how to win friends & influence people

Last weekend, I helped my friend Patti throw a barbeque.  Since I love a good kitchen project - and, let's be real, being in control - I volunteered to take charge of the sides and desserts.  Oh, and I also decided to make some jello shots - because nothing says "casual backyard barbeque" like corrupting an innocent childhood treat with massive amounts of liquor so cheap it may as well be rubbing alcohol.  Today, we're going to talk about the booze and desserts because those are the only items I have photos of.

Let's start with the shots, a logical place to begin.  These were not your standard college jello shots.  They did not come in tiny mini cups and did not require the shot-taker to do unbecoming things with his or her tongue before choking them down.  No, these were cute, innocent little shots, contained in tiny little lemon rinds.

I got the idea for the shots, of course, on Pinterest.  They were supposed to be pink lemonade, but I just used strawberry Jello.  Though adorable, the shots were kind of a pain-in-the-ass for this impatient gal.  The method is fussy.  You first cut a lemon in half; then you juice it and scoop out all of the fleshy, acidic membrane with a spoon.  Prepare the jello according to the package directions, replacing the cold water with cheap vodka (keep the boiling water as-is), and pour the Jello mix into each lemon half.  Refrigerate overnight, and then cut each half in half again (so that one lemon yields four shots.)  Don't be a dingbat like me and think that gelatin expands - it doesn't.  Feel free to fill the halves up all the way; otherwise, you'll have to trim the excess lemon peel with a paring knife.

Despite the high-maintenance preparation of these jello shots, serving them at a backyard barbeque is a good idea for a couple of reasons.  For one, it's a great way to make friends.  (Forget Dale Carnegie.  The answer is booze, people.)  The partygoers were comprised of a few of my friends, lots of Patti's friends, and some "mutuals".  By the end of the party, I knew everybody, which I will attribute 100% to the jello shots, and not my shining personality. (Fact: I have, on more on one occasion, been described as "icy".)  Just like history’s most successful pickup line is a simple, “Hey, can I buy you a drink?", studies show that the most successful way to make friends is, “Hey, want a jello shot?”  Another great thing about the lemon shots is that lemon rinds are biodegradable, so you don't even have to worry too much about the trash.

With an excess of lemon juice from hollowed-out lemon rinds, I could either drink approximately eight vodka lemonades, if that's a thing - or I could, as a more responsible alternative, make a lemon-y dessert.  I chose a lemon-blueberry cake.  But, more on that later.  First, I want to talk about this strawberry rhubarb pie.  


I had been planning to make this pie all week, at Whitney's request.  With strawberry season in full swing and rhubarb season just underway, it was a natural choice.  And since I had never actually made a pie, I thought it would be a fun project.  I am not a pie eater, which apparently I get from my mother.  (Her response to "Mom! I made a pie today!" was "Ew, why would you do that?")  Must be the Ecuador speaking.  But, you know what? I am 75% WASP - and a Virginian, on top of it all - so it's about damn time I learned how to make a proper pie.  So, I dusted off all my hand-me-down southern cookbooks and hit the interwebs for research.

Making pie from scratch isn't all that bad, just a little time-consuming.  It's a good thing I have no life, and I had a date Thursday night with a bag full of lemons, anyway.  Pie dough could easily be added to the agenda.  The recipe was, shocker, taken from smitten kitchen, and instead of reprinting it below, you can just follow the link because I followed it exactly as written.  Actually, I made a little criss-cross basket weave pattern with my upper crust instead of a solid sheet.  (The amount of dough I needed was the same, though.  I just rolled it out and cut it into long strips with a pizza cutter.)  I think those basketweaves are so very Americana, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to make the most American strawberry rhubarb pie you ever did see.  Anyway, get the pie here.  And follow the recipe for this pie crust.  Side note, I am still using my wine bottle as a rolling pin.  And it's still working.

