Potato & Red Pepper Hash

Yesterday was my first day.  First day stepping foot inside of a restaurant to see about a job in the kitchen.  The first day stepping foot on campus for culinary school classes.  It was the first day that I've been completely confident doing what I'm doing.  And it was great.  It was a great feeling to be pleasantly nervous. 

I was a bundle of nerves stepping foot into Jack Fry's.  It was thanks to a good friend of ours, Terry, that I even got this opportunity.  While our meeting was a quick one, I appreciated the fact that the chef took time out of his busy day to meet with me and give me this chance.  I have to call back Friday to see when he can fit me in, but it would be at least a 12-week internship-type deal.  I'm truly grateful for the chance to gain some restaurant experience. 

Walking into the classroom for the first time, was much of the same.  A bundle of nervousness.  It was a Basic Nutrition class, so there were a mixture of upper-level students.  And turns out, I was the only first quarter culinary student in there.  The only person not wearing a uniform.  So I kind of felt a little out of place - but after Saturday (my culinary lab), I'll have my uniform, and I won't feel like such an outcast.  Besides my initial fear, the nutrition class is pretty much a science class, so I felt comfortable with most of the material, being a former Biology major.  There's some fun projects coming up - including a recipe book (which I'm most excited about), so I'm excited to learn.  Friday and Saturday are the classes I'm most looking forward to though - Basic Culinary Theory and the Lab to go with it.  So I'll be sure to do a full report next week on those two!

Anyway, you came here for the food right?  We've been eating a lot of breakfast-for-dinner type meals lately.  I don't know why, but I don't see any complaints from Andy - seeing as he'll usually have two platefuls when I decide to do this! 

I love making hashes or potato-type dishes for breakfast.  They're easy, filling, and so versatile.  I had some sweet peppers from our CSA that needed to be used up, and so I thought this was a perfect fit!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Seasaltwithfood's Recipe 

about 5 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until almost fork tender.  You want them to disintegrate when you touch them!  Drain.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add the onion and peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add garlic and stir for another minute or so, until fragrant.  Transfer the onion mixture to small bowl and set aside.

Add butter to the skilled with the remaining oil and heat over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add potatoes and make sure they are in an even layer on the skillet.  Cook without stirring until potatoes are golden brown on bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Carefully turn the potatoes and repeat until browning until all sides are golden brown and crisp.

Stir in the onion-pepper mixture and carefully toss until all is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with some sausage and eggs for a complete breakfast!

Garlic & Dill Roasted Root Vegetables

If you haven't noticed, there's a couple of changes around these parts!  Obviously, the header is new - I couldn't resist using some of our engagement photos (with our photographer's permission of course!) to make a new header for the blog!  These two are definitely two of my favorites!

Also, thanks to all of you for the input about a possible blog name change in the future - Feeding Andy is definitely a top contender.  

Anyway, let's get to why you came!  The food!  

Every now and then, my crisper drawers and pantry get overloaded with vegetables.  What's my favorite thing to do with vegetables?  Roast them!  It's so easy, and I just love the way roasted vegetables taste.  Throw in a few herbs and even better!

Ingredients:

2 large new potatoes, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

1 large turnip, peeled and cubed (same as the potatoes)

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 large beets, peeled and cubed (again, same as the potatoes - and don't be afraid to get a little red)

Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Add potatoes, garlic, turnip, carrots, and beets to the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Spread into an even layer on the baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables for about 30 minutes, or until browned and vegetables are tender.

Place vegetables in a large bowl and stir in chopped dill.

The dill definitely brings this side to a whole new level.  It's such a unique flavor and I loved having it in something other than some ranch dressing or tartar sauce!

What do you do when you're overloaded with vegetables?

