I might be a little weird

I am loving having a week off of responsibilities! And I am loving this weather! Yesterday I went for a nice run at Thunderbird Park. Almost four miles of hills and I think I got a good workout. It doesn’t hurt that there is a nice view along the way.

I had to run some errands and I was hungry so I picked up my favorite snack at Trader Joe’s. Real bananas, so good!

For dinner last night I went back to my new BFF Rachael Ray. This recipe is perfect for me because I HATE potatoes.  I know, I’m a freak of nature. I can eat most french fries and chips are fine, but you will never see mashed potatoes or baked potatoes on my plate. It’s really hard to  believe I’m from the midwest. While we are on the subject…Things I Hate: pork (bacon is only to be eaten in the morning after a long night out), ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, cheesecake, coconut (except pina coladas:) ), lasagna, and I don’t eat onions either (I always chop them really big so I can pick them out). Whew! I feel better getting that all off my chest. Please continue reading, I’m really not that crazy… or am I?

Deconstructed Tex-Mex Potpies (Of course I had to put my spin on it to make it that much better 😉 Those additions are notated with a *)

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water
• 1 T veg oil
• 3 T butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 2 small ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, chopped*
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
• 1 can of green chilis*
• 2 T chopped cilantro*
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper*
• salt and pepper
• 3 T flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used broth)*
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken (I cooked my own chicken because I’m still steering clear of it because of our last experience! I seasoned it with some paprika, salt and pepper and cooked it through before adding it to the rest of the filling)
• Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Roll out the dough and cut out four circles using the ramekins you will be serving in as stencils.  2. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash (it says to line the sheet with parchment paper, I forgot and they were still fine). Bake until golden, 15 minutes.  3. Meanwhile, in a deep pan heat oil over medium-high heat; add butter to melt. Stir in all the vegetables and season with the cumin, cilantro, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Partially cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the chilis 4. Stir in the flour for 1 minutes (no lumps!) and then the chicken broth until thickened.  Stir in the chicken and heat through.  Lower the heat and season with worcestershire and hot sauce. (careful, a little worcestershire goes a long way!).  Spoon the filling into the ramekins and top with a pastry round.

This was a nice and filling meal after our long day.  My brother-in-law has moved back to Phoenix and is crashing with us until he gets everything in order.  So, yesterday we also cleaned out the garage and made a huge donation to Goodwill.  It’s starting to look like a bike shop out there:) I still have 12 more days of freedom! What will I get myself into next?

 

 

Squash… it’s not just a sport

My day started with a nice and easy 1200 m swim.  Swimming is so therapeutic to me.  I don’t know if it’s just the tranquility of being in water or the silence letting me just think.  Either way I went to class feeling great.

I need to finish school so I can get back to this!

I finally got to the grocery store last night which means I finally got to cook again.  Cooking is also very therapeutic, at least I think it is. It also helps if you have some nice red wine to accompany you 🙂

I made some more labor intensive recipes, but they were worth it.  First, I roasted a butternut squash for about an hour.

This was to make a delicious butternut squash risotto.  I found the recipe in Natural Health Magazine.  It was an article on aiding digestion and the fennel in this is the aide.  I changed up the recipe a little by using pearled barley instead of the risotto rice.  The barley makes it even more digestive friendly because it is high in fiber and selinium.  It also provides food for the “good” bacteria in your digestive tract. It must taste pretty good because neither Chad nor my brother-in-law said anything.  I also used Romano cheese instead of Parm.  That was just because I picked up the wrong thing at the store and didn’t realize until I got home.

Butternut Squash Risotto

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 T of olive oil
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 1 cup of Arborio (or 1 cup of pearled barley, I cooked it for half the time too)
• 3-3 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 T butter
• 2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400*, Prick the squash with a fork several times then roast in pan for 50-60 min (turn a couple times).  When done slit the squash lengthwise and let it cool.  When its cool enough peel off the skin and scoop out the seeds.  Cut it into large chunks.  In a large pot site the onion into the olive oil and cook for 3-5 min at medium heat. Stir in the fennel and cook for another 3 min.  Raise the heat the med-high and cook for another 5-7 minutes until fennel is soft.  Add the rice and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of broth. Add salt, sage, and nutmeg. Cook for another 3 minutes until broth is absorbed.  Stir in another cup of broth and add the squash, then add one more cup of broth. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring a couple times, for 15 minutes.  Liquid should be absorbed, if its too dry add a little more broth.  Stir in the butter and cheese until melted.

Forgot to take a good picture, here are the leftovers

I also made Love Birds- Chicken in Pastry in honor of Valentine’s Day.  So good!  Of course I changed it up a bit, but still turned out delish.  I used Muenster cheese (it was cheaper) and Apricot preserves (cause we had some in the fridge).  Then as I was finishing up my homework I had to indulge in the evilness that comes from innocent looking little girls. Ugh! They get me everytime! I will say that I’ve had them since Saturday and still have half a box left.  Progress!

Fresh out of the freezer!

Now it is time for me to go spend some time with my man.  It is Valentine’s day and all!