The Birthday Request

I had a conversation with my husband earlier last week that went a little something like this:

Me: What would you like for your birthday dinner?
Husband: Chicken Parmesan and mashed potatoes.
Me: Chicken Parmesan and mashed potatoes? Together? In one meal?
Husband: My dad always used to make mashed potatoes with Chicken Parmesan.
Me: Your family has the most bizarre eating habits.
Husband: How about Chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, and pasta?
Picture me rolling my eyes.

I did feel bad after this conversation, because later he recanted on his mashed potatoes request and went with broccolini instead. I would have made mashed potatoes. I believe in birthday dinners and the birthday boy should get whatever meal he desires. But it was too late, he said he didn't really want them and yes, I felt horrible. I stole the fun out of the birthday dinner. I didn't play by my own birthday rules. But, I do have to stand by my words, his family does have some bizarre eating habits. I believe there have been stories that involve sandwiches made up of peanut butter, lettuce and mayonnaise. Enough said.

But my guilt stayed with me and so Lyla and I set out to make it the best possible birthday celebration ever, even if it did not involve mashed potatoes. We picked the birthday boy up from work and took him out to lunch. Happily fed and after a few squeezes from Lyla we dropped him back off and then hurried home to wrapped all of his presents. Lyla wanted to make sure he had something special to get him through the rest of his work day, so she posed pretty and gave her best birthday smile for a picture.

And with her picture, she even sent a little note that said:

"Dear Daddy,

Happy Birthday.

Love,

Lyla

P.S. Hurry home, we  have Apple Pie."

Lyla provide her own little birthday present, by taking a nice little nap so that I was able to prepare the birthday meal. To get started I butterflied, cut and pounded out all my chicken breasts, so that they were as thin and tender as possible. Next I prepared my parmesan coatings. In one bowl I combined flour and oregano. In another, one egg, beaten. And finally in the third bowl, I added bread crumbs seasoned with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

I coated each piece of chicken first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.

Next, I heated up a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a saute pan. Once hot, I added the chicken and browned it on each side. Before flipping the chicken over, I added additional olive oil to ensure that it would brown on both sides. I repeated this with each piece of chicken.

Normally I would finish off the chicken in the saute pan by placing the entire pan in the oven. However, I had so much chicken that I decided to transfer all of them to a large baking pan.

Next, I began to add my toppings. First the tomato sauce (homemade or jarred, whichever you prefer). Then the freshly grated cheeses (mozzarella, followed by parmesan.)

I finished cooking the chicken in a 450 degree oven. I let them bake for roughly 5-7 minutes, until the chicken was completely cooked through (keep in mind I pounded out the chicken making it very thin, if  you use whole chicken breasts you will need to increase the cooking time.)

While the chicken was baking I focused on the broccolini by first cutting and cleaning it.

I then placed it in a steaming pan over a pot of water and simply seasoned it with a little bit of salt and pepper.

After the water began to boil and had begun to steam the broccolini for a few minutes, I squeezed the juice of half a lemon over top of the pan.

I let it finish steaming for a few more minutes and then removed it from the heat. You do not want to over cook the broccolini. You only want to let it steam until it is bright green and tender. If you steam it for too long it will begin to brown. Once removed from the meat, I sprinkled it with a bit of parmesan cheese and covered it so that the cheese would melt.

By this point, the chicken was finished cooking and ready to come out of the oven.

I plated the chicken along side of the lemon broccolini and a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and let the birthday boy dig in.

After the birthday dinner was complete, Lyla happily helped her Daddy open a few of his presents (although she refused to smile for the camera).

She was excited, she just hid it well.

Someone was a little tired by the end.

Hopefully the birthday boy enjoyed his meal, even minus the mashed potatoes. Next time I make Chicken Parmesan, you better believe there will be a side of mashed potatoes to go along with it. Oh, and just as Lyla promised, there was apple pie and ice cream.

The birthday boy finished his pie before a picture could be taken!

Happy Birthday Adam and I promise not to question your birthday meal next year, that is, as long as you do not request peanut butter, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches.

My New Ways

I currently live my life in three hour increments. I feed Lyla, we play, she sleeps. Our three activities in those increments vary in length each time. Sometimes we play for an hour and then she sleeps for an hour and a half. Other times we play for two and a half hours and she only closes her eyes for five minutes. But regardless of the length of our activities, our lives still consist of these three hour increments.

Sometimes, I am still amazed when I really think about just how much my life has changed. No longer is my life ruled by a job, but rather a baby. I sometimes miss my old routine and my old ways - the ones that consisted of long runs all by myself, spur of the moment outings, weekend trips, plenty of good wine, date night, lots of cooking and baking, and plenty of "me" time. I miss my regularly scheduled bedtime and wake up time (not to mention the fact that it was uninterrupted, except for on Notre Dame home football weekends, then it was constantly interrupted by the students who lived next door that my father-in-law deemed "crazed!"). But now I live in these three hour increments and they repeat themselves incessantly.