Tempeh Stir Fry

I'm happy to say that this Tuesday morning started off a lot better than yesterday's dog fiasco.  The only thing wrong with today (so far) is that Andy happened to take my keys with him to work!  But I didn't have to work today, so it wasn't like I needed them for anything.  And it gives us an excuse to have lunch together so he can give me my keys back.  So win-win if you ask me =)

And boy is it a hot one!  Almost as hot as yesterday's heat index of 114 F!  Seriously?  114!  And as of right now, it's a heat index of 111 F.  Will. NOT. Be. Running. Outside. Today.  As much as I hate running on the treadmill, my butt is not going to be found passed out on the sidewalk (which I know it will be if I attempt to run outside!).

Anyway, we've been trying to eat a little bit healthier around these parts, but still wanting to get our protein in.  Tofu really isn't an option right now for us, I'm still quite unsure about it - I know, I know - it takes on the flavor you put it in and all that jazz, and eventually I'll get over this hump, but right now, we're both on the fence about tofu. 

I've been hearing a lot of good things about tempeh - which can best be described as a soybean cake, so I figured we could safely give that a try!  Whole Foods had a couple different varieties, so we opted for 2 packs of Vegetable Blend Tempeh.  Andy was still a little leary about it, but I told him to trust me on this one!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen's recipe

1 cup chopped collard greens
1 cup chopped kale
2 8 oz. packages Vegetable Medley Tempeh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice from 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
small handful of cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 Thai chiles, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 golden beets, peeled and cubed
2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Barbecue Sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread beets and potatoes on sheet in a single layer.  Season beets and potatoes with salt and pepper.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add collard greens and kale.  Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  Drain greens and set aside.

Crumble up the tempeh into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add 1 cup of water, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Cover and bring mixture to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is gone.

Lower the heat and push tempeh to one side of the skillet.  Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil on the bare side of the skillet and add shallots, chiles, and garlic.  Sauce for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Mix garlic and shallots in with the tempeh and saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, fennel seed, and greens.  Cook for 10 more minutes before mixing in beets and potatoes.  Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes and serve!  Top with your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired.

This meal exceeded every expectation in my book.  The only thing Andy thought was somewhat off about it was the beets, but he's not as big of a fan of beets as I am, so that's completely understandable.  But he actually liked the tempeh!  So that's a win in my book.

This definitely won't be the last time I ever try tempeh, it's my vegetarian protein of choice as of right now =)

Have you guys tried tempeh?  What's your favorite way to have it?


See you guys tomorrow!

Secret Recipe Club: Creative Culinary's Grapefruit, Ginger & Honey Flank Steak

After doing my usual stumbling of food blogs one day, I came across a link for the Secret Recipe Club.  It's a group of bloggers that post a recipe from an assigned food blog every month.  The idea is genius!  #1, you get to discover someone new each month.  And #2, someone gets assigned your blog, so you get to see your recipes done their way.  It's win-win!  To find out more, visit here.

So I decided to join last month and this month would be my first post.  I received the blog Creative Culinary for my assignment.  I'd never been to this blog before, but I knew it was somewhere that I'd be back to again and again.  It was so hard to choose a recipe - because they all looked so good!  Then I came across the Grapefruit, Ginger, & Honey Flank Steak.  I knew it would be a hit just from the name.  So that was my chosen recipe!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Creative Culinary's recipe


2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 orange (I mistakenly bought a giant orange instead of a grapefruit - apparently I wasn't reading the tags correctly, hehe)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
about 1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. skirt steak (I already had some skirt steak in the freezer, so I used it instead of flank)

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice, honey, ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Lightly score the skirt steak both horizontally and vertically on both sides.

Add skirt steak to a resealable plastic bag and pour in marinade.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Light a charcoal grill under medium high heat.  Grill skirt steak for about 5 minutes per side for a good medium rare.

Let steak rest for about 5 minutes and slice against the grain.


I really enjoyed this meal and thought it was the perfect weeknight meal!  It was one of those things you could just throw together in the morning for the marinade, come home from work, and within 30 minutes, you've got dinner!  I'll definitely be back to Creative Culinary's blog for more fantastic recipes like this!  So if you haven't stopped by there, you really should - and check out the other Secret Recipe Club members too!


