Summer Rolls

After trying to make these for the first time today, I am wondering, why did I wait so long? Part of it was locating the wrappers. I found them at Whole Foods. They are a Vietnamese food. Most Asian markets should have them.
Summer rolls are easy to prepare. The hard part is deciding what you want to stuff in them! From the package, they are hard disks. Once dipped in warm water for 10 seconds, they turn into a delicate, rubbery disk. I didn't use the first sheet I dipped since I was "getting to know" it's characteristics. They stick to themselves very easily. I dipped a sheet then placed it on a plate before it got soft. Top with some nice veggie and seafood fillings, roll up nice and tight, and eat! Use the chili sauce for dipping.

This chili sauce has a nice zap, is sweet and garlicky. I used shrimp and crab stick.

Have all your fillings prepped and ready to go. I used carrots, red pepper, lettuce from the garden, cilantro and avocado. I meant to but forgot to buy a cucumber!
Part of the fun is making an interesting layout since the wrappers are transparent.

Altogether, there were 7. Next time I won't place them on parchment paper: they stick (and rip apart easily). Maybe waxed paper is better.

The best part of making these were sharing them with friends who gobbled them up!
They are great for a low-calorie lunch or a healthy snack.

Panko breaded chicken with Asian greens, balsamic glazed cherry tomatoes and rice pilaf

It's 6:30. Alex is home from work. My chance to escape to the supermarket! The usual deal is this: "What did you have for lunch today?" From there we make a reasonable decision on what to make for dinner. I am the one (I asked Alex for his guess on percentages) 98% of the time, who comes up with the menu and 93% of the time the one who cooks it (that other percent accounts for his time at the grill during the summer). That's some pressure, right? I give Alex more credit than that, he does come up with some great weekend inspiration. Most recently it was a steak tip recipe that used Coke in its marinade (anyone want 5 extra bottles of Coke?)...
I digress.
Already had the broccoli out, thinking it would be steak night... "You had steak for lunch? And last night???!!! That is sooo bad for you!"
I glanced around the kitchen in desperation, not really knowing what I wanted... I saw a full mesh bag of cherry tomatoes and something came back to memory, fondly! Alex approved. Off to the store!
First on: Near East rice pilaf. Stop and Shop store brand is also great. I wouldn't buy any other, they all have too much sodium. I halve the package amount which is perfect for 2.25 people.

I was set to buy chicken tenders but maybe as of this blog post, I will stay away from them. Sure, they are tender, but the annoying part is the tendon which runs through them. It's rather chewy and inedible. I try to cut it out. Tenders were $5.59/lb. Chicken breasts were $1.99/lb.
I split a $6 package of breasts into 4 meals!
They were divided into the usual freezer bags, air squeezed out (I prefer Hefty quart freezer bags) and a single large breast was simply sliced, across the length, into tender-sized pieces.

Now to bread them: With clean hands, sprinkle with desired seasonings (see above pic, with Panko), then sprinkle flour over. Get your hands dirty and flip around to coat evenly. Dip one piece at a time into egg mixed up with a splash of water (below is yet unmixed), then carefully turn to coat in Panko crumbs.


Sometimes I get away with using a fork for this gooey part so I naturally reached for it. Small pieces lend themselves to "individual attention" and a fork is just slowing to the process.
You can have an extra plate to keep the finished pieces on but I wasn't working with a lot of meat so it wasn't necessary.

The tomatoes are washed and ready to go. The syrupy balsamic is on hand. This particular bottle is great, from Trader Joes.
Fry up your tenders in oil. I used my favorite 4-qt. All-Clad sauce pan with a splash of olive oil and a smaller splash of canola. Don't put your meat in until the oil spatters vehemently when a drop of water is in. Medium- medium high heat. Cook 3 minutes one side, one minute the other. This is highly variable depending on your stove/cookware, etc. so the best bet is to use a timer as a guide but flip the meat when it begins to look pink on the top but nearly cooked through and brown on the sides. Please keep in mind: switch up or wash your tongs after handling raw meat.
Once the tenders are done and set aside on triple thick paper towels, I drain the oil into a grease jar and rinse out the pan.
Next: the tomatoes. A splash of olive oil in the pan, heat set a tad higher than for the chicken. I almost heated it too high (some smoke was released when I took the lid off). In went the tomatoes! They cooked so fast, two minutes total. Once they're in, keep the lid on. Toss the pan around to keep them rolling around. Once they are a little browned and their skins look like they are shriveled, add a nice splash of balsamic. Continue to cook another minute to blend and concentrate the flavor. Dump into a bowl to cool.
Serve it up! See top photo. Lots of greens. Andrew ended up eating 5 tomatoes, he loved them! I wilted some greens in the still-hot tomato pan but he didn't try them (oh well). I think a mistake I made was adding some sweet salad dressing on his plate, next to them! It was supposed to be dip for his chicken (he ate the chicken anyhow, without it) and instead, like a good toddler he just ate up all the dressing with his fork. Can't blame him, it's good stuff: Brianna's Poppyseed. We used it on our greens.