 

Okay, now that we have that out of the way - back to the lemon-blueberry cake.  This "cake" was originally a quickbread from - again, this is getting embarrassing - smitten kitchen.  But, I am actually going to attribute the loaf to the Barefoot Contessa, because, well, it was hers originally.  Not because I think Deb, the genius behind smitten kitchen, might file an internet restraining order against me for stalking her recipes.  The good news is, I think I am getting more comfortable with baking because, guess what!  I made it my own.  I swapped ingredients without any problems and I added a sugary glaze to make it a real cake.  Of course I didn't make up the glaze - I took it from Heidi.  Because if I am going to cover a quickbread in sugar and make it a cake, I should probably do it the right way.  So there you have it, my trifecta of perfection in female food writers.  Ina, Deb, and Heidi.  I’m a creep.

Another sign that I am getting better at baking is that I actually replicated the recipe, sans disaster.  This time, I made it for a 9am meeting this week, so I omitted the glaze and called it a "loaf".  I also convinced my colleagues that it was an acceptable breakfast, since it had blueberries and yogurt and no butter in it.  Yes, I neglected to mention the whopping ONE CUP of sugar.  It's a lot, I know.  Feel free to cut back, but I think it gives a great sweetness to balance out the tart lemons.)  The photos are from the no-icing version.   

Lemon-blueberry cake
Adapted loosely from Ina Garten
Makes one 9-inch round or standard loaf pan

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup 0% Greek yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup coconut oil (you could also use canola oil)
1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen but you could use fresh, too)

For the glaze (optional):
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan (you could also use a 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan).

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, almond extract and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, whisk the brown sugar and the confectioners sugar together, and slowly whisk in the lemon juice, until you achieve a glaze-like consistency. If your glaze is too runny, add more sugar. If it’s not syrupy enough, add more juice. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the cake. Best served warm.

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recently, in my kitchen...

This morning, I had a lovely surprise waiting for me at work.  Half of my overhead light is burned out, and the other half is flickering like a spastic strobe light.  I sat down at my desk to begin my daily dive into the world of data dumps, but I (literally) feel so nauseous that I am swearing off numbers until maintenance comes to fix it.  So while I wait, I am going to tap into my word reserve and "warm up" for my return to blogging.  This is a post without real recipes (because what little I've cooked, I haven't bothered to write down) and with minimal "photography".

I wanted to post earlier, but since Lent has ended, I’ve been on the "grilled cheese a day" plan.  Great for me, because grilled cheese is delicious and it gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling.  (God. I am so single.)  But, the grilled cheese diet isn’t just bad for my arteries or my waistline – (or my love life?  Will I ever be able to love a human the way I love grilled cheese?) – it also doesn’t make for very inspiring blog material.  Hence my absence. 

What’s that, you say?  Oh, you actually want to hear about grilled cheese?  Fine.  Blame the 40-day dearth of bread, but I just can’t get enough of these sandwiches. (Which I am calling "panini", by virtue of the fact that they're pressed on my stovetop.  Doesn't "I have had a panini every day for two weeks" sound slightly less pathetic than "I have had a grilled cheese every day for two weeks" ?)  Cheddar and tomato may be a tried and true combo, but lately I’ve been really into pressed baguettes with ricotta, asparagus, and caramelized onions, or crusty sourdough with swiss, gruyere, fig jam, and a couple thin slices of prosciutto.  I’ve also been eating a breakfasty variation at all hours of the day - fried egg, a slice of cheddar, smearing of avocado, and a healthy dose of Sriracha.  Yum.

Since I am acutely aware of the fact I cannot, no matter how much I’d like to, eat bread and cheese three times a day, I’ve had some healthier fare in rotation as well.  Luckily, Whitney asked me to give her a few tips on spicing up her brown bag lunches.  So, I’ve enjoyed playing sensei for my not-so-domestically-inclined roommate.  Right now we are concentrating on soup, and she has proved quite the eager pupil.  She now understands the fool-proof way to start any soup (onions, garlic, and a little bit of fat), the importance of a large, heavy pot, and the handiness of an immersion blender.   I am so impressed with her, and I swear, it’s almost like she knows what immense pleasure I derive from being Little Miss Bossy and teaching others “the right way” of doing things.  (After seven years of friendship and almost four years of cohabitation, how would she know such a thing?)  Last week, when we had gorgeous warm weather, we enjoyed a spin on this cold, gingery carrot soup.  (We added a couple sweet potatoes to bulk it up.)  This week, it is rainy and cold again, so we are enjoying this delicious red lentil soup.  (Made with half red lentils and half yellow split peas, instead.)  And yeah, we’re still addicted to orange things over here.

