Another List

Devin and I have this pattern...we decide to go out to eat, neither of us wants to make a decision, and I get mad.  Normal, right?

Last month was Houston Restaurant Weeks?  Month?  I don't even know...it was all of August, and we tried a couple of places we've been holding out for.  Then, we got inspired and made this

As you can see, we go to Bible study on Wednesday nights.

Anyway, now when we decide to go out for a bite, we can close our eyes and point to one on the list.  Prollum solved.

Any suggestions you don't see on ze list??

Torchy's! (clap clap) Torchy's! (clap clap) Torchy's! (clap clap)

  

 

I have a thing for green soups

I love green soup.  It makes me happy.  It makes me feel like I'm eating something on Nickelodeon.  Or something Dr. Seuss cooked up.

This is PW's Spinach Soup with Gruyere the white cheese I already have

So delicious.  I lightened it up- subbed a lot of ingreeds.  She gets mad when you do that, but there is a piece of me that just canNOT add that much butter or cream to my dinner.  If you don't mind a thinner soup, it's still just as tasty!

Poblano Soup

At the Tacky Christmas Sweater Party we went to a few weeks ago, our host served a large spread of deliciousness along with some chili and some Poblano soup.  

Spicy + Soup = key to my heart.

So, I made it for dinner while we were at that oh so amazing cabin in the woods.

Here's the scoop...on the soup!  I'm so lame.

1 large onion
1 garlic clove
3-4 cans of chicken broth
1/2 a bundle of  cilantro
10 leaves ( or more) of chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup (or more) whipping cream (Devin and I went with half and half and it worked great)
1 1/2 pounds poblano chilies or hatch green chilies

Char chilies (if not bought roasted) over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all
sides. Enclose in paper bag. Let stand 10 minutes to steam. Peel, seed
and chop chilies.

Sauté until onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chilies and
sauté 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to
medium-low; simmer until chilies are tender, about 10 minutes.
Mix in cilantro and mint. Working in batches, puree soup in
blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in 1/4 cup cream.
Add more cream if soup is very spicy.

This soup goes great with a grilled cheese!  And wine.  Of course.

Ze meatballs

When Chad and Shane came to ride bikes with the herzbin while we stayed at the Days', I played house and cooked up a hearty lunch.  And then I forgot to take pictures as I went and then the boys got home and I forgot to take pictures after they assembled their meals and this is all I got.   

So you just make meatballs...meat, bread crumbs, milk, spices, mix with hands, make balls.

That's what she said.

And then you saute some onion and garlic and brown the meatballs, then pour a full jar of sauce on top and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Then put provolone cheese on a small roll (like sliders), add some meatballs, and voila.  I served it with a red onion/blue cheese/ bacon on Italian mix salad.

It's fairly light but I think you could make it even lighter (think wheat rolls, low fat cheese, and even ground turkey).

All 3 boys went for 2nds, so, I mean...

 

Check out her full recipe here.

Faster, lighter enchiladas arriba arriba!

I didn't have a tomato, so I used whole ones in a can, rinsed them, drained them, and chopped them

Mix up the green onions, cheese, cottage cheese, and tomato

Layer corn tortillas (we use Mission- they have the best ingredients and nutrition facts that we can find) and then half of the mixture on top of the tortillas

Do it again.  At this point, I put it in the fridge until Devin got home; it was too early to cook it.

This is what corn tortillas do in the fridge.  Just flip em over.

Drench in enchilada sauce

Layer with cheese, cook.

My recommendation is to not get cheese that is labeled "reduced fat".  It won't melt as well.  Get one that says "Made with 2% milk".  Still lighter, but will act more like cheese and less like orange plastic weirdness

Check out this recipe for full instructions

Flex your mussels.

Last night, I made mussels marinara.

I have never cooked mussels in my life.

But I do love to eat them.

And now I love to cook them- this took all of 12 minutes.

These are a fantastic source of protein and are very low in fat.  The aroma from this meal was un.bel.ievable.  I couldn’t stop taking big whiffs over my bowl of steaming, laughing mussels.  Don’t they look like they’re laughing?  Or maybe screaming.

So- 2 lbs. mussels (we bought 3 and it was too many for 2 people, so keep that in mind), 1 cup onion chopped, 5 cloves garlic minced, 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup white wine, parsley, oregano

Saute the onions and garlic until translucent, add tomatoes with juice, wine, parsley, oregano, cook 3-4 minutes, add mussels (washed and make sure you remove any cracked or open ones), cook about 7 minutes or until they are all open.

Latin Baked Chicken

Per requests from yesterday’s post, here is the recipe for the Latin Baked Chicken from Cooking Light circa 1989.  Don’t quote me on that date.  I think it may have been more like 2007 but the magazine looks like it’s been through 21 years.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  If your oven is anything like our apartment botch-deluxe of an oven, this will take 7 hours.

Mix 3 Tbs soy sauce, 2 Tbs honey, 2 Tbs minced Chili in Adobe Sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice in a large bowl.

Place 8 chicken thighs (with bone, skinned) in bowl and toss to coat.

side note: our grocery store does not sell chicken thighs with the bone unless you want to buy 400 thighs.  I bought them without the bone and it worked.  Also, I did not make 8, though I think DC would have preferred it

Marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, reserving the marinade, and cook chicken for 15 minutes.

Place the rest of the marinade in a blender and puree.  Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes.  Brush chicken with half of this mixture, cook another 10 minutes, then brush again and cook 10 more minutes. 

side note: I skipped this entire step.  I was trying to Banish Fat and Boost Metabolism while doing this and couldn't stop to make a dadgum puree.  I just brushed on the marinade as it was.  So many of you are shaking your heads at me.

I would have taken a picture, but Devin ate it all.

Tabbouleh Shmabbouleh

I usually plan out our meals for the week and make our grocery list accordingly.  For this particular night, I knew we would need something quick and light, so I made some Tabbouleh for the first time.  I already had everything I needed minus the produce.

I got the recipe from 101 cookbooks.  Another one of my favorites. 

You’re welcome.

This meal is high in fiber and protein and low in fat.  Perfect for a post work out/run dinner.

When it was all ready, I was very very VERY worried that DC would hate it, but he didn't.  He even ate it cold the next day for lunch.

Tabbouleh.  We likey.

Oh...and does anyone even know how to say Tabbouleh?

Asparagus Pizza. Dont knock it.

   

For the recipe, hit up Smitten Kitchen.  Then, don't leave until you've made everything on the site. 

You're welcome.

Because a lot of people asked…

This is yellow meat watermelon…from my Monday post

You were pretty as can be sitting in the front seat lookin’ at me tellin’ me you love me & you’re happy to be with me on the 4th of July

Love me a Shooter Jennings song.

Listen here.

July 4, 2010…Lake Livingston, TX

about 2 weeks later.

    

  

   

 

How Do You Dress Your Weenie?

Spare me the Michael Scott comments.

We had our hotdog feast.

Fine, one Michael Scott comment would be funny here.

Anyway!!!

De to the [re]lish.

My picks: slaw dog, Chicago dog.

Slaw dog wins, bee tee dub.

While we ate these, I asked what Devin’s top 5 foods ever were.

He didn’t mention hot dogs, which was weird to me since we were eating them and I was obviously alluding to the fact that they were SO good and had to be in his list.

It’s whatever

Hot [turkey] dogs are in my top 5.

 

some home-made oven baked okra

and a Leinenkugel LeinenHUGEL Lemonade Beer Delight

The best summer meal