what's for dinner

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/21870705 w =700 &h=602]

 saturday, i stumbled on this visual bouquet of blogosphere sweet.

always a sucker for quinoa, a video tutorial was just the inspiration i needed to get my stove out its dusty doldrums.

quinoa {pronounced keen-wah} is known as a 'super food'.

a favorite among vegetarians for its high protein and 8 amino acid content, a favorite among masses for its delicious taste and versatility.

high in fiber, quinoa scores very low on the glycemic index, provides 30% of daily magnesium {good for migraine sufferers and digestive disorders}, supplies 20% of daily folate, 15% iron, 18% copper {good for cell tissue rejuvenation and helps to fight infections}, 28% phosphorous {bone health}, and 60% manganese {free radical fighter}.

quinoa is also gluten and wheat free.

a 'super' food indeed.

happy cooking m'loves.

styling

i'm just now coming down from my sugar high...

have y'all caught the fabulous new ezine styled?

created by victoria hudgens of a subtle revelry, styled is plush with jewelry hued photographs and hand-clapping ideas, bringing fresh inspiration to your entertaining and party planning this spring.

styled includes such bits like step by step guides to making your own confetti, cabochon, and party hats...and not in the cheesy party city type of way...nor in the martha stewart...first you must start your own paper press kind of way either.

styled's bohemian easter will have you canceling that fancy, jacket required buffet brunch in exchange for bare feet and potato chips with smashed spring peas.

each spread had me reeling in fantasy.

i must say it was a tough decision....picking my favorite story...butterfly picnic? complete with a hair-braided child in white, wind blown dress? killin me. or grown-up lemonade stand? lulling me in with lavender lemonade martinis and girl talk.

but i can't get my brain unwrapped around the paint by number ice cream bar.

my friends know, make-your-own sundae bars are one of laziest favorite ways to serve dessert. {thank you girls bunko....although we haven't actually played in 5 years...}

this is an even prettier, creamier {whipped cream that is} version with candies and sprinkles colored in spring.

in all honesty though...this doesn't seem so much like make-your-own-sundae. it appears to be more like 'hostess does ALOT of work for her guests who then can make their own sundaes'. FYI.....

nevertheless it's pretty.

and pretty, and all things pink and lilac, usually negate yucky, sweat, and tears in my book.

styled most certainly made my day happier...

a wednesday happy to you m'loves.

operation SWEET

earlier this week hh and his pal ted, aka bert and ernie, found some rather high horses to poise atop.

there, they both boasted, ad nauseum, their expertise in deciphering the varying choices of vanilla ice cream the world has to offer. i'm pretty sure i remember the words:

no, chance we couldn't tell french vanilla from vanilla bean from vanilla. etc....

it was if i had asked these two apes what their middle names were; which, given the right day, might take them a beat or two.

if smug were an outfit, these two would have chain stores rivaling GAP.

my hands were tied. i had to challenge this non-sensical big talk.

i went to ralphs and purchased EVERY flavor of vanilla ice cream i could find.

second, came the blindfolds.

the girls, i think, just wanted some ice cream.....

this is where it started to get a little patty hearst for my taste......

each was given a sheet of paper with the names of the vanillas. they merely had to number the order in which they tasted.

the most correct was..................two.

hunky hubby ernie got them all wrong. {big smile}

you would think victory would be my most coveted memory of said evening, but tis not.

this here momofuku crack pie (aptly named) is still coursing through my memory veins fondly.

after making us the entire momofuku meal of miso cod, brown rice, stir fried, farmers market vegetables, and berries, bert finished it off with homemade crack pie.

he is officially forgiven for any prior vanilla pomposity.

embracing my inner betty draper

i'm a sucker for casseroles. love! love! love anything in an 9 x 9 baking dish. put a can of cream of mushroom soup and some dehydrated onions......i'm yours forever.

luckily hh shares my obsession for all things creamy, noodle-ly, and rectangular. his favorite is tuna casserole. i'm always trying to fancy it up a bit (sometimes that just involves wearing heels as i make it from a box though).

last night i made (from skeeeeee-ratch) the most delicious recipe from bon appetit's march issue. here's how it turned out:

leeks, celery seed and dill gave it a little glamour.

the mounds (i added SO much extra) of gruyere, gave it a european, let's savour this bite a bit longer, verve.

the crumpled salty potato chips made it 60's fabulous.

here's the recipe again.

with the exception of the cheese, i followed directions exactly. i went balls out on the gruyere. for the potato chips i used organic salted kettle brand.

still licking my lips.