Just add water! Ployes.

Hopefully this blog dispels the common thought that I am some incredible cook who is constantly coming up with new recipes. PLEASE.
What I would like to inspire, are more people to take on cooking simply because you can do it and should not consider it a chore but a nice way to unwind from the day. There is a learning curve. Many working folks, after a long day, don't feel like they could take on the additional challenge and the alternatives are far easier, especially living in the city. There are many days I feel like that.
Since my recent full-time job is child-rearing, I find my everyday thoughts are involved in his day and how things revolve around his activities and nap (off-and-on, nowadays). While Andrew plays more independently for longer and longer periods of time, I find myself catching up on, well, "me" things, cooking one of them. I'm a bit rusty and it's a natural progression so hopefully you will see that here.
For now, and in our tough economy and in a single income household, the importance is getting something decent on the table, without spending a boatload of money on takeout or prepared foods.

This one is simple:
Buckwheat pancake mix, maple syrup, frozen blueberries and bacon.

"Ployes" http://www.ployes.com/ are made from Buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is gluten -free, high in complex carbohydrates, potassium, phosphorous, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber. It contains twice the amount of B vitamins as wheat flour.

I found the mix at a Hannaford's supermarket in Augusta, Maine, but after looking at their website above, am happy to learn that they sell their product in many stores, most locally at the Waltham Hannaford.

For Andrew and I (Daddy was already off to work and generally prefers a more protein-rich breakfast), we used 1/3 cup of mix (makes 3 pancakes) and the same measure full of water plus another 1/3 of water added to the bowl. Mix out all the lumps and let sit 5 minutes while your skillet preheats (with a drop of butter). Basically, I am explaining what the package says. It's super-easy.
For convenience I microwaved Oscar Mayer precooked bacon for 45 seconds. This stuff is great, used in a pinch. It is also overly expensive so I only buy it on sale and use it sparingly when I don't have time for stinking up the kitchen with the real thing.

I like to keep frozen blueberries on hand. Wyman's are delicious and come in a convenient resealable package. They seem to last a long time in the freezer, too!
Pour some in a cup (I use a measuring cup since it has a spout) and add desired amount of syrup. Microwave to thaw the berries and heat the syrup, around 2 minutes. The liquid of the berries extends the syrup nicely and it's not so sugary. Please don't short your taste buds and buy the fake maple syrup.
I told him this is what we're having and he jumped right in his seat! He actually referred to them as pancakes for the first time (not the oft-repeated. "cupcakes").
Note the dramatic forkful. He loved it and is a ham for the camera!

Easy Chicken Bake

There was not much thought for dinner tonight! Is that the norm lately? It was a busy day including a little Christmas shopping. Good thing my little tantrum scene-maker passed out in the car before said shopping or else it wouldn't have happened (it was for him)...

Geeez, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I am on a big Christmas kick this year. Andrew knows about Santa and what he's bringing... We've been playing "Seasonal Favorites" (aka Christmas) music channel on t.v. and now I'm thinking of what cookies and gingerbread houses to make and when....

Anyhow, on to stuffing! Store bought! Low sodium is the way to go. Or else you will die. Haha, kidding; I tried the sodium-laden stuff and it was, well, too salty (this coming from one who salts pizza and butter-on-bread).
I learned from making this fabulously simple box mix twice already and likely having unused leftovers, just divide the mix in half. The recipe on this box is for the uninformed cook. Please, try not to use canned condensed Campbell's soup in recipes. Gross. Just learn how to make a roux.
Before that, cook your chicken. Even better if you have some leftover cooked chicken on hand. I used a large frozen breast, thawed on low in the microwave for 15 minutes then plunked in some simmering Swanson "organic" chicken broth from a carton. I used all but 1 cup of the carton and promptly bagged and froze the unused portion. Cooked the breast, covered, for 15 minutes. Halfway through (since it still seemed frozen in the middle when I put it in) I cut it in half, then quarters to help it along.
Chicken out of broth, onto cutting board. Half of broth removed to 1 cup measure (which I let cool then also froze) and remainder poured into a bowl.

Make the condensed-soup alternative: 2 TB butter, melted on medium heat. Whisk in equal amount of flour (I probably used less).
Cook, stirring constantly. The flour should not turn too brown, just bubble for a bit.
Pour in the broth. First a splash, then whisk, then another splash, whisk, then you can add the rest without risk of it clumping up.
I know I didn't use enough flour so I turned up the heat to boil it down. The ratio should be 1Tb butter :1 TB flour :1 cup milk (or broth).
This was not a problem since I needed to cook those frozen veggies! The boring box recipe calls for cooking then adding them. So they turn to mush?
I also tried adding sour cream. You don't want to do this when the mix is boiling or close to that point or it will clot up. I used a heaping small spoonful. This added a nice tang. You might also want to try plain yogurt.
While things calmed down for a bit, Andrew helped sprinkle in some seasonings. The rosemary shaker is nice and slow-dispensing.
These were tonight's seasonings of choice (and ground pepper).
Topped with the prepared stuffing then a small amount of cheddar left in the fridge.
400 degrees, 15 minutes later. Everything in it is already cooked so the point is that you want it to brown and melt the cheese. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or else serve to your plates then cool.

