Roasted Cauliflower

Vegetables in general and I have never really been the best of friends. Overtime I learned that steamed vegetables have a really interesting cousin. Roasted veggies. Roasted veggies are more my style... a little crunch, a little extra flavor... and the seasoning possibilities are endless! I threw this together as a side one night and it ended up being too good not to share - or at least not to type out so that I wouldn't forget it!

(Excuse the poor photo, I will try to update when I remake this, which I will!)

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/4 - 1/3 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cumin
splash of balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or use a grill, as we did. Mix the crushed red pepper flakes (which can grind into smaller pieces, if desired), cumin, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Let the mixture set for about 5 minutes. Mix well with the chopped cauliflower. Spread the cauliflower out in an even layer on a baking sheet or foil. Roast for 5 - 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to brown.

Think about how much more you like roasted veggies than any other preparation!

Ready for Summer

I think we are officially ready for summer - today we had a new storm door installed, hubby stained and sealed the deck, we had pasta salad for dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Anyone who knows me know that I love tuna. Tuna pasta salad? Count me in! Actually, I've had this bookmarked since December! I don't know why it took me so long to make it. It will not take me so long to make it again!

The original recipe called for spinach as well, but I accidentally forgot it. I'm not even sure I would add it next time. Although spinach is delicious, this pasta dish really wasn't missing anything. I loved the crunch of the radishes, peas, and pickles. The sauce is tangy and delicious. All in all, this salad is a perfect combination of ingredients and I already can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

Tuna Pasta Salad with Radishes and Snap Peas
adapted from Joy the Baker

1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 – 2 tsp. grain mustard
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ c. radishes, sliced
1 c. sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/3 c. pickles, chopped
1/3 c. green onions, sliced
1 can tuna, drained and crumbled
Parmesan, sliced or grated
Pasta

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Immediately drain and rinse under cool water. Mix together the pasta with the radishes, peas, pickles, onions, and tuna. Add about half the mayonnaise mixture and blend well, then add the other half and mix until well combined. Sprinkle parmesan on top.

Prepare yourself for a fabulous summer!

Pizza, updated

One of the things that I have been ejoying regularly since the weather got warmer and I have started to crave simpler, lighter meals is grilled pizza. OH, how did I live for so long without this wonder?! Perhaps it was my own fear of the pizza dough slipping through the grates of the grill not cooking correctly, but I am so happy we took the plunge!

The first evening I experienced this amazing pizza was when my mom was visiting. The hubs was working, so mom and I decided to go out on a limb and experiment. We figured at least if we failed, there wouldn't be anyone to make fun of us. Lucky for us it was perfect, and lucky for the hubs, he's had to eat it at least half a dozen times since.

Aside from grilling the pizza, I have slightly changed the recipe. I took inspiration from a Smitten Kitchen post, and started using a little wine and honey. I personally didn't think pizza dough could get any better, but it sure did. A slight sweetness from the honey and just a very slight taste of the wine takes this crust from great to true fabulosity! I did try the SK pizza crust recipe, but I had significant trouble working with the dough. It got too thin and holey. Now, I will say, rolling out pizza dough is certainly not my forte, but I preferred the texture and density of the usual recipe anyway. I'm posting the new version below, for simplicity.

Pizza Dough, updated

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

2 tbsp. white wine + warm tap water to equal 1 c.
1 tbsp. honey
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, Add the sugar and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. This will result in a little film or foam. Add 1 cup of flour and beat well. Sift together the remaining 2 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp. of salt and add it to the bowl. Beat until smooth and if you find your dough too sticky, add some more flour. The dough should be fairly stuff by the time you're done. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and let it sit for 3 - 5 minutes. Knead the dough for 2 - 5 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and let it stand in a warm place, free from drafts until slightly risen, about 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half and knead each piece slightly. Wrap each piece loosely in plastic wrap. Be sure to wrap it loosely so the dough can continue to rise. Refrigerate until ready to use, at least 2 hours.

Heat the grill to about 400 - 450 degrees. Slight oil the racks. You can use cornmeal on your pizza pan to help with sliding. When the grill is hot, slide the untopped pizza dough onto the grill. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes, depending on your grill, until the underside is light golden brown. Remove the pizza dough and top the grilled side of the dough with your desired toppings. Slide the dough back onto the grill and grill for about another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Try to remember what your life was like before grilled pizza!

Welcome Back with Stir Fry

Well helllooooo blog world! I can't believe I was gone for so long. Often life gets in the way of blogging. It can be a problem: illness, a family issue, or a work issue. Sometimes it can be fun: vacation, moving, or entertaining family and friends. Sometimes the real cause of the problem is simple: sports. I love sports. I love the atmosphere, people together cheering for a common outcome. But there are only two sports that I follow obsessively a normal amount. College basketball and hockey are my true loves.

This only becomes difficult for the months of March and April, as the NCAA tournament starts and the hockey season winds down toward the play-offs. As the basketball tournament is over and my beloved Carolina Hurricanes didn't quite make the play-off push this year, I can now begin to focus back on other things, such as the neglected Racey kitchen.

Now that's not to say I didn't cook anything during this sports season. I surely did make some excellent food, but what failed me was my picture taking. It happened too often that something was ready to be eaten at the moment the game was about to start and I couldn't spare a second. Tonight was much more reasonable. Here I sit watching another hockey game, but dinner was ready thirty minutes into the game. I took a few photos and sat down to enjoy myself without having that heart-clenching feeling I get when watching my own team in the post-season!

