Meatloaf!

This was my first attempt at meatloaf. I grew up eating it - my mom was all about frugal meals and this when ground beef was cheap. D, on the other hand, had meatloaf practically for the first time this summer at his grandparents'. Let me say, he was hooked!

We are getting ready to move so we've been trying to use up as much food as possible. We still had a TON of meat in the freezer from the last Costco run, so this was a logical choice! We both really liked it!




Meatloaf

Original recipe found here

1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, chopped fine
1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute onion)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
2 1/4 lbs ground meat (I used beef and turkey)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large heavy skillet warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions andn cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cover the skillet and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.

In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.

Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.

V-Day

So I suppose I should post about Valentine's Day before March rolls around.

Let me just say: best one yet.

Earlier in the week D and I had planned a fabulous sounding dinner - we decided to stay in because 1) NY is pricey, and 2) Our plans for that night were already obscenely, ridiculously expensive.

We woke up early-ish Saturday morning and headed over to the new Trader Joe's in Brooklyn. Tangent: I love TJ's. Where have I been the last 10 years? They are all over the place in AZ and it takes me moving to Brooklyn to appreciate the wonderfulness in grocery store form.

We whipped up a delicious dinner. Started with pita bread and hummus, then a Greek-Style salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Guys, if you've never made your own salad dressing, do it. Now. Delish. Main course was chicken breast stuffed with olives, feta, spinach, and tomatoes with lemon roasted potatoes on the side. And LOTS of wine :) We had just enough time after dinner was done to dip some strawberries in chocolate, shove 'em in the fridge, and rush out the door...

...to PAUL SIMON.

I have a long and well documented love (obsession) with Paul Simon. In high school when other kids were listening to... well, whatever it was they listened to... I rocked out to my parent's music. Especially Paul Simon. If you ever feel the need to explain my preference for short Jewish boys, I suggest you start with Rhymin' Simon.

This concert was extra special in that it combined another love of mine, old things. The historic Beacon Theater on Manhattan's Upper West Side had closed in 2008 for extensive renovations, and the 2 Paul Simon shows over the weekend were the grand re-opening. And the theater? Well it was beautiful and historic and I loved it. Look here for more info about the Beacon while I move on to the concert.

The show was incredible. Paul Simon is amazing. Words can't describe so pictures will have to do the rest for me.

The first show at the Beacon when it opened in 1929 was the movie Tiger Rose!

Beautiful theater... crappy picture. The whole place had Greco-Roman type decor, topped off with this gigantic wooden chandelier that would have killed someone if it had fallen. Enormous.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

Last song - 2 Ovations later - Still Crazy After All These Years

Tomato Basil Soup

Last week, the boyfriend wasn't feeling so great for a few days. What's better to eat when you are feeling under the weather than soup? Tomatoes were on sale at the grocery store, so tomato soup was born!

This recipe calls for peeled tomatoes, which made me scratch my head. I literally peeled 10 tomatoes with a vegetable peeler - not easy, and not fun. Afterwards I did a little research and found a much easier way to do things.

To peel a tomato, score the underside with a big "x". Plunge the tomato in boiling water for about 10 seconds, remove, and place in an ice bath for 30 seconds. Remove from the water. You should be able to easily remove the skins by pulling upwards from the flaps!







Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 large Onions, chopped
10 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 tbsp dried Basil
Salt and Pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan butter over medium heat; add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until onion becomes translucent, but not brown (5 min).
Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes start to break down, about 2o minutes.
Season - add salt and pepper, basil, and tomato paste. Mix well.
Depending on how chunky you want your soup, you can now puree all or some of the soup to the desired consistency. Use an immersion blender or just a regular blender. If you use a regular blender like I did, blend the soup in sections (not all at the same time), returning the blended liquid to the pot until you reach the creaminess you want.

Announcements

1. I did run the other day. 3 miles. Today is not looking so good.

2. I finally bought myself an apron. I make a royal mess in the kitchen so this is going to be a good thing. In true form, today I forgot I owned said apron until after I finished trashing the place making brownies and banana bread.

3. I'm cooking a LOT. I'm on a mission to use up as much food as I can in the next week without buying any more. More on this later.

4. I'm back in New York. We've done a lot of talking and we're working on things. However, I'll only be here temporarily - until next Thursday to be exact, then in sayonora for a few more months. Again, more on this later.

Happy Friday!

Fettuccine Alfredo

I'm a little nervous about starting out with this. Fettuccine Alfredo isn't exactly considered a 'healthy' meal, and with what I know what the next few posts will be already, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea!

So, first, a little about me and my theories. I like to eat... obviously. I like almost all foods, with the main exception being seafood (but I'm working on it!) When I cook I try to create healthy, balanced meals. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep my red meat intake reasonable, etc etc etc. That being said, I love to indulge! I love desserts. I have no remorse about an occasional artery-clogging meal, like this one. I only try to keep myself and my eating habits balanced and easy.

Now, on to the food...

I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this recipe. It was too buttery and not creamy or cheesy enough. It was delicious though, and the boyfriend and I polished off 1lb between dinner last night and today's lunch. I don't even want to think about how many calories that is :)





Fettuccine Alfredo

Original Recipe found here


1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley



Bring a pot of water to boil, liberally salt the water and add pasta. Cook about 7-9 minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta will be slightly underdone but it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to fit the pasta once cooked.

Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the pasta to the pan. Pour cream and cheese over the pasta. Toss to completely coat the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley.

Reduce heat to low, let pasta stand 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Toss just before serving.

I am...

A slacker.

Motivation, where have you gone?

Someday soon I'll be back in the swing of things. Just not today.

Now I'm dragging myself out the door. I WILL run, even if only 3 miles. I will freakin run.

Happy Wednesday!

Wilkommen, Bienvenidos, Welcome, Come On In!

I like to eat.

As the young-starving-college-student I survived on bean burros (yum) and Hot Pockets - pepperoni was my flavor of choice. Um... yuk?

Now, not so many years older or wiser, I prefer real food. However, eating real food means cooking real food, and since my cooking skills were limited to about 3 real dishes, I set off to learn how to cook. Turns out, I'm not half bad!

Armed with five cookbooks and a wealth of interweb information, I'm here to add my little voice to the world of food blogging. Hello world, and happy eating!

Love

It was a hell of a season. Can't wait for next year!

Denial

I still can't believe that the Cardinals are playing for the freakin Super Bowl today. Really. The Cardinals.

I couldn't sleep last night; it was like Christmas Eve when you are little. I woke up at least 6 times just excited. And nervous. Very, very nervous.

Go Cards!!!