Occasionally, I find myself getting frustrated. I miss my old ways. I keep telling myself that soon enough I will get back to them. Soon enough I will head out for a long solo run and push my body past it's limits. Soon enough I will get to spend endless hours in the kitchen testing new recipes and trying new techniques. Soon enough I will have that date night that includes dinner and a movie. Soon enough I will wear my heels again! Soon enough I will fit into my size 2 jeans. Soon enough, soon enough.

Today though my baby is no longer considered a "newborn." She is three months old and I am pretty sure that means I can no longer use the excuse "I just had a baby." For three months we have been getting to know each other and coming to learn each other's ways. For example, I have learned that Lyla's ways include laughing while she falls asleep; they include waking up in the middle of the night (at least for now); they include sucking on her hand whenever her pacifier falls out, they include grabbing onto her ear as she eats; they include giggling when you make "o" sounds; and they include making my heart ache at least four times every day. Her ways also include those three hour increments.

I took three whole months, but I think I have finally realized that I will never get back to my "old ways." It is time for new ways and I am ok with that. Although different and divided into three hour increments, these new ways are even better than my old ones for they include Lyla and life without her would be no life at all. So I am happy to take on these new ways. Although I will always be fond of those days long gone, I will excitedly look to the future and embrace my new ways with a heart full of love, a slow cooker, morning coffee and a jogging stroller - and hopefully someday soon my new ways will include a brand new pair of size 2 jeans.

Slow Cooker meal of the week: Classic Pot Roast (adapted from Cuisine)

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Sear a 4 lb beef roast on all sides.

Move the roast to the slower cooker and set on low. In the saute pan, add 1/4 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Cook for one minute. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine and cook for another minute or so. Add in 1 1/2 cups of beef broth and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.

Pour the sauce over the roast and set the slow cooker to low. Cleaning and chopping, combine 1 onion, 6 carrots and a few sticks of celery in a large bowl. Sprinkle with thyme and 3 bay leaves.

Add the vegetable mixture to slow cooker and let cook for 8 hours.

4 hours in

During the last thirty minutes of cooking, boil 2 lbs of cleaned and chopped red potatoes. Once tender, drain and add a tablespoon of butter, a splash of milk, and seasoned salt. Mash together and finally add in one bag of defrost peas (because let's be honest, we all know that on Thanksgiving your mashed potatoes are really only a vehicle for your peas).

Serve the roast with a splash of sauce, veggies, potatoes and bread for dipping!

Enjoy!

Tailgate, game and a meal?

Each fall I am presented with the same old challenge. Can I wake up early on a Saturday, tailgate all day with friends and family, go to a 4 hour long football game (many times in heat, wind, rain, or snow), walk home after the game and then cook a satisfying and tasty meal? Many Saturdays in the past, especially those which have included many guests, the answer has been no. Sometimes it is just easier (and nicer) to go out or eat leftovers. But after a day of tailgate food and beer, sometimes a nice, healthy homemade meal is what everyone really needs. So this last weekend I vowed to turn that “no” into a “yes” and I had the perfect tool to do it with: a dutch oven.

As a little kid I was never a big fan of the “one pot meals.” I stuck my nose up at the beer stews I was served, I would stare in disbelief if soup was the main attraction and I only stirred my chili around in my bowl rather than eating it. Now that I am older and cook for myself, I have come to love those one pot meals with all my heart. You can throw several different ingredients into a pot, turn it on low and let it be for hours on end. The results are tender meat, flavorful gravies, perfect vegetables and a happy family after a long day. Trust me, this method of cooking can save both you and me every Saturday this fall.

Although we did not have family in for the weekend, we had lots of friends to meet  and tailgates to hit before the big game. So first thing Saturday morning I was off to the store. I grabbed beef, onions, carrots, beef stock, mushrooms and red potatoes: my staples. The rest of the meal could be created from items already at home.

Once at home I seasoned the meat with an array of spices: rosemary, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. I then seared the meat in a large pan to lock in the juices.

Next I chopped up my vegetables - all at once - so that the rest of the process would be simple and quick.

I heated up a little bit of olive oil in my dutch oven until hot and then added in my sliced onions. 

After letting the onions sweat for a few minutes, I then threw in the carrots and potatoes and allowed them to begin to soften. 

After a few more minutes I added in a bit of flour so that when it came time to pour in my liquids they would begin to thicken more easily.

Finally I added in the meat, beef stock and the drippings from the pan in which I had seared the meat and raised the heat to medium-high.

To add some additional flavor I added a bit of mustard, tomato paste, a touch of cooking sherry and a splash of red wine to taste. All these flavors worked together to create a full-bodied sauce. Lastly for some richness and since I had it on hand, I added Guinness (my sister, who studied abroad in Ireland last year, was a huge proponent of this addition).

After those ingredients had cooked together for about ten minutes, I added my final ingredients: mushrooms and spices to taste.