Speaking of orange things and lentils, I made an awesome salad that incorporated both, eaten alongside aforementioned carrot soup.  Hearty little brown lentils, creamy, tangy goat cheese, crunchy seeds, and spicy butternut squash.   That’s right – I finally ate my way through my stockpile of winter squashes. (It is almost May.)  So, cheers to no longer being eligible for casting in Hoarders.  I like to think that I made this salad up, but I am sure that, subconsciously, I read about it somewhere first.  A very similar one is here.

I’ve also done more than my fair share of dining out over the past few weeks.  Rasika, Scion, Shake Shack, El Centro, to name a few.  Must cook more this spring.  Also, must not fool myself into believing that I have an unlimited budget and a bottomless stomach.

Stay tuned, because I co-hosted a barbeque on Friday and over the next few days, I will be writing about some of the recipes I contributed.

Finally, now that I have no restrictions, what do you want to see made here on caramelized memoirs?  Let me know in the comments, or if you still haven't figured it out, shoot me an email.  It feels good to be back!

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friday breakfast: open-faced omelet

As you read this, I am at the beach, spending the weekend with my family.  We were supposed to be in New York with Bollie, but she had a last-minute change in her work schedule, and instead, she will be joining us here later this weekend.  Because I knew breakfast this morning would be a green smoothie in the car, I planned ahead, took one for the team, and had an omelet for dinner on Wednesday.

Thats right, eggs for dinner.  This here post is about honesty.  I'm coming clean.

And no, I am not going to admit that the entire drive down I listened to One Direction and Justin Bieber (though, frankly, that isn't that far from the truth.)  In the spirit of honesty, I only made one conscious decision to break my Lenten promise, and that was a few beers (clearly not gluten-free) on St. Patrick's Day.  Sorry.  I justified it by convincing myself it was okay since St. Patrick was also Catholic, and my buddies were in desperate need of a fourth for a flip cup tournament, and dammit, I am a really good friend who never lets people down.  And it's not like I was eating bread or pasta.  Anddd, since we're being honest, there was also an unconscious slip-up later that night that stemmed from the fact I had too many beers and not enough food.  And I felt horrible about it when I was reminded the next day.  I'm sorry, dear readers.  There were several Hail Marys at church that night.

But other than that, I've had no bread, no cupcakes, no cereal, no sugar-laden condiments.  My diet has been cleaned up quite a bit.  I feel great - though I can't honestly say whether it's the lack of gluten, the lack of sugar, or both.  I will return to eating gluten, I'm sure, but I've now seen first hand that we probably do eat way too much sugar without even realizing it, and I am going to try to restrict my sugar intake going forward.  To be clear - I will choose to eat my sugar where it matters - in desserts.  None of that sugar in salad dressings or condiments or drinks or things like that.

But, I have made and eaten everything you've seen on this blog.  That is not a lie.  And of course, there's a lot that I eat that is not on the blog.  Recipe flops.  Oatmeal.  Tons of smoothies.  Lentils and rice.  Lots of roasted vegetables and salads.  And the lazy man's meal: eggs for dinner.  But, that's the reason why I don't do a play-by-play of everything that I eat.  For one, none of you care.  And two, nobody would read because it would be pretty boring.  And there would be a lot of eggs for dinner. 

This omelet was made open faced because, since we're being honest, I'm incapable of perfectly flipping an omelet in a skillet.  Eggs are the first thing I learned how to cook - and I still can't get it right.  So I do it the easy way.  I cook my omelet in a large skillet so the omelet is thin and cooks more quickly.  I cover the pan and let the egg set, and then invert the omelet (which is almost like an eggy crepe) onto a plate.  And then I cover with the omelet fillings - or in this case, toppings.  In this case, that was some sauteed spinach, leftover caramelized onions and asparagus from steak dinner, and some cherry tomatoes.  It's an easy, fast, and nutritious breakfast.  Of course, it also makes a decent dinner.

