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Cheers,
Nora

When Life Gives You Canned Salmon, Make Croquettes

So, I'm not sure that I can consider this a "new food venture" since I have made broiled crab cakes in a very similar fashion. Due to this discrepancy, I am posting this blog entry on a Tuesday rather than my Sunday "new food" ritual. I have never actually used packaged salmon, so I was quite surprised by the bold flavor. Upon first glance it looked exactly like tuna but had a distinct salmon taste and smell! YUM I LOVE SALMON! I'm glad I was able to give this stuff a try.

Today was one of those days where I got back late and had little patients to cook anything elaborate, but the thought of yet another soup and sandwich combo dinner made me cringe. I was also starving, so whatever I made had to be snappy. I took out some veggies from the fridge, dove into my condiments door, cracked open the spice cabinet and.... voila! Salmon Croquettes! It took about twenty (hardly) minutes to create and was exactly what I needed. The croquettes get slightly crunchy on the outside but have a smooth interior reminiscent of baked salmon. The spices gave it a bit of heat (I like it hot so added more, but if you follow my recipe do it to your preference), and the salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts and guacamole provided the perfect contrast, cooling it right down. Also, I really enjoyed the texture of the croquettes with the buttery guacamole. It was the perfect condiment for my simple dish.

My wine pairing was a 2007 Clos Du Bois Chardonnay. Crisp, full flavored and went well with the spice. Can you tell I am extremely happy after consuming this meal?! I had a dessert of frozen berries, chocolate pudding, ice cream and whipped cream (random assortment, I'm aware), so I am doubly elated as I write this!! Who ever said that cooking for one couldn't be fun?

Live Life, Eat Right!

Nora

New Food Venture: Polenta

I've always been curious about polenta. I actually bought a box last June, and have waited until now to even think of using it. I really liked the idea of making polenta but when it came down to it, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. I've only ever had it at restaurants, and typically find it a bit bland for my taste. There are only a handful of times that I can recall ordering a dish with polenta and truly being "wowed". Of these seemingly rare occurrences, the polenta was well seasoned, had cheese incorporated into it and was either seared or baked. After going through a copious amount of recipes I finally discovered an interesting "polenta tart" recipe on the Whole Food's website. It was exactly what I was looking for, not to mention I'd be killing two birds with one stone by checking both "polenta" and "tart" off of my New Food Ventures List for 2010.

It was fantastic and so filling! Not to mention that I got quite the arm work out from stirring the polenta for almost 10 minutes! The base tasted slightly similar to corn bread, and was both dense and moist. The Parmesan cheese I incorporated in the batter was a nice touch, and brought out a sweet note in the cornmeal. To finish, I topped it with goat cheese, baby heirloom tomatoes, caramelized onions and basil. It was a refreshing combination, that felt both luxurious and healthy, what a treat! I couldn't believe that I made this stunner!

Until Next Time,

Nora

PHO-nomenal PHO-riday

I find the extent to which food differs from culture to culture extremely fascinating. No two have the same staple flavors or ingredients in their defining dishes, yet they never fail to provide comfort and warmth. When I have the opportunity to try new foods I always jump at the chance. Not only am I excited to try something new but I also enjoy engaging in cultural experiences.

I've been wanting to try Pho (Vietnamese noodle dish) for a while now. I have seen it featured on various food websites and in magazines(even more so in the winter months) and was curious about the elements that make this dish so prominent. Whenever I have something for the first time, I always make sure it is as close to authentic as I can get, so that I am REALLY immersing myself in the heritage it originated from. After looking through many reviews, and speaking to local residents who are Vietnamese, I found a small family owned restaurant not too far from my apartment.