At this point everything was ready to go. All that was needed was time to cook. I turned the flame down to low and let it dutch oven work it's magic for the next 8 hours. By the time the festivities and football game were all over, the house was bursting with the succulent smell of stew. 

Right before dinner was ready to be served, I removed the meat for the pot and put the husband in charge of slicing it. I then made a simple rue out of flour and butter. Once complete, I added the liquid from the pot, turned it on high and allowed the sauce to thicken into the perfect gravy.

The only thing left to do at this point was warm up some crusty bread for dipping, strain the vegetables from the stew pot and serve! 

This was a great meal that was much needed after a long day of football activities! It filled us up and there were plenty of leftovers to save for the rest of the week. I hope you take advantage of this slow cooking method when you need a great meal on a busy day!

And here is the quick appetizer I whipped up before dinner. I simply chopped up tomatoes and added balsamic, fresh oregano from the pot I planted earlier this summer, fresh basil, pepper and sea salt. I also made an olive tapenade. I topped bread slices witch each of the toppings, a bit of the parmesan cheese and threw it in the oven for about 10 minutes. The husband loved them and they could not have been easier to make!

Happy fall cooking to all you great chefs out there!

The Perfect Summer Steak

Summer is one of the greatest cooking seasons of the year. Not only do you have an array of fresh fruits and vegetables readily available (think beets, watermelon, tomatoes, corn, cherries, peppers, peaches, plums etc.), but you also have the opportunity to take full advantage of the grill and other outdoor cooking methods.  I envy those who live in warm climates and are able to grill out year round. Though I suppose being a northern girl who must give up outdoor cooking during torrential downpours and stick to the stove when the grill is lost under multiple feet of snow, I tend to appreciate it that much more in the summer time. This weekend the sun was shining and the grill was calling for an all American meal of steak, mashed red potatoes, salad and good wine.

When it comes to the grill, the men in my life have taught me all I know. Growing up in Kansas City, some of the best meals I have ever had were the result of my dad and his expertise in grilling and smoking. I remember many summer days starting with him preparing and soaking the wood chips for his smoker, slathering baby backs with his very own brown sugar and spice rubs, followed by hours of dedicated basting and temperature checking until the perfect slab of ribs was ready to be served. From barbecue ribs, to smoked chicken, pork chops, beef tenderloin and more, my siblings and I are spoiled when it comes to grilled or smoked food. There is no barbecue better than Kansas City barbecue and the best place to find and enjoy it is at my parent’s house. I may be biased, but I doubt I am wrong.

My husband is also a master griller. Although he does not have the many smokers, fancy grills and tools like my father (I am sure those will come in time), he still knows how to create a masterpiece. The flank steak from this past weekend is actually something he use to make for me when we were first dating. I have made some of my own changes - omitted some ingredients and added others - but he deserves all the credit for this perfect summer steak.

The Night Before:

With a fork, poke holes in the meat. Rub with ginger, black pepper, and brown sugar. Place steak in a Tupperware container and add enough soy sauce to cover entirely. Add in several drops of Worcestershire sauce. Slice up a Jalapeno or two and add on top of the steak (for some great heat!). Close container and refrigerate meat over night. Flip the meat at least one time while marinating. 

You can get away with marinating the meat for 2-3 hours, if you are unable to do it overnight. However, marinating over night results in extremely tender meat overflowing with flavor. It is definitely worth the night before preparation.

The Day of:

About 20 - 30 minutes before grilling, take the meat out of the refrigerator. If you go from the refrigerator straight to the grill, the drastic change in temperature will cause the meat to experience shock, which will result in a drier, less tender steak. Allow the meat to “warm up” a bit before throwing on the grill. 

While the grill is heating up, bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add in red potatoes (usually 2 per person depending on size). Allow to boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 

After the potatoes have been boiling for a bit, it is time to start grilling your steak. Make sure the grill is very hot before putting the steak on. This will help create a nice sear and lock in all the juices. Grill meat until medium rare; about 5-8 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steak. Cover with lid while cooking.

When the meat is done, transfer to a cutting board and allow to sit for 5 full minutes. Again, this will help lock in the juice.

While the meat is resting, drain your potatoes, and place in a large bowl (do not remove the skins! They add great flavor, nutrients, and texture). Add one tablespoon of butter and roughly 2 tablespoons of fat free milk. Beat until smooth or a until the potatoes reach the consistency you most prefer. If too dry, add a few more drops of milk. Mix in seasoned salt and black pepper to taste.

For the salad throw together a mix of chopped romaine lettuce, carrots, snapped peas, cabbage, tomatoes and your choice of dressing.

After the meat has had the chance to rest for a full 5 minutes, cut against the grain to ensure tenderness. If you like, you can quickly whip up a sauce very similar to that of the marinade. Combine soy sauce, pepper, ginger and a touch of brown sugar; warm on the stove and serve with the meat.  

Enjoy this meal with your favorite bottle of red wine and be sure to savor every moment of your grilled masterpiece. Before you know the snow will be back and you will be dreaming of grill lines on every dish you serve.