Finally, since I don't know when I will blog again, please be sure to subscribe via email or RSS.  That way you will automatically be updated when I come your way with new delicious recipes and silly anecdotes.

Oh, and hello from my happy place.

Open-faced omelet
Serves 1

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (I used thyme and rosemary)
salt & pepper

1.  Beat together all ingredients.
2.  Heat 10-12 inch pan over medium high heat, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
3.  Pour ingredients into pan and swirl pan, if necessary, so that the egg is evenly spread throughout.
4.  Let cook 30-60 seconds, reduce heat to medium, and cover.  After another one minute, check to see if egg is completely set.  If not, continue cooking until set.
5.  When egg is done, invert onto a plate by putting a plate face-down on top of the pan and flipping it over.
6.  Put "toppings" on top of egg. Pin It Now!

a mediterranean lunch: quinoa tabbouleh and hummus

I'm kind of on a health kick this week.  (Disregard the steak I brought you yesterday.)  Maybe it was the fact that I ran in a 10-mile race on Sunday, and I wanted my endorphin high to last a few extra days.  Or maybe I was scared into taking care of myself after watching a very fat (but still very beautiful) Betty Draper on Mad Men.  Either way, I've been trying extra hard to keep my stress under control, exercise lightly, and eat right.

I can credit yoga for helping me in the first two regards, and this quinoa tabbouleh salad & hummus for the third.  I've had it for lunch every day this week.  Weird?  Probably.  Delicious?  Absolutely.

I love tabbouleh, but I usually eat smallish amounts of it as a condiment - to add a bit of zest and crunch to a pita slathered in hummus, or as a side dish to a grilled kabob.  But, I had to eschew the pita, of course, and traditional tabbouleh is made from bulgur wheat, so I opted for quinoa as a gluten-free substitute.  I bulked up the tabbouleh with some spinach so that it was substantial enough for a salad base, and cut the pieces a little bit bigger than I usually would since it was really for a "salad".  This is a great excuse to take a shortcut, by the way.  Then, I top the salad with a healthy heap of hummus and a few baby carrots for dipping. 

Hummus is one of those things that once you learn how to make, you will never buy store-bought again.  Homemade hummus is so easy, super flavorful, and much cheaper than store-bought.  Store-bought hummuses are standardized, but hummus is better when you get to call the shots.  (Or at least, for this control freak, it is.)  When making your own hummus, you get to dictate the texture - most store bought hummuses are too creamy and smooth for my taste and I don't feel satisfied after I eat them.  When you make your own, you get to call the shots.  You get to say how much olive oil and tahini to add - I hate hummuses that are too oily.  And, you can add whatever sort of ingredients you want  - make it your own.  Roasted garlic and roasted red pepper are two common flavors - but how about spinach and artichoke, white bean, edamame & ginger, pine nut & basil, or curried hummus? The variations are limitless.

Today is (technically) the last day of Lent.  (Fun fact:  Holy Friday and Holy Saturday are not counted toward the 40 day total since they are Holy Days.)  However, I'll likely stick with the gluten-free, sugar-free thing until Easter.  Tomorrow, I'll be at my happy place, so I am not sure what kind of breakfast you'll have, but I'll try my best to make it a good one.
   

Quinoa tabbouleh salad
Makes about 3 lunch salads 

For the tabbouleh salad
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
2 handfuls spinach, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup feta (optional)
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/4 cup uncooked + 1/2 cup water)
For the lemon viniagrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 lemons, juiced and zested
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Bring 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa and 1/2 cup water to a boil.  Cover and reduce to simmer.  Cook 15 minutes, turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
2.  Very finely chop herbs (without stems) and spinach.  You want the pieces to be smaller than bite-sized.
3.  Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.  Finely dice the cucumbers and red onion.
4.  Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and drizzle over salad, to taste.  Toss to coat.

