend, and now Kelly Bensimon and Jill Zarin sitting in Celebrity row.

5. Why do players foul each other while one is running for a lay-up?  Isn’t a foul shot easier than a lay-up? I would much rather stop and set (and not have to rush), than have to make a basket running away from some giant guy chasing me with arms flailing. I guess that’s just me. Apparently a lay-up is the easiest shot in basketball – so says S. I think I have a lot to learn.

6. S doesn’t like the jumbo-tron. He begged me not to dance in my seat, afraid I would get noticed by the cameras. So shaking my scarf at him and wiggling my hips to Boom Boom Boom was a bad idea? I don’t think so! Sometimes I just can’t help myself.

The Pièce de résistance for the evening happened as we walked to the E train after the game. We watched a VERY overserved, and also VERY underage girl bite it on her way to the LIRR. It was one of those stumble and catch yourself, only to have your legs give out and cross underneath you, so you’re forced to sit down really hard and look confused, types of falls. Hysterical. Perfect end to a perfect evening.

I love NY. Go Knicks!!!

Stay tuned for more on our activities this week. Tonight, the NYC Ballet at Lincoln Center. Can’t wait.