99 bottles of beer on the wall

It never fails that when we have a dinner party we end up with several stray beers in our fridge. We buy some, the guest bring some. No one six pack ever gets finished. So, we inevitably have a smorgasbord of barley and hops taking up valuable real estate in the icebox. As such, I am always on the look out for a new recipe that helps me get rid of a bottle and free up some space for something more important (like blackberry cobbler).

Lucky for me the carnivore is always up for grilling some sort of meat marinated in beer. I came across just such a thing in his favorite cookbook, Weber's Real Grilling. I adjusted it just a bit (as usual). To make two servings you will need the following:

4 organic chicken thighs
1/2 bottle of beer, preferably lager
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp of worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp of tobasco sauce
1 tsp of dijon mustard
1 tblsp of olive oil
kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Start by combining the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Drink the rest of the beer. Waste not, want not, right? Salt and pepper the chicken thighs. Place them in a large plastic storage bag. Add in the marinade. Place in fridge for six to eight hours, turning at least once. Remove them from the marinade and pat dry. Grill over direct medium heat, skin side first, for about twenty minutes, turning about every five minutes.

You can probably get your carnivore to down another beer while he grills, and maybe one more at the table. And hey - just like that - three less beers in the fridge. What do you know? There may just be room for dessert after all!

good fellas

Whenever I ask the carnivore what he wants for dinner as I am planning out the week's menus, I inevitably get two answers - steak and Italian. See, he always wants steak (what good carnivore doesn't?), and there isn't a day that ends in "y" that Italian doesn't sound like a good idea to him. The great news for vegetarians like me out there who have to cook for carnivores, is that Italian fare is easy to fix for everyone.

Recently, we had these stuffed shells. Now, you can easily make your own filling, but I'm not gonna lie and tell you it isn't any work. It is. And if you are up for it, you can find a good recipe here. However, if you have a lot on your plate already - say a ten month old who has just discovered the dogs' food and water bowls are lots of fun - well, then don't fell bad about taking the easy way out. Buy yourself some pre-stuffed frozen shells. We have a few great local Italian stores here that we can get the real thing (probably better than I could do actually) in ready to go packs. Most grocery stores sell them too.

Once you have your shells ready, the rest is easy. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab a large glass baking dish and coat the bottom with olive oil. Place your shells right in. We used two packages - or about 16 good sized shells. Then douse them with your favorite sauce. Again, you can go homemade here or just grab a good jar. This night we had a wonderful tomato basil blend from Newman's organics. Now, depending on how saucy you like your shells you may want more than one jar. We just used one. I then took a box of frozen chopped spinach and defrosted it in the microwave. I dusted the shells with about half of the package. Finally, I covered the shells with a mix of shredded mozzarella and provolone. I cooked them covered with foil for about 25 minutes and then uncovered for 5 to 10 more.

Once they were bubbling, we plated the pasta parcels of ricotta and herbs with a few spoons of extra sauce and a sprinkle of grated parmesan. The carnivore may have scooted most of his spinach to the side, but at least he got a few bites of something green! In the meantime, we both got a meal - and plenty of leftovers - that we enjoyed. I'm tellin' ya these fellas were good!

are we there yet?

I feel like a little kid on a car trip these days. See, I can't wait on Spring to officially arrive. I am ready for the weather to get warm (and stay that way). I'm ready to plant my herb container garden. And, most importantly, I am soooo ready for the farmers' markets to open. I am tired of heavy, rich comfort foods. (See ya later mac and cheese!) I am ready for fresh and light fruits and veggies - tart strawberries, juicy tomatoes, and sweet corn. My mouth is salivating already. But in the meantime, I am having to find ways to make do.

Take this salad for example. I used some organic baby spinach leaves that I can find year round at my grocery store as my base. I then opened a few cans - marinated artichokes brighten the salad, chickpeas give it some heft, and roasted red peppers add a depth of flavor. I also used a few organic carrots from the bag of babies that are inevitability in my produce drawer to add even more color to the dish and give some crunch (better for you than croutons - not that I don't love those too). Finally, a few slices of red onion to pack that punch and a soft boiled free range egg to add in even more protein. Topped with a balsamic vinaigrette, I dug in and with my eyes closed I could almost taste Spring...almost. Anyway, its not a bad way to tide me over until my local produce markets officially open.