Roasted garlic hummus
Makes about 3 cups
 
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
1-2 fresh lemons, juiced (3 or 4 tablespoons)
6 roasted garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper

1.  Roast your garlic cloves:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut a little bit off the top of a head of garlic and peel back the outer layers.  Spray top with olive oil spray.  Wrap in foil and roast in the oven 30-40 minutes, or until cloves are soft.
2.  Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the head of garlic by simply squeezing them out, or scooping them out with a small spoon.
3.  Combine first four ingredients in a food processor while drizzling in olive oil from above.  Start with one tablespoon and drizzle more if necessary. Process until your desired consistency - I like mine less creamy, and more textured.
2.  Add a couple of tablespoons of water at a time until the hummus has reached your desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper and adjust according to taste. Pin It Now!

balsamic-marinated flank steak

When people hear about my gluten-free, sugar-free Lenten adventure, the reactions I get fall squarely into two, gender-divided camps.

One group replies with an excited, "OMG that's seriously AWESOME!  Do you feel amazing?  How much weight have you lost?!  Giving up gluten (and/or sugar) changed my life forever."

My answer goes something like, "Thank you...yes...not any substantial amount, and....it's just 40 days, not forever."

And from the other group, with a look of horror mixed with disgust, I get, "Dude, what do you eat?"

To which I say, "First of all, I'm not a dude.  Second of all, it's not that bad, you just have to be careful."

It's no mystery which group is which.  The ladies are either impressed or shocked, or at least they feign interest.  The boys, on the other hand, look at me as though my choice personally offends them.  Which is why I try not to bring it up with them at all - usually it is after someone else mentions it in casual conversation.  And aside from the Facebook and Twitter posts to keep my loyal readers informed, or if I'm turning down a cookie, I try not to talk about it unless people ask.  I learned a long time ago that generally it's not a good idea to make yourself seem more psychotic than you actually are.

With just a few days left to go, I'm entering the home stretch.  This has not been easy, but it hasn't been that difficult either.  The fact of the matter is that sugar cravings go away completely after just a few weeks.  The gluten thing is a bit harder because I like bread and pasta, but it's nothing insurmountable.  The toughest thing is just that it's so damn inconvenient.  You have to read the labels on everything looking for hidden sources of gluten and sugar.  (Even some canned diced tomatoes have sugar in them, and I've already ranted at length on condiments and "healthy cereals.")  Eating out at restaurants is nearly impossible. 

But for me, the dietary change itself hasn't been all that bad.  Of course, it's not a lifetime switch for me like it is for so many others, but if that were the case, I'd seek out gluten and sugar substitutes.  (Recall that I also told myself that I would use no sugar substitutes at all - no honey, agave, molassas, stevia, artificial sweetner, etc.  I've learned this is really unsustainable in the long-term.)  In fact, I think giving up meat last year was harder.  While it is true that I don't eat that much meat anymore and Lent 2011 had something to do with that, I don't see myself cutting back on gluten and sugar to a similar extent in the near future.  Mostly, it has just made me much more conscious about what little processed food I already eat. 
 
So, this recipe is for all the boys who think I must be subsiding solely on salads and hummus (this is me foreshadowing tomorrow's post) and for my sister.  Bollie asked me for an easy beef recipe that can be made in her tiny NYC kitchen.  When I got her request, I kinda groaned.  It's not that I don't like red meat - I absolutely, unequivocally do.  But, I hardly ever cook it, and I am really particular about the way I like it.  (Okay, so I'm really particular about most things.  But extra particular about beef.)  I like it simply seasoned and pretty close to mooing.  I love a smoky grilled steak, without much embellishment or to-do.  But I don't have a grill, and neither does Bollie.  I make a mean oven-roasted beef tenderloin, but that's a recipe for a very special occasion and a very special person. And again, neither of us have one of those.  So, a friend of mine suggested flank steak, because it is a relatively inexpensive cut of beef and it cooks easily and quickly on a stovetop, perfect for a weeknight meal.  I turned to my latest obsession, Pinterest, for further inspiration.  And of course - the same recipes kept popping up in my searches.  One was for a grilled balsamic flank steak that contained both sugar and Worcestershire (so that's out), and the other was this recipe for a Cuban-style one.

