Quick and Light

We spent last weekend in NYC visiting hubby's family.  It was so nice to be able to see everyone and to get a moment in the city.  We visited some old favorites like my favorite cupcake shop (Molly's Cupcakes... try the birthday cake) and the best bagels (Absolute), and we got to try new places like La Bota for tapas and sangria.  I do miss eating in NYC, but I don't miss crowded subways and hour long wait times at restaurants.

After another weekend away, hubby and I returned home to a fridge with no food.  Well, not actually nothing.  We had some cheese, an onion, and salad mix.  Since we had just gotten back from a weekend away with delicious food, we thought this is the perfect opportunity to make something light.  A quick search led me to this onion soup recipe.

Good onion soup comes from deliciously caramelized onions.  To make the soup quickly, I chopped the onions and put them in the pan to start caramelizing before preparing the rest of the ingredients.  While the onions caramelized, I made some homemade croutons with stale bread.  The last time I made these hubby went wild for them, and this time they didn't last too long either.  Once the onions were ready, the rest went by quickly.  I added in the remaining ingredients and put it to reduce.  As the soup simmered and reduced, I threw together a salad with tomatoes and omemade balsamic vinaigrette, and before I knew it, dinner was ready.

Croutons waiting to be topped with warm soup

 Dinner is served!

We enjoyed leftovers throughout the week while we slowly stocked up the empty fridge.  Although I didn't cook anymore dinners for the week, I did do some baking.  In my mind, any reason to bake is a good reason to bake, and when one of my fabulous coworkers had a birthday coming up, I knew what I had to do.  I baked up some triple chocolate pistachio cookies for after Friday's birthday lunch and mini margarita cupcakes for today's analyst BBQ.  Both turned out great!

The cookies turned out amazing... so chocolate-y and rich!

More lime-y than margarita, the cake is delicious and makes a great light bite

Also, Maui got her first haircut... she looks so different!

February Adventures

This month has been a whirlwind of adventures.  We began the month saying goodbye to football and hello to travel.  Hubby spent much of the month traveling to Southern California for work (I'm a little jealous that he's been enjoying the great weather).  Then hubby and I went on our first ski trip together in Taos Ski Valley.  We both had a great time, and I have a feeling there will be more skiing to come.  We also spent a weekend in Austin meeting up with some good friends from New York.  It was a delicious trip as we restaurant hopped through Austin. 

The slopes in Taos Ski Valley

Hubby and I all bundled up

Boot shopping in Austin between meals

 All you can eat BBQ at the Salt Lick

As February comes to a close, our traveling is also taking a break... giving me enough time to finally write a post.  Between our weekends away, I barely had enough time to come up with anything to cook and somehow managed to keep from eating out everyday.  My one special meal from all of February was the Valentine's day dinner I made for a hubby a week after Valentine's day... better late then never.

I made the most delicious mac-n-cheese concoction either of us had ever had.  It came from none other than the Pioneer Woman herself.  This fancy mac and cheese is filled with layers of crumbled bacon, caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, and 5 fancy cheeses.  Every bite was heavenly with the perfect combination of creamy cheese sauce, salty bacon, and sweet onions.  Even as leftovers, this dish did not disappoint.  It will definitely be a recipe I look back to for special occasions to come.

I only made half the recipe but it lasted for days

A little messy but every bite was heavenly

Football Food

Hubby's pop came to visit a couple of weeks ago.  He was here during the AFC/NFC championship, which meant football themed food for watching the games.  Hubby was thrilled to have a buddy to watch the sports with... and I was thrilled to have some dinner inspiration.  And now with the Super Bowl upon us, I remember back to the super yummy chili meal.

The chili was delicious with a kick of spice... and very easy once I got everything chopped up.  Central Market had stew meat on sale, which made my inspired dinner also budget friendly.  I had found the recipe in a blog recently and thought it would make the perfect accompaniment to a football game.  I cooked it in the slow cooker all day, and it was ready in time for dinner.  Topping it with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives helped subdue some of the spice.  Even though I left out some of the more spicy ingredients (cayenne pepper, jalapenos), the chili powder was enough to give it quite a kick.

Our chili spread with sour cream, freshly grated cheddar cheese and chives... oh and don't forget some cornbread just to sweeten things up a little bit.

Hubby and his pop were very happy with their game day dinner.

For the Super Bowl today, we are going to a friend's Super Bowl party.  It's great that hubby and I are meeting cool people in Fort Worth... and they also love to cook!  We are both looking forward to a great meal and good fun while watching the game and commercials.  I never let an opportunity to make something sweet pass me by, especially when there are people to share the calories with.  Hubby and I are bringing sweet and salty super bowl brownies to the party.  I have had the recipe for two years and have been dying to make them.  A sneaked a quick bite as they came out of the oven, and I'm doing my best to restrain myself from eating the whole tray... chocolate-y goodness!