Mostly Treats

Can't we have Halloween on Saturday night every year??!?!?! My black cat costume attempt wasn't very ambitious I know. As the night wore on, and my makeup wore off, I resembled more just an OC dumbass too stupid to put her makeup on properly. Most neighbors assumed I just didn't dress up again.I always make chili on Halloween. This is the first year though that HH and I are non-meat eaters. It made for many pre-spookfest go rounds; after which both of us are so sick of chili I'm glad we only have it once a year. After much error I came up with the following recipe which taste best made days in advance (just sayin.)

Vegetarian Chili

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 15- to 16-ounce cans kidney beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

1 15-to 16-ounce can black beans, drained

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce with basil and garlic

1 bottle dark beer (negro modelo is what i used)

Chopped fresh cilantro

Sour cream

Grated Monterey Jack cheese

Chopped green onions

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, beer and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Like I said best made days in advance. Makes about 4 portions.

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions separately.

I also made what could be the EASIEST salad EVER. I got it from Sunset's November issue, and it's perfect for this time of year. The sweet of the pears and maple syrup with the sharp mustard and frisee' is delicious!! I would also use arugula, but we had some friends who aren't arugula fans (still evaluating this friendship for that fact alone.) I like using the Asian Pears, and not just because I'm half Japanese (although.......it's the least you can do, i mean, hello? Hiroshima? Nagasaki? use an effing Japanese pear please,) but they do taste better in this salad. The recipe calls for champagne vinegar, but I didn't have any so I used white wine vinegar. It also calls for Kosher salt; I didn't have that either so I wore a Yarmulke while I added sea salt.

Pear Gorgonzola Salad

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar

1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

1tsp dijon mustard

1tsp kosher salt

2-3 heads frisee, trimmed and leaves separated

2 pears halved and thinly sliced

1 cup pecans toasted

3/4 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Whisk together first 5 ingredients. In a large serving bowl, combine lettuce, pears and pecans. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well to coat. Sprinkle cheese on top and give another quick toss.

Serves 12

Happy Monday! Love, Katie

Canine Flu

Well this pretty much sums up the view of my weekend.  Except for the two classes I taught on Saturday I pretty much have been in my bathtub trying to get warm. Even though, remarkably, the thermometer reads I am QUITE toasty??!!?!?!Swine flu you will not have me! I do not eat swine, I do not socialize with swine (by choice), and I'm certainly not going to be infected with your silly cliche'd virus. I've decided instead that this is the canine flu. If I were to get a virus I would much rather it be of the pooch variety, so that is the way it will be (arms crossed.)Grand illusions of tag sales, planting succulents, reading Tolstoy, adopting a Korean orphan (with special needs of course,) and re-picketing the front fence were dashed friday afternoon when my fever spiked so high I started conversing with my nightstand.Six shots of Nyquil, 4 doses of Comtrex, 100,000 Oscillococcinum pellets, and a partridge in a pear tree later, and I was not only still sick, but I was crazy high from all the Nyquil.Sunday night I felt I owed HH. He had scrapped all of our weekend hijinks in exchange for taking care of Althea Flynt. I rarely cook for my beloved. It's not that I don't love to cook for him, but it's so much easier to nap instead.

Two different stir fry's with the intent to arm us both with the phytonutrients necessary to stave off any other virus' and or bacterium that try to come knock us down. Watch out muthafucka's we've eaten our veggies!!! GRRRRRRR!!!!

And lastly, because it's that time of year, and because he is the hunkiest of hubby's' I made pumpkin bread for HH. I must say the recipe I use is AMAZING (I omit the walnuts,) but another incredible recipe (and 90% less time and energy) is the Trader Joe's Pumpkin Muffin/Bread Mix.Stay healthy friends. Love, Katie