Because I couldn't decide whether to make the Cuban steak or invent my own balsamic one, I decided to do both, naturally.  I cut the flank steak down the middle and marinated each half in separate preparations.  When I got home from work, I roasted some asparagus and caramelized some onions, threw the steaks in the grill pan, and dinner was ready in 20 minutes.

Whitney and I taste-tested both recipes, and we much preferred the balsamic marinade.  Despite the bold, flavorful spices in the Cuban steak (cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice), the balsamic steak had much better flavor and texture.  I think I did overcook the balsamic steak just slightly, as it was the thinner half of the flank; however, the balsamic vinegar tenderized the steak so it hardly made a difference - it was still quite tender. That's the one bad thing about flank steak - it can be tough if cooked too much. Don't sear more than five minutes per side over medium-high heat, or if you're using a meat thermometer, which is always a good idea, look for the temperature to be 135-145 for rare-medium rare. 

In hindsight, it's pretty great that the balsamic steak ended up being the bigger hit, because I know Bollie will love it.  When she was last in DC, we shared the steak sampler at Acqua al Due, a Florentine import known for its pasta (which I found to be just okay), and delectable steaks.  Our favorite steak was the balsamic filet.  Holy wow - there are no words for that steak.  We were practically fighting each other for the last bite.  Maybe next time I make my own spin on balsamic steak, I'll try making a reduction with balsamic and port to drizzle on top, just like at Acqua al Due.  Or maybe I won't - because if it is successful, there is a strong possibility that I won't eat anything else ever again.

Balsamic-marinated flank steak
Serves 4
   
1 1/2 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak seasoning
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1.  Rub steak seasoning into both sides of the flank steak.  Place steak in a large ziploc bag or bowl.
2.  Whisk together ingredients for the marinade - balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard.  Cover steak in marinade and allow to marinate 8 hours or overnight.
3.  Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat.  Spray cooking spray on grill pan.
4.  When pan is hot, cook flank steak 3-5 minutes on each side for rare-medium rare, or until meat thermometer reaches 135-145 degrees F.  Don't cook more than 6 minutes on each side (medium) or your flank steak will be too tough. 
5.  Remove from heat; let flank steak rest on a plate at least five minutes, tented with foil.  Slice across the grain and serve. Pin It Now!

garlic shrimp & quinoa with zucchini ribbon salad

As I mentioned yesterday, Brittany and Patti came over for dinner on Friday night.  Last week, Brittany had requested a recipe with zucchini because she has recently added the squash to her (growing!) list of palatable vegetables.  As you may recall from previous stories, Brittany is not wild about veggies, though, to her credit, she has made great strides over the past two years.  I like to think my constant prodding might be a part of that.  I'm a proud mama.  We're still working on getting her to like tomatoes, but baby steps, people.

I was happy to make zucchini, but I wasn't sure how to prepare it at this time of year.  My favorite preparations for zucchini are the simple, no-fuss recipes that showcase its flavor, but those are really only appropriate at the height of the summer.  The zucchini in stores right now is not that good - if it comes from too far away, it doesn't have that perfectly fresh flavor.  And if it comes from too close, it has no flavor at all.  But, Whole Foods had some really tasty Mexican zucchini on special last week, and to my surprise, the flavor was good enough to showcase with just a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Ditto for the first heirloom tomatoes of the season (!!!) from the same source.

I decided on a simple shaved zucchini salad.  Or rather, I should actually say that I intended to make a shaved zucchini salad, but lost patience with my vegetable peeler (shocker) and just ended up cutting the zucchini into three long strips instead.  I struggled on choosing a main course - seeing as it was a Friday of Lent, our protein options were limited; Brittany does not like fish, but she does like shrimp and is beginning to foray into mussels.  She's also a big fan of quinoa.  I eventually decided on a garlicky shrimp served over quinoa.

