In Skillets: Cheesy Sage Baked Rice

April 22, 2013 | 17 Comments

Cheesy Sage Baked Skillet Rice

Well look-uh here, finishing up Skillet Week right on Earth Day…  it’s almost like someone, you know, got their planning on!

I do find my skillet to be the most environmentally responsible tool that I have in my kitchen, mainly because it will last my lifetime and hopefully that of my cookin’ babies.

It also takes nothing more than natural oil and a clean, reusable cloth to maintain, and doesn’t emit anything other than delicious foodstuffs, unlike the toxic fumes that can be a byproduct of cooking with certain types of nonstick pots and pans.

So what better way to celebrate Earth Day tonight than by preparing a succulent cheese and rice casserole in your eco-friendly cast iron skillet? (Answer:  there isn’t one.)

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My Family’s Favorite Green Beans

November 14, 2012 | 27 Comments

I’ve been doing a fair amount of nervous-anxious-comfort eating lately. Here’s what that looks like:

Gee, that doughnut sure looks good. And so does that cupcake. Hey! You got your doughnut on my cupcake! And you got your cupcake on my doughnut! Nothing left to do but eat the whole dang mess…

It’s fifty shades of ugly. For sure.

Things came to a head the other night when I sat down next to A. on the couch with my Dignity Droppin’ Dessert du jour and he looked over and actually started laughing. Out loud.

I, of course, responded in the only way possible – with preemptive aggression: “What?!?!”

He, of course, responded in the only way possible – with a life-saving change of subject: “Uh, I just read something funny online. Have you heard this joke about the fiscal cliff?”

Well played, my friend. Well played.

So, you know, it occurred to me that it may be time to start getting some more veggies into my diet. And then I discovered this recipe.

Let’s just say that when you can get a chicken nugget-shoving, cupcake-pounding, queso fundido-funneling girl to look forward to eating fresh green beans, you’re doing something right.

The idea is to char the whole beans in a screaming hot skillet, then toss them with a light and lovely Harissa sauce. It is such a wonderful alternative to the heavy, cream of mushroom soup-laden green beans that we’re all expected to eat this time of year. You might want to considering switching things up at the Thanksgiving table, green bean-wise.

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Spicy Mashed Potatoes

September 23, 2012 | 22 Comments

Sundays are for relaxing, don’t you think?

Relaxing by tuning in to watch ridiculously beautiful people walk down a ridiculously fancy carpet on their way to receiving ridiculously glitzy awards for their roles in ridiculously silly TV shows that you never had time to watch anyway.

That’s just ridiculous.

Consider this a Sunday Turbo Post, because what Sundays are actually for, what I hope you’re doing right now, is sitting on the couch in your ridiculously silly pajamas, watching a ridiculously entertaining sporting event, eating ridiculously good Spicy Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes out of a ridiculously large serving bowl.

And since you’ve got some relaxing to do, I’m not going to waste any more of your time talking about it – that would just be ridiculous.

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Best Baked French Fries

August 30, 2012 | 18 Comments

Perfect French fries really are a science, wouldn’t you say? And maybe also an art – the art and science of the perfect French fry. With a side of perfect, spicy ketchup for dipping. This will be our topic du jour:  we’d better get started.

Now, of course, I’ve read all the rags and I know what’s what:  the truly perfect way to make French fries is to double fry them. You par cook them in oil at a lower temp then jack up the heat and get those fries sinfully crisp on the outside and wonderfully soft on the inside. It’s so wrong its right, and I enjoy being wrong/right every time I go to my favorite local fry spot.

But I’m lazy. And I’m not into eating deep fried foods all the time. And I still need to have some crispy taters, dang it! So I worked out a recipe that would get me where I needed to go without all the drama.

Perfect Baked French Frytown, here we come.

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Hatch Chile Rice Casserole

August 17, 2012 | 23 Comments

It’s Friday! It’s Friday!

Let’s talk current obsessions!

First I’ll tell you mine! Then you tell me yours! And at some point I’ll stop using exclamation marks!

Promise!

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Chihuahua Twice-Baked Potatoes

August 13, 2012 | 17 Comments

Hey! Let me tell you what I did this past weekend…

I threw a wish in the well. Don’t ask me what it was! I’ll never tell.

I looked at you as the wish fell down there, and now, everywhere I go, you seem to be in my way!

I mean, I really wasn’t looking for this, but you insist on staying in my way.

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Monterey-Style Corn

July 24, 2012 | 10 Comments

I may have mentioned that I like to assign themes to my weekends, even when it’s just A. and me.

Themes set the tone. Themes provide direction. Themes get people excited about what’s to come. And everyone can get involved in a theme!

Tell me you’re not going to put your nose to the grindstone to figure out a menu that goes with a ‘Things That Start With ‘F” theme. Or work up a sweat thinking of entertainment options for a ‘Colors Of The Rainbow’-themed weekend? (Green Lantern! Blue Lagoon! Black Swan! Pretty In Pink! [Obvi.])

Themes are just natural party starters.

So color me the giddy planner now that I’ve settled on this coming weekend’s plan:  Fresh Stuff.

That’s right - She’s Fresh from Kool & The Gang will be in heavy rotation, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns will be all over our TV, and we’ll be eating and drinking all manner of fresh food and beverages for 48 straight hours. I plan to hit up the farmer’s market on Friday and keep the freshness flowing all weekend long in the form of local peaches, some early season Hatch chiles, and tons and TONS of fresh, fresh, fresh corn. I’m going to shuck it myself with these shucking hands. Fresh!

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Baby Ancho Hasselback Potatoes & A Giveaway!

June 20, 2012 | 116 Comments

It’s the first official day of summer! Let’s celebrate with a dance around the maypole!

Brain’s Better Half:  “Uh, M.? This isn’t King Arthur’s court. Perhaps these lords and ladies would prefer to celebrate with something a little more timely?”

M.:  OK. How about a recipe for some spicy baby potatoes that are the perfect side dish for your next cookout and a GIVEAWAY?”

Brain’s Better Half:  “Sounds great!”

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Arroz Rojo

June 1, 2012 | 17 Comments

I’ve always truly loved peanuts – they’re just so easy to love! But it wasn’t until my palate matured beyond chicken nuggets, Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip, and pudding pops that I really learned to cook with peanuts.

After setting my Fun Dip down for long enough, the most important thing that I realized about peanuts is that they offer so much more than a simple snack or compliment to a sweet dish. And imagine my delight, since I learned to cook and bake from the perspective of modern Southwestern American culinary tradition, when I discovered that so many Mexican and Native American dishes involve peanuts in some form or other.

These days, one of my favorite ways to use peanuts is in fiery savory dishes that marry the creamy, nutty crunch of peanuts with the fiery heat of chiles. It’s truly a match made in heaven.

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Cumin Roasted Carrots

May 18, 2012 | 9 Comments

I seriously think that if one more person tries to talk to me about Tangerine Tango I’m going to punch someone in the face. Probably myself.

Orange is my favorite color. It has been for a long time. Definitely for a lot longer than the Tangerine Tangos of the world have been around. And I kind of feel like somebody’s trying to sell me something that I’ve already been buying for years.

It’s like that indie band that you’ve been loyally following since they performed their first show in the garage across the street.

You bought their CDs. You rocked their bumper stickers. You were there for every live performance.

That’s me and Orange.

Then one day, Simon Cowell discovers Orange when his limousine breaks down across the street from their garage.

All of a sudden, Orange is all over iTunes. Orange is doing Pepsi commercials. There’s even a tawdry story on the cover of The Enquirer about Orange cheating on Red with Yellow.

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