By the way, the carnivore like the trips to the market too. I think he is getting antsy too. I base this on the fact that this weekend the carnivore started building a raised garden in our backyard! I make salads, he digs in the dirt - we all have our ways with coping with our winter blues. What are you doing to make it through these last days before Spring officially arrives?

fajitas for two

After years of coming up with dinners for the two of us, I have a few go-to ideas that are quick and satisfying. Some of these ideas came from our favorite places to eat out. Like many carnivore and veggie couples when we first started dating, the simplest answer to how to make dinner was to have someone else do it for us. He could order his massive amounts of animal protein and I could get all the fresh vegetables a girl could desire. Unfortunately, this led to bigger waistlines and smaller checking accounts.

But take, fajitas as an example. We both love, love, love Mexican food. And though he mostly orders the carnitas while I stick with the vegetable chimichanga when we are out these days, it was plain as day that this sizzling menu item was easily adaptable for both our palates. Here's how I do it at home:

I start by gathering all of the "extras". I put out some sour cream, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, lime wedges, and slices of avocado. Along with some warmed fajitas these fixins make all the difference. I then get out two large skillets. In his I heat up slices of chicken and/or steak with half a packet of fajita seasonings and some vegetable oil, possibly even a bit of diced yellow onion too. In my skillet I saute every color of bell pepper you can imagine with sliced and seeded tomatoes and onion. Occasionally, I will add in mushrooms too. These beauties all go in with the rest of the seasoning pack and some more vegetable oil. Once the meat is done and the veggies are soft, we load up our tortillas. Served with refried pinto beans and Mexican rice, we are both stuffed in no time.

Got any restaurant inspired favorites at your house? Can they be made for both meat eaters and vegetarians? Let me know below.

smashing

Living with a meat and potatoes man means that our family eats a lot of potatoes. I mean a lot! The great thing about them is not only do they come in a wonderful variety, but they also can be prepared in so many different ways that you hardly notice that you are having the same starch over and over again.

Recently I felt ambitious enough to make some smashed potatoes. Note, I didn't same mashed. I don't have the time or patience to get my taters whipped to creamy silky perfection. Between the cat hair that has to be swept off the floors, the dogs that need walking, and the baby who creates more laundry than any tiny human should, I have to pick and choose my battles. So, lumpy but lovely potatoes it is.

When I make these I prefer to grab about 6 medium red potatoes and cut them at least in half before I boil them. I like the flavor better and they cook so much faster. After boiling them til fork tender,  I drain the liquid and keep them in the hot pot. I add in some kosher salt, 2 tblsp of butter, 1/4 cup of cream, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, freshly cracked pepper and a generous dash of parsley. Them I get out my handy masher and take out my frustrations of the day (Really, mail man, why do you always come when the baby is napping? You know the dogs are gonna bark and wake him.) Once well combined I heap mounds on the plates of myself and the carnivore.

What's not to love about some calming carbs at the end of the day? Plus, the salty cheese and fresh herbs just add that extra punch. They are marvelous and will satisfy the meat and potatoes people in your lives, or just the potato ones....

special treat

Remember in school when you would have a special treat day? A room mother would bring in a sugary concoction of sorts just before recess to celebrate some holiday or another. Well, despite the fact that baby omnivore is years away from such events, it turns out the carnivore and I cannot escape the same sweet trap as adults. His coworkers have randomly decided to have "treat days." (The reasoning was because the snacks people brought in around Christmas were such a hit. Well, duh. Who doesn't like free cookies?) So, like the dutiful room mothers of my past I now search out sweets for the carnivore to take to his classmates, I mean colleagues. (Can you tell I think this is a bit ridiculous?)

Lucky for me I usually don't have to look too far. My Bon Appetit magazine inevitably has something I am wanting to try. In February they exclaimed on the cover that they had the "best-ever brownies!" (As a side note, in the years that I have been getting this magazine only once has the cover failed to make the carnivore salivate when it arrives in the mailbox.) So, I figured it was worth a shot. I had all the ingredients in my kitchen anyway.

To make the cocoa brownies with browned butter and walnuts you need:
nonstick veggie spray
10 tblsp of unsalted butter, diced
1 1/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp of vanilla
2 large eggs
1/3 cup + 1 tblsp of flour
1 cup of walnuts
pinch of salt
2 tsp of water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line and 8x8x2 baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium pan til foaming stops and browning starts. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add in cocoa and water. Combine. Add in salt, vanilla, and water. Stir til well blended. Let cool 5 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time to mixture, which will still be hot, and beat vigorously.  When mixture looks thick and shiny fold in the flour and nuts. Blend completely then transfer batter to baking dish. Cook for 25-35 minutes til toothpick placed in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan the use foil to lift out. Cut into generous squares.

I will admit that while I didn't get to try these brown beauties myself, they looked chewy and smelled rich and nutty. And since, the carnivore didn't bring any leftovers home, I assume they were a hit with the work crowd as well. I think they would make a special treat anytime - treat day or not.