I dined with two of my closest friends and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a quaint place and the atmosphere was both comfortable and welcoming. To start, we each ordered fresh spring rolls which were comprised of thin strips of pork and shrimp, vermicelli noodles, mint leaves, wrapped in rice paper and served with a side of peanut dipping sauce. For our main course we had "Pho Ga" aka chicken pho. It is the coldest night of the year thus far, and this could not have been a better choice for dinner. It was a gigantic bowl filled with delicate rice noodles, tender pulled chicken and onions in warm broth carefully flavored with chives and cilantro. It was served with a plate of bean sprouts and lime juice to be added at one's preference. I added a mound of bean sprouts, 2 lime wedges and sriracha chili sauce to give it a bit more kick (Hey, it's cold!). The bean sprouts absorbed the broth and still maintained a crunchy texture, and the lime was a perfect accent to the cilantro in the broth. This dish was amplified by the chili sauce. I added it after analyzing all of the flavors and tasting the dish in pure form. Let me tell you, unlike most hot sauces, the sriracha did not mask any flavor, it enhanced it. Each bite was soothing my cold bones.

I will PHO be back,

Nora

Peanut Butter and Jelly Time!

I just wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to the good 'ole PB&J. For some reason, lately I haven't been able to get enough of it. I've been creative too. Of course I've made the standard PB&J sandwiches but have expanded my repertoire to include peanut butter, banana and strawberry paninis, I've smothered crunchy peanut butter and strawberry preserves on toasted English muffins, rice puffs and crackers, layered the combo between sliced bananas, and (sadly) enjoyed peanut butter spoonfuls topped with jelly. After all this you think I'd be sick of this dynamic duo, right? WRONG! I have even discovered a new on the go snack: Peanut Butter and Jelly Lara Bars.

First of all, I must profess my love for Lara bars. They are up there in my top 5 snack bars, and never fail to satisfy me and provide the pick-me-up I'm looking for. Why do I love them so much? They are all natural and organic! If you look at the label you will find the following:dried fruit and nuts. That's it. I feel like I'm spoiling myself but in reality, it is SO good for me. Being the PB&J aficionado that I am, I was skeptical of this bar ACTUALLY tasting like the real deal. I absolutely love the pistachio, peanut butter cookie, cherry pie and cashew cookie Lara bars, so I thought it was worth a try. It is a fusion of ground peanuts, dried cherries and dates...hmmm I had to wonder if it cherries and dates would live up to the "jelly" aspect I was looking for. The bar was slightly crunchy and I could distinctly taste the peanut...and...THE JELLY. PHENOMENAL! I was so excited to see one of my favorite combination in all of it's glory.

Snack-o-licious,

Nora

Speedy Foodie Dinner: Spicy Shrimp Stirfry with Quinoa

A few days a week I find myself running between meetings and work, with little time to prepare dinner. I am operating on a tight budget (most of which goes to food anyways...I rather buy quality items!) and do not want to unnecessarily spend money on prepared meals. I also hate having dinner well after 9pm. It is with this mentality that I took 20 minutes to fix a quick Spicy Shrimp Stirfry with Quinoa. I used proteins and vegetables I had on hand and decided to make quinoa (nature's perfect protein) instead of rice. I hadn't had quinoa in a while and love it's nutty flavor and slight crunch. It was easy to prepare and a light yet substantial dinner. All I had to do was pack it up, bring it to work, and reheat. I love feeling thrifty and I saved myself some money!

Bye Bye Lame Dinner Blues,

Nora

p.s Note the picture in gladware!! My portable dinner.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Taking some inspiration from Julie and Julia and the direction of Ina Garten, I made Boeuf Bourguignon aka beef stew with red wine. It is a culinary endeavor that I had been DYING to try ever since I saw the movie, and my trusty Ina Garten happened to have a recipe for it in Barefoot in Paris (still hording from my mom). It was a tedious step by step process that then required an hour and a half in the oven, but it was well worth the wait. I found that cooking the vegetables in fat rendered from the beef and bacon made the dish rich and flavorful. This dish gets a lot of it's flavor from the sweetness of the carrots and onions. I hardly had to season it, because it was already so rich in flavor from the meet, vegetables and, of course, the wine. A hearty meal for a cold winter Sunday.

Until Next Time,

Nora