The shrimp idea came from an hors d'oeurve I made for a "Friendsmas" holiday party.  The idea for that dish came from my favorite Spanish tapa - gambas al ajillo.  Gambas al ajillo are shrimp cooked in copious (and I do mean copious) amounts of olive oil and garlic, with a few dried red chiles thrown in there for kicks.  (See what I did there?)   But, because nobody wants to eat "garlic shrimp" at a party where they are going to be mingling with other partygoers and hoping to get caught under the mistletoe with an attractive stranger (no? was that just me?), I nicknamed the appetizer "holiday shrimp".  I'm a sneaky one.  I dialed back on the garlic and olive oil a tad and omitted the potent red chiles, opting instead for festive red & green accents via crushed red pepper* and chopped flat-leafed parsley.  It was a hit - everyone wanted the recipe and nobody seemed to care that there were disgusting amounts of garlic in there.  (That would explain why many of us are single.)  I remember Brittany and Patti both being fond of the appetizer, so it was a natural choice for our main course for the evening.

I wanted to serve the shrimp over a grain, since there's a nice liquidy broth to be soaked up, and crusty bread is not an option.  If you haven't noticed, I am also kinda sorta obsessed with quinoa.   I like quinoa with a fried egg on top, quinoa with tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and avocado, and quinoa as a side dish.  I see you rolling your eyes.  Yeah, you and every other semi-aware, kinda-health-conscious, Yelp generation yuppie who has ever stepped foot into a grocery store.  But wait!  I liked quinoa before it was cool to like quinoa.  (#shithipsterssay)  When I was growing up, the grain of choice in our family was rice.  In Ecuador, they eat rice every day (no wonder I'm a rice person), so my mom thought it was normal to make us rice every day. (My dad, on the other hand, does not think this is normal.)  But, every once in a while, we would have quinoa, which was a huge treat.  Before America's new love affair with quinoa began, it was very difficult to find the Andean grain in the US.  My mom's friends and family would bring it from Ecuador, or she would find it in Latino food stores.  My grandmother makes an awesome quinoa soup that I still need to learn how to make.

I made this quinoa Ecuadorian-style because frankly, Americans make food unnecessarily complicated, and this is no exception.  People make a big fuss over whether or not you need to soak the quinoa or at least rinse it or maybe even wash it with mild soap.  (Okay, so I'm kidding about that last part - but sometimes I read these recipes and wonder why people adulterate their quinoa so.  It's really not a big deal.)  I also think that Americans add too much water.  A general rule of thumb for most grains is 2 parts liquid: 1 part grain, but quinoa requires a little less.  Too much water and the quinoa cooks too much, becoming too chewy.  Some people worry that you won't get a fluffy quinoa if you use less than two parts liquid, but that is why you turn off the heat and let it continue to cook, covered, and fluff it with a fork.  Of course, nothing is wrong with making quinoa with a 2:1 ratio - it's easy to remember and easy to measure.  But my way is better - just trust me.

All in all, it was a fabulous dinner with good friends, good food, and good conversation.  The recipes below probably serve four, but we were three very hungry girls, and we did have some leftovers. 

*You may notice that the shrimp picture below shows no indication of crushed red pepper.  That is because because they have sprouted legs and walked away, just like my cumin seeds.  If you have them, bring them back.
 

Garlic shrimp
A caramelized memoirs original
Serves 2-4

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large shallot (or two smaller ones), finely sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced and zested
crushed red pepper flakes 

1.  Heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  When foamy, add garlic and shallot(s), cooking 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir frequently and do not allow to brown.
2.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add shrimp and salt, cooking about five minutes.  You want the shrimp to be just barely pink.  Be careful - shrimp is easy to overcook.
3.  Transfer to serving dish and squeeze both halves of a lemon on top.  Zest the lemon over the shrimp for added flavor.  Toss to coat. 
4.  Top with a handful of chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.