Can't wait to devour these tonight... yum!

Leftover Bananas

Hubby eats a banana as a snack everyday of the work week.  On the weekends, we buy five bananas, and throughout the week he'll eat the five bananas.  When I was growing up, this was never the case.  We would buy a bunch of bananas and eat some, but there were always bananas leftover.  When this would happen, my mom would take the over ripe bananas and make banana bread.  Hubby went out of town for work this week, and I was lucky enough to have some leftover bananas.

These are the type of bananas I'm talking about... I've actually used bananas that looked much worse than these.

I grew up making the Fannie Farmer cookbook banana bread with my mom.  At one point, I had actually memorized the recipe (though now I look it up just to double check).  What I really like about the recipe is the lack of fat.  There are eggs and sugar, but there is no oil or butter or shortening.  Instead, the mashed bananas help provide moisture to the recipe and result in a dense loaf of banana love.  Hubby is actually not a fan of this recipe since he prefers recipes that use half a stick to a whole stick of butter.  While I agree that butter-y versions have an added lightness and flavor, I feel just a little better about myself when I have my butter-free version.  It's moist and hearty with banana flavor and a good crumb.

Fannie Farmer Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas, well mashed (I've used 4 before for added banana flavor)

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan.  Mix together the bananas and eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.  Add the nuts and blend.  Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.  

 Yum!

The recipe is very easy to whip up (though the hour cooking time is something to take into consideration).  I usually make mine without nuts because I don't usually keep them on hand while the other ingredients are staples in my kitchen.  It's the perfect use for your unwanted (but still good) bananas.

Enjoy your snack!

Don't Judge a Restaurant by its Cover

I heard about this restaurant just Northeast of Fort Worth in Watauga, TX a few months ago.  It had appeared on Diners, Drive-in, and Dives on the Food Network, which obviously made us a little curious.  The food was delicious with complex flavors and extreme richness.

We started our meal with What Nots, which are cheese stuffed mushrooms in a garlic butter sauce.  Hubby and I savored every bite of the decadent morsels.  Then hubby had a Stuffed Brave Heart New York Strip, which is stuffed with Canadian bacon and smoked cheese.  It came with roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables, which were fresh and cooked to perfection.  Although the steak far exceeded expectations, hubby was a little jealous of my choice, the Blackened Stuffed Chicken that was filled with pepper jack cheese and crab meat before being topped with an asiago cheese sauce all set over angel hair pasta.  It was outstanding!  The sauce was creamy and complemented the subtle heat of the blackened chicken.  I obviously could not eat it all in one sitting given the size of the portions, so I shared a bit with hubby.  We finished the meal with bread pudding, which I was looking forward to most.  It was moist and tasty, but I feel like it was missing texture and depth... but I am bit picky after living in Louisiana.

Our cheesy stuffed mushrooms were the perfect start to the meal.

This was hubby's meal... a healthier choice than mine.

My asiago sauce drenched dish was out of this world.

Although we thought the bread pudding could use a little something more, we finished every last bite.

After seeing the pictures of the food and hearing the description of the dishes, you might think we were in a fancy restaurant.  While Chef Point Cafe does serve fine dining food, it is located at a gas station.  When hubby and I drove up to the Conoco station, we knew we were in the right spot.  There is obviously a story behind this unique pairing of gas and fine dining, which had sparked our curiosity.  The owner married an American and came to live in the States with dreams of opening his own restaurant.  When they went to the bank to get a loan, the bank would not give them a loan for a restaurant... but they would give them a loan for a gas station.  They opened up the gas station and started a fine dining restaurant where you would normally find day old hotdogs and fritos.  It was a crazy but delicious experience.

The Holidays and New Year's Empanadas

It's been much too long since my last post.  Hubby and I spent the remainder of our December catching up on things and getting ready for the holidays... I'm sure I still have a few posts up my sleeve from the end of the year to share with you.  Hubby and I spent our first married Christmas with my family in South Florida.  He spent his time there enjoying the warm outdoors while I helped my mom cook up a feast.  Then we flew up to Connecticut to enjoy time with hubby's family and continue to eat well.  Now that we are back in Fort Worth, we are getting ready for things to get back to normal and starting off the new year on the right foot... and what better to start a new year, than with a new blog post!

