Getting back to Foodies!

It's been a long, cold winter and a reaaaally long, cold spring. But hey, I'm willing to pretend it's summer if you are. Let's get back to really great food!

Corn Muffins/Raspberry Corn Muffins

Meal: Snack

Who made it: Moi, bien sûr! (Me, of course!)

Tastyness: 9/10

Healthyness: Meh, who cares

Comments! I loooove corn bread and muffins. I had a recipe for raspberry corn muffins from my Ina Garten cookbook, so I decided to try it out! These are great--not dry at all, but a little sweet for my taste. I would go easy on the sugar. I skipped the raspberry preserves for mine, but feel free--it sounds great. Just put some raspberry jam in a pastry bag or a plastic bag with a hole in the corner, make holes in the center of the muffins, and squeeze in about a tablespoon.

Corn Muffins (Makes 12 Muffins)

Copyright 2009, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Photo: Courtesy of Food Network

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled*
2 extra-large eggs 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan. 

*I used 1 stick butter and about 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

BBS with dinner!

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight my mother made eggs. I do not like eggs (sigh). So I ate a frozen meal for dinner!

Indian Palak Paneer Dinner

Meal: Dinner

Who made it: Well, I defrosted it

Tastyness: 7/10

Healthyness: 8/10

Comments: Amy's Indian dinners are pretty good, but this one isn't my favorite. However, like I said, this one was okay. The rice was a bit bland and lacking spice, but everything else was good, and the dal was great.

Back again,

Ms. Foodie

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!

Dinner for 12/14

Pasta with Garlic, Oil and Cauliflower Sauce

Meal: Dinner

Who made it: Mom

Tastyness: 8/10

Healthyness: 8/10

Comments: This could have used more garlic, but it's a nice easy recipe: Boil water. Add penne and cauliflower, broken into chunks. Boil until tender. Meanwhile, saute garlic, dried parsley and hot chili flakes in EVOO. Add cauliflower, saute, and the rest is history.

Dinner for 12/13

Dinner--12/13/13 (I'm a bit behind)

Vietnamese Fisherman's Stew

Meal: Dinner

Who made it: Mom

Tastyness: 10/10

Healthyness: 9/10

Comments: YUM! This stew didn't really taste Vietnamese, more like a Thai curry, but it was still amazing. I've included the recipe. Make it ASAP and feast to your heart's content.

Vietnamese Fisherman's Stew

• 
  16

Serves 4-6

• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2small onions, thinly sliced
• 5cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch knob)
• 2medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices on the diagonal
• 2tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2teaspoons salt
• 2/3cups mirin or white wine
• 114-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 1/2pound waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 11⁄2-inch pieces
• 6bunches baby bok choy, washed and trimmed (or use 1 batch regular bok choy, cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 1/2pound hake, catfish, cod, or tilapia or other mild white fish, cut into 8 pieces
• 2limes: 1 juiced, 1 quartered
• 1. Heat the oil in a lidded pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger; cook until soft but not browned, 8 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another minute.
  2. Sprinkle in the curry powder and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the salt and mirin, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Pour in the coconut milk and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
  3. Add the potatoes, return the liquid to a boil, and then turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. (You can make the stew ahead to this point.)
  4. Add the bok choy and toss to distribute. Then add the fish pieces and arrange them so they are fully covered by the liquid. Cover the pot and simmer for 4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through but not falling apart. Add the lime juice to the stew.
  5. Ladle the fish, vegetables, and broth into bowls, and garnish with the lime quarters

• FEAST, FRIENDS!!!!!

Dîner de ce soir ('Tonight's dinner" in French)

First I am posting the SPECTABULOUS (spectacular and fabulous) recipe for my Szechuan Peanut Noodles. Please remember that this is simply a guideline. Change the amounts to your taste, as I do. (I don't remember--I might have posted this before. If I have, I'm sorry.)

Szechuan Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

1 package spaghetti

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2-1 cup water
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
2 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
Other veggies, if you wish (cooked snow peas, broccoli, etc.)

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, put peanut butter in a bowl. Slo-o-owly add the water while whisking to make sure it's fully incorporated until the sauce is at your preferred consistency. Add soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, and pepper flakes (if using) and taste, adding more of the ingredients if necessary. Drain pasta; place in bowl and toss with sauce. Add bell pepper and other veggies, if using. ENJOY!!!!

Tonight's Dinner

Potato-Leek Soup and Crispy Baked Eggplant

Meal: Dinner

Who made it: Soup was me, eggplant was Mom

Tastyness: 11/10!!

Healthyness: 8/10

Comments: I made the most DELICIOUS potato-leek soup on the PLANET. It's creamy (although I didn't even puree ity) and rich, with just the right amount of flavoring. Oh my God--I just ate three bowls and I want some more just thinking about it. My mom's crispy eggplant is the bomb. The recipe, in short, is this: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice (horizontally) two eggplants. Salt and let rest for 20 minutes. Pat dry, then dip each slice in a mixture of 2 eggs and 2 tbsp milk, and then a mixture of 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, hot chili flakes, and dried basil. Place on greased baking sheets, drizzle with oil and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Eat to your heart's content.

MS. FOODIE

Last Night's and Tonight's Dinners

Last Night

Canned Lentil Soup

Meal: Dinner

Who made it: Me

Tastyness: 8/10

Healthyness: 8/10

Comments: *sigh* You know, what more can I say? Canned dinners, while possibly quite good in the way of canned soup, are just pretty sad. I will try to up my game!

Tonight

Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup

Meal: Dinner\

Who made it: Mom (Yes! I will cook when I stop being so busy...)

Tastyness: 6.5/10

Healthyness: 8/10

Comments: I am opposed to soggy bread, sadly. If I wasn't so repulsed by its texture I might have actually enjoyed this soup, because everything else about it was quite nice. It was peppery, tomato-ey, garlicky, and oily--but oily is good when it's EVOO.

MS. FOODIE