Ecuadorian-style quinoa
Makes 3-4 cups

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 yellow onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup chopped mint

1.  Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil until fragrant and transluscent, or about 3-5 minutes.  Of course, if you prefer, you can use one tablespoon of olive oil and omit the butter, but everything is better with a bit of butter.
3.  Add the dried quinoa and mix together with the cooked onions, stirring constantly, for a minute.  This is called "toasting" the quinoa.  It is an optional step, but it really makes it taste better, I promise.
4.  Add the water or broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Once water is absorbed, turn off heat and leave covered for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5.  Transfer to serving bowl and stir in chopped mint.

Zucchini salad
A caramelized memoirs original
Serves 4
 
3 green zucchini squash, sliced into ribbons
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups spinach
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup pistachios
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as dressing, to taste

1.  Spray grill pan with cooking spray; heat over high heat.
2.  Lay zucchini in one layer over grill pan.  Place a weighted press (or a plate or another pan) on top to weigh down the zucchini, squeezing out excess water and allowing the zucchini to get nice brown grill marks.
3.  Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness of your ribbons.  I only got three ribbons width-wise out of mine because I sliced them a little thicker, so mine took about five minutes on each side.  If you cut them thinly with a vegetable peeler or mandoline, it will be only a couple of minutes.
4.  Arrange spinach on serving platter; top with zucchini strips.  Arrange wedges of tomato around the perimeter of platter.  Top with feta cheese and pistachios. Pin It Now!

over the weekend....

Happy Monday!  This post is a bit scattered - sorry.  I am literally writing it on my iPhone on the way to work because I didn't write it yesterday.  I was exhausted after running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler and fell asleep watching TV on the sofa.  I woke up at 9pm, at which point I hobbled over into bed and promptly passed out.

Friday night Patti and Brittany came over for dinner of shrimp, quinoa, and a zucchini ribbon salad.  Recipes to come tomorrow.
 

Saturday I spent most of the day chugging water and reading.  (I read Catching Fire in a day in a half - so good!  I can't wait to get my hands on the third Hunger Games book.)  For dinner, I needed a gluten-free carboload, so, I made rice noodles stirfried in the wok with chicken breast, vegetables, and peanut sauce.

Ladies and gentlemen, my wild and crazy Saturday night:

The sauce for two servings was adapted from this stirfry recipe, with some modifications.    I made this sauce is a little bit looser than my previous peanut sauce because I wanted it to be thin enough when combined with the starchiness of the rice noodles, which has a thickening effect.  I used rice vinegar as well because I couldn't add sugar, and I actually prefered the subtle sweetness this provided.

Peanut Sauce for rice noodles
Makes enough for 2 servings of rice noodles

1/4 cup boiling hot water
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon (gluten-free) soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
minced garlic and minced ginger, to taste

1.  Boil water.  Since this amount is so small, I do it in a tea kettle, but you could probably do it in the microwave.
2.  Mince garlic and ginger over a bowl.
3.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.  Stir to combine.
4.  Add peanut butter, and whisk in hot water.

I stirfried my vegetables and chicken as usual, and then added the sauce and the noodles at the end and tossed for a minute or two. I guess you could say it was like a lazy man's, completely inauthentic pad thai. 

Sunday I ran.  The race was a lot of fun, and I especially loved this guy at mile 8.  In case you're wondering, I kept running.  No beer, and no Oreos.

Afterward, I celebrated with a long brunch at Lincoln with Brittany and Catie.  The food was nothing special, but it was a fun party brunch.  A DJ spun tunes while brunchers ate omelets and waffles and had the option of bottomless drinks.  I got the "city breakfast" - a spin on bagels and lox - which included two eggs any style, lox, pickled onions and capers, cream cheese, and a bagel.  I asked the waiter if he could bring me a starchy, gluten-free substitute for the bagel, and he happily accomodated my request.  I ended up with a greasy, flavorless hash brown, almost patty-like, but I devoured it anyway seeing as I was thisclose to chewing off my arm at that point.

Looking ahead this week, we'll have Friday night's recipes tomorrow, a steak recipe for Bollie, and a couple surprises.  Let me know if you have any requests.  (Ryan's request was that I not stop the blog....we'll see what I can do about that!) Pin It Now!