I loved helping my mom cook while I was home... I always love a chance to cook for a crowd and try new recipes.  Unfortunately for you, I lost the pictures on my phone and won't be able to share with you all the great food photos... but lucky for you, the websites have photos, and you could always give the recipes a try yourself.  Our Christmas Day menu included:

Cheese Straws
Proscuitto Dijon Gruyere Puffs
Ana's Spanish Tortilla
Tomato Red Pepper Jam
Classic Meat & Cheese Lasagna
Fanciful French Macaroons (gracias Abuela!)
Knock You Naked Brownies (a reader request)
Strawberry Shortcake Cake

It was definitely an ambitious menu that took us a few days to put together.  The cheese straws were cheesy and crunchy, though I thought there were best right out of the oven rather than stored for a day.  The puffs were a great party find because they were easy to put together and were delicious.  My mom made a Spanish tortilla, which is a potato and egg pie that you might see on a tapas bar menu... so simple but so good and the perfect appetizer snack.  I made the tomato red pepper jam for all my aunts and uncles and had some left over to serve with crackers (see the recipe below). 

Tomato Red Pepper Jam
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a red pepper, diced
3 cups seeded and diced cherry or grape tomatoes (taking the seeds out isn't super necessary but taking the excess juices out helps)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweat the garlic in oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat until soft, about 3 minutes.  Stir in red pepper, tomatoes, vinegar, and brown sugar.  Increase heat to medium-high and simmer mixture until tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes.  Season the jam with salt and pepper to your liking.  You can serve the jam warm or at room temp.

The main event on Christmas Day was the lasagna.  We spent Christmas Eve slowly cooking up the sauce and building the lasagnas so they would be ready to bake the next day.  The only tweaks (yes, there are always tweaks) I made was using butter to saute the onions and adding garlic and a little bit of sugar.  The sauce was meaty and delicious, and the lasagna as a whole was like being hugged by an Italian grandmother.

I'm not sure how many people really made it to dessert after all the food leading up to it.  I had been wanting to try the macaroon recipe since my Abuela sent it to me with stories of her own success.  We added a little red food coloring to make them pink and used berry jams as the filling.  My mom wanted to make a layer cake in order to use her cake stand, and I found this recipe that I thought would be light and fresh.  We doubled the recipe and used 9 inch pans.  It really only made two layers, instead of the four you might expect from doubling the recipe.  The strawberries and juices soaked into the cake (I kept the strawberry chunks fairly large) making it very moist.  Then I decorated it with strawberries on top of the cream cheese icing.  It was the leftover I was most sad to leave behind when we flew out.

I'm full all over again just thinking about all that food.  And before I end this very long post, I wanted to tell you about our New Year's Eve.  Our good friends invited us over for a small house party.  Since they were hosting (and had just hosted a holiday party), we all brought some food and drinks.  After spending my time in Florida in the kitchen, I was determined to think smart about delicious but easy snacks to bring.  I actually made the strawberry shortcake cake again (so good and easy) but wanted to also bring something savory.  My mom had made baked empanadas a few months ago, and this was the perfect opportunity to give them a try.  The key to making the recipe easy is buying the dough discs already made.  After that, you just have to make the filling, which in this case was a simple picadillo recipe.

 I cooked up a batch of turkey picadillo and beef picadillo to make sure the guests had options.

 Once the filling had cooled and the discs had defrosted, I filled them up.

 I used a fork to crimp the edges, which made them look fancy and kept the filling from spilling out.

Then I baked them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  They were delicious straight out of the oven (with a little time to cool) or at room temperature.

And on that delicious note, I wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Fort Fun Weekend

One of my very dear friends refers to Fort Worth as Fort Fun, and whether she is being sarcastic or not, I appreciate all Fort Worth-related enthusiasm.  Hubby and I have been living here for 6 months now and have settled into a routine with favorite spots and things to do.  Although sometimes we feel like we know all we need to know about Fort Worth, there are still some surprises left as we have found out this weekend. 

Saturday we went to the Fort Worth Nature Reserve to go for a hike with Maui.  Our expectations were low, but we were pleasantly surprised to find a hilly park with plenty of wildlife.  The hike took us along a dirt path through wooded areas and fields, up canyons and down slopes.  We were impressed that this terrain existed in the Texas plains.  It is definitely a place that Andrew and I want to go back to again.

Hubby and Maui enjoying the hike.

 A clearing after a wooded trail up the hill.

 Through the trees, we could see Lake Worth.

There were some ruins on the hike.

Then today, Sunday, we stopped by the new food truck park that is located just down the river from our apartment.  We walked with Maui along the Trinity Trail and made it to the Clearfork Food Truck Park in mere moments.  Several food trucks were parked in a semi-circle around an area filled with picnic tables and music playing.  There is a permanent building that serves as a bar for all the food trucks making it the perfect place to hang out and stay a while.  Hubby had a Flyin' Hawaiian Hot Dog from the Dog Pound while I had loaded french fries (the First Bell) from First Bite Gourmet.  Both meals were delicious and made that much better by perfect weather.  This is definitely a place we will go again.

The perfect day for food trucks!