This was a fabulous dinner to welcome myself back. I thought I was so over stir fry, but it turns out, I'm not! This is a delicious combination of beef, sauce, and snow peas. Served over rice it makes a perfectly easy yet substantial dinner. I can't wait to start using my Kung Pao Chicken and this beef stir fry in our usual dinner rotation!

I didn't really change the recipe, it's fabulous as is. I would say no salt is necessary if you use regular soy sauce. Also, I'm not sure how a veggie version of this would turn out, but be sure to let me know if you decide to give it a go!

Beef with Snow Peas
not really adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1/2 c. soy sauce
3 tbsp. sherry
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. grated (or minced) fresh ginger
1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed
5 - 6 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
crushed red pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
rice, cooked according to package directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add the sliced flank steak and let marinate for at least 10 minutes. Heat a wok or other large pan (I used a cast iron pan) with 1 - 2 tbsp. olive oil. Cook the snow peas for about a minute. They will be crispy but not overcooked. Remove the peas and set aside on a plate.

Let the pan get back up to a fairly high heat. Add a little more oil if needed. Add the steak, if it will all fit in one layer on the bottom, while leaving most of the sauce in the bowl. Otherwise, just add half. Add half or all of the scallions. Cook for one minute and flip the steak to cook on the other side. Cook for an additional minute. When cooked through add the snow peas and leftover sauce. Heat this for another minute. Add salt if needed, although if you are using regular soy sauce you will probably not need it.

Serve the beef over rice. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired, for a little heat.

Remember that stir fry can be oh so good!

Awesome Pasta-ome

This pasta was so good, it might be a rival for my very favorite pasta. Seriously. THAT good. Even the hubs is super excited about having the leftovers for dinner tonight. And, yes, I'm excited about it. There are so many flavors combining for a dish that seriously makes your tastebuds tingle. Is that possible? Because I didn't think so before eating this dish. Looking at the list of ingredients I knew it would be good because there wasn't anything I didn't like in it. I just had no idea it would come together quite this well.

The lemon juice is key to keeping the whole dish really bright. The tang and saltiness from the artichokes and capers is perfect. The chicken adds a nice, solid bite to the pasta, but I don't see that it's necessary. I think this could be enjoyed just as much by a vegetarian without the chicken. The original recipe called for bacon, which I eliminated in an attempt to make it healthier. I figured it would still be good, but I would be able to tell that the bacon is missing. Honestly, I don't think I would ever add it. The artichokes are salty enough without needing the bacon.

I added pine nuts and garnished with parmesan. Pine nuts because... well, if pine nuts are wrong I don't want to be right! Parmesan because... that's how we roll in this family. Unfortunately, I'm going to cut this post short because I have to go eat another two to three helpings!

Creamy Lemon, Artichoke, and Chicken Pasta
adapted from So Tasty So Yummy via Confections of a Foodie Bride

pasta (as much as you want, I hate giving a measurement)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
salt & pepper
1- 2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
2 tsp. capers, drained
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 - 3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter
2 - 3 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted
parsely, chopped for garnish
parmesan, for serving

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together. Cut the chicken into strips and dredge in the flour mixture. Cook the chicken in the pan until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a paper towel to drain. Add the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the pan. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juice and the artichokes and softened and heated through.

Without removing the veggies, add the wine to the pan and deglaze. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and cook for another two minutes. Add the butter and cream and stir until the butter is melted. Add the pine nuts and chicken back into the pan over low heat. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and parmesan.

Savor every tingly bite!

A Tale of One Side Dish

I just realized that I'm pretty sure I don't have any actual side dishes on this blog. Biscuits, sure, but we need to eat our veggies, too. I was surprised at the interesting and bright flavors in this dish. There is a little bit of bitterness in the dish. Neither hubs nor I minded it, but you could probably boil the chard a bit first to reduce that. I say try it this way first and see what you think!

(look how pretty! love!)

Don't be scared of the dark greens! They will treat you well!

Rainbow Chard
Adapted from no one! (Go me!)

1 bunch of rainbow chard, stemmed and roughly chopped (or torn)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 - 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Thoroughly wash the chard. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chard and cook until just wilted. Splash with the vinegar and mix in the pine nuts. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Easy day!

Be surprised that "greens" taste so good!

Italian Sausage Soup

As it continues to be cold, I will continue to post soup recipes! I love this soup so much I once completely ignored my mom telling me that it had just come off the stove and slurped up a big spoonful. I did sort of regret that bite, but I haven't regretted another one since then!

This soup is probably borderline healthy. Obviously, the sausage contributes some fat. However, there are also a number of veggies and other healthy additions, so I don't necessarily put this on the "bad" list. Plus, if you are vegetarian and sub in some veggie sausage, the health factor goes way up without losing any deliciousness. This is not a particularly difficult recipe, and you can easily sub in anything you have a craving for or just what you have on hand.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 1/2 lbs. Italian sausage (can mix mild and hot)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
1 large can (1 lb. 12 oz.) Italian-style tomatoes
3 cans beef broth (or veggie)
1 1/2 c. dry red wine (or water)
1/2 tsp. dried basil (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices
5 oz. farfalle (or other pasta)
grated Parmesan cheese

Remove and discard sausage casings. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch lengths. Cook in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tbsp. of the drippings. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid (break up the tomatoes with a spoon). Add broth, wine, and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, zucchini, and noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Slurp away!