If you're interested in joining, head on over here.  Hopefully I'll see you guys next month!!



Creamy Carrot Soup

Today, in most parts of the U.S., is just another Friday.  But here, in Louisville, KY (and well, most parts of Kentucky in general) it's more like a holiday!  What "holiday" you ask?!  Why it's Kentucky Derby weekend!  Louisville seriously gets their party on.  Most places of employment have a 4 day weekend (or others just make sure to ask for the days off!).  Celebrities come into town and all that jazz.  All for a couple of horse races that take maybe 2 minutes to finish!  But you know, I don't think it's really all about the horse races (although it is tradition) more than it is about getting all dressed up and drinking.

And the hats!  When most people think of the Kentucky Derby, I think a Derby hat is one of the first things that come to mind! 

While I won't be donning a Derby hat this year (nor have I ever) I'll be spending today at Churchill Downs for the Oaks - sipping Mint Juleps and looking as good as I can (seriously, my dress is hella cute!) and hopefully meeting up with some friends!  My sister has offered to give us a ride down there (she's freakin' awesome!) and hopefully we'll end up finding a ride back home, too - so no worries of being unsafe!

Anyway, we've got a Derby party to attend to on Saturday and I need to bring something with me!  So help me out and vote in this week's poll!



This is not really a Derby recipe, but I was really in the mood for soup, so soup it is!


Ingredients:
Adapted from The Meaning of Pie's recipe

1 small onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 white potato, cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce (like Tabasco or Sriracha) 
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and Pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup milk

In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter under medium high heat.  Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in carrots, potatoes, and chicken broth.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or so.

Stir in Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Let simmer on medium to medium low for about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and blend up soup with an immersion blender until you reach your desired consistency.  Slowly stir in the milk until incorporated.  Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with croutons.

This was a quick one-pot meal that was a really tasty lunch!  Now, if you'll excuse me - I'm heading to the Oaks!  Have a great weekend guys!

New Potatoes

As our vacation is rapidly coming to a close, it always seems like the weeks away from work, school, other obligations, etc... are the ones that go the quickest.

Such a sad fact of life, but one we all have to live with. I guess it really rings true that "time flies when you're having fun".


Fun is definitely what we've been having. (FYI, this is totally Andy's first ever blog appearance! I figure he might as well be put on here, because the blog is basically about him, kinda sorta!)

Andy and I have been getting to spend a lot of time with eachother, without having to work around our differing work/school schedules. Yesterday we went down to Slade, KY and visited Red River Gorge.

It's absolutely beautiful down there. And we almost didn't get there. Andy decided that he would try to remember how to get there without a map, and let's take into consideration he hadn't been down to the Gorge in about 10+ years.

Yeah, you can see where this is going. We ended up taking an exit nowhere near where we were supposed to be, which led us to taking an impromptu tour of the Kentucky amish and redneck country for about 45 minutes before we ended up back on the highway. Yeah... I was not amused.

But through hell and high water, we arrived at our destination, later than we had hoped, but still in one piece and without any reenactment of the movie Wrong Turn.

Albeit, I'm not a very outdoorsy kind of person, but I enjoyed myself. We went hiking (and I'm very surprised I'm not sore all over today), sightseeing, took pictures of various things, etc.

It was a good trip and I wish we could have the time to do more of that kind of stuff with each other, but for right now, we'll take it when we can.


Here's just a simple new/red potato recipe for today... we've got tons of potatoes coming in every week in our CSA, so I've been trying to figure out ways of using them up!


Ingredients:

5 new potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon butter, quartered
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until well coated. Transfer to a roasting dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Serve whole, mashed, sliced, however you like your potato. I prefer to eat them slowly while they are whole.

With simple ingredients, simple technique, this dish is definitely full of flavor and an easy side to whip up on a busy day! Enjoy and have a great weekend!