Mom's "spicy" tuna sandwich

It's pretty basic and quick and hits the spot, many lunch-after-lunch.
Can of tuna. In this case, packed in olive oil. This means less mayo.
Hellmann's mayonnaise. Use low fat, I swear you won't notice the difference.
A generous forkful of hot pepper relish. Ohhh Yeah! I love this stuff!
Andrew remarked it was "spicy", hence the name.
Toast 2 slices of scali bread. This is a delicate white bread so watch that it doesn't burn.
The slices tend to be oversized, perfect to split with a toddler!
I put extra American (Land O Lakes is the only way to go) cheese on his half, layered with sandwich dill pickles then topped with tuna. It was a thick sandwich (one can of tuna is always a tad too much for a sandwich) so I sliced it (for Andrew) in such a way that the innards were wider that the bread slice. It's always good to make things smaller for the little guys.

"Andrew, time to eat lunch!" Muno (the red guy) oversaw things.

Unfinished scraps for mommy to eat (I couldn't let the tuna part go to waste!).

Pizza Taste Test: Dr. Oetker Grade: C+

I first spotted this pizza advertised on the side of a T bus while we were stopped at a red light. "From Germany" "Italy's Favorite Frozen Pizza"
I had to try it.
Even more tantalizing, the local super had samples of it but I *just missed* the last slice. $2 off coupons. That's it! I am a sucker for a good coupon.
Back home, since it was football night (and we probably should have been making chili but were tired and lazy since we'd had a long day), fired up the oven. A sign of laziness it that we left the pizza stone in it, underneath the grate upon which we cooked the pizza. And why did we heat the big oven when we have a perfectly sized, more predictable toaster oven?
First bite it was... still frozen. Humpf! I'm hungry! Plunked it in the toaster oven and pressed "toast", moved on from there.Alex hated it: "Flaccid crust, devoid of flavor. It sucks."
He's just spoiled.
I thought it was a decent pizza, for frozen. Reminiscent of the evil Celeste (am interested in comparing the lack of health value). Yet more sophisticated. Still, we would have been better off making our own pizza. The $3.99 price (using the $2 off coupon) made everything feel alright.
They have other pizza toppings which I am interested in still trying (two more coupons to go). Next time I'll just use the toaster oven and share with someone other than Alex ;D
We split the leftover salad. Funny, where's the other half of cheese topping on this slice? Did Andrew eat it? Just something to be aware of..

Is breakfast ready yet?

Someone in the background was clamoring for attention since we slept in! Daddy was put on duty at this point.
Breakfast today involved digging into the freezer and using up those nearly freezer-burnt Ore-Ida hash brown potatoes! I cooked per greasy package directions, using foil to cover the pan since we don't have a lid for it.
When I am not so lazy I do like using fresh potatoes. Someday a post about that.
After the potatoes were nearly done, I put a spat of butter in and softened 2 large rings of chopped onion. Once they were sufficiently cooked, the potatoes went back in and I seasoned with a drop (maybe 1/2 tsp) of dried thyme leaves (rubbed it between my hands to break it up) and a good dosing of Frank's Hot Sauce. I feel that hash brown potatoes should always be seasoned with a vinegary hot sauce. I usually do this while Alex is not looking.

These eggs are the best! They never fail for being fresh with deep colored yolks. I like that they're also local. Find them at Russo's. On a side note about eggs, I definitely have opinions. Unless I buy these, I just get store brand. For years be bought all organic and "omega-3" eggs.
Some of those eggs are often fishy-tasting/smelling, yuck, I like fish but not in my eggs.
Store brand is fine. And the eggs are often more fresh- and $2 less! The Chip-In eggs are $2.49, not too bad.

My fried egg cooking technique: crack them in once a spat per egg of butter (not too much, this is a nonstick skillet) sizzles and subsides. Season lightly with salt and more with pepper. Once they are all jiggly and happy (don't cook them on much more than medium heat), I flip them and basically count to ten, then they are ready. Today I let them go for more like twenty seconds. It's something you have to gauge based on your pan and how the eggs look.
Breakfast is never complete without some form of meat. In this case it was the highly fatty Hillshire Farms CheddarWurst sausage. 240 calories and 40% a daily "allowance" of saturated fat. A great way to start the day! Usually we split one (and Andrew gets some of my portion) but it's a weekend morning, after all.
We split a slice of buttered toast, cut in wedges. Always love the Arnold 12 grain.
We joke, certainly Andrew ate mostly forkfuls of ketchup (aka "chup") for breakfast, requesting more (even though there was still plenty) and becoming psychotic if he didn't immediately get some. Well, he'd already had a banana and rich chocolate milk (think melted ice cream).
The same went for lunch. Good thing we didn't buy him an entree. That damn chup is addictive!! If possible, I like to hide the bottle when we are out to eat.