Friday, September 28, 2012
All in One Breakfast Smoothie: Oatmeal, Banana, Yogurt, with a touch of Cinnamon and Honey
It was so different than any other shake I had had before, the flavor was sort of a tangy oatmeal cookie. It had some texture, but no big lumps, so it was still rather pleasant.
I toasted the oatmeal, it helps it develop a better flavor, it becomes sort of nutty, normally when making oatmeal I toast in the pot (before adding the water), but in this case the toaster oven seemed a better and easier to clean option.
At first I was going to pair it with milk, but then realized yogurt was a better fit, first off it adds a layer of creaminess, you get a thicker and is good for you, as long as you look for live yogurt with probiotics. Probiotics help with digestion and your immune system, My mother and sister (who don't love yogurt quite like I do, it's my desert island food) have been taking probiotics in pill form for years.
I also included half a banana, if you like your smoothies on the thick side, try using a frozen banana.
After the initial taste test, I added a little honey, the banana wasn't doing enough for sweetness. I also had the last of the summer fruit out, so added half a nectarine, but any soft fruit should work well here.
The sweetness was improved, but it still needed a little something, so I added just a little cinnamon, and a little ice, and it was perfect.
I would also like to try a little peanut butter in this one day. (or even a little shredded coconut.)
Breakfast smoothie
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup yogurt
1/2 banana
1-2 tsp honey
1/2 nectarine
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 cubes ice
Toast oatmeal in a toaster oven or in a pan on high heat, til you have a nice color, add to the blender, add the rest of ingredients and blend on slow speed then faster till well mixed.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Cast Iron Apple Pie, Oh my
I miss apples, I mean summer fruit is great, I love peaches, and not finding any at the market this week was very disappointing, (I would like to make one more peach cobbler this year, especially since the last one has horrible nighttime photos) But apples, all red and pretty and there are so many great apple desserts, so much more than with other fruits.
As to the actual cast iron pan, I love how this particular pan is orange, and therefore somehow more presentable that the black kind. I got this one when my grandmother moved a few years ago, but I took a quick look around and there are a couple options out there, the Le Creuset and the slightly larger and more affordable Rachael Ray pan, If you don't own a cast iron skillet I highly recommend having one, nothing browns like cast iron, and as long as you keep it well-oiled it will last pretty much forever.
Break an egg and make a wash with a little water (1 tsp) Spread evenly on top of the pie.
2 pie crusts
6 large apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
1 egg for wash
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
Ice cream for serving
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Food in Greece 2012
This was a restaurant that specialized in grilled food. here's a grilled veg dish, and an unusual starter for Greece, a slightly spicy tomato sauce. Greeks don't really eat spicy.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Food in Cyprus 2012
Here it is, it is folded once and therefore has a natural split, there is the village version, and the supermarket version, and this may sound really odd coming from me, but I prefer the mass market kind, it's a lot less salty, and softer.
The jam is strawberry and homemade, my grandmother made it, and while it photographs great, I prefer the apricot, (homemade by one of her friends) I actually don't like strawberry jam, a sin for many I know.
Did you notice the knife? Does it look kind of familiar? My grandparents spent their entire lives travelling, (six Continents) and my grandmother loved the airplane silverware. So she took a few, or well....
There's slao slow cooked chicken.
Whole potatoes, potatoes in Cyprus are so good I didn't eat them for years after I moved back, so good, in the corner, there's bulgur cooked with tomatoes.
Here's a better shot.
The best food though in Cyprus is fish, I only had it once, once, drove me crazy not going in Greece, next time I'm going to insist on eating daily, cause honestly, so good.
You pick your own fish.
They bring our appetizers
Then the fish come out.
These are red mallet, they are around 6in long, and are fried, a little too big to eat the bones, (some fish are small enough to) and I take off the head, but on the smaller ones in the tails are crunchy goodness.
Then the main course
Oh and more potatoes, french fries, so good, thick cut,
At the end they bring out some fruit. Figs and cactus fruit.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
What is it Wednesday? Ok it may be Thursday at this point.
Coming to you live from the island of Cyprus. I have a bit of wifi during the day though not a lot of patience for auto spellcheck.
So far this week I have been bored out of my mind a lot, I do not know what we did before there were computers, I have to travel with someone at all times, I need the company.
I'm burnt, it hurts I'll get over it, but still burnt.
Every time I come here it's more international, they have sushi now. Though almost everything was cooked. :-)
I have eaten everything on the island traditional at this point, all that is missing is a trip to the bakery, maybe I can squeeze that in tomorrow morning before going to the airport.
This is what happens when you get stuck with your grandmother and it is so damn hot and they drive on the other side. Next time I come I'll start in nicosia a couple of days and see more people, saw quite a few but there are more and I was only here during the week and everyone works, oh well Greece next where hopefully we will do something during day this time. Though I pretty much never have, except during last year's insane trip with ex and his mother.
But I'll see the girls, all the girls, in just over 24 hours. woohoo, nothing better than that.
Ok I'm signing off typing on this thing is driving me crazy. I have lots of photos to show you all but that will have to wait til I get back.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
What is it Wednesday already?
Everyone else is in New York, apartment hunting in the heat and humidity, and I keep getting reports on how much I would not like that city. I kept telling them I don't want to go to New York in the summer.
Meanwhile I fly out on Friday! Friday! Like two days from now, there are still a couple things on the to-do list, like returning shoes, and the back up dress I bought online that looked cute in the picture and was awful, awful in real life, and buying boxes for all the gifts I'm taking with me, which took me a really long time to figure out where I can buy something like that and then wrapping all the gifts I'm taking with me.
For the girls I bought earrings, cause they are small. and I can fit them in the luggage easily. honestly, I was going to try and get something very fashionable, then just settled for LA fashion cause I actually know what that is. still not sure what people want from the US, clothes that's only sold here? As in lesser known brands, that seems a little crazy to me.
Plus it's been so hot in West LA this last week, (yet another reason to avoid the kitchen) which is very rare for beach cities, we don't even have an A/C at home, like hot enough I actually went looking for the huge fan I bought 3 years ago, back when we used to have summers and then never used. It is awesome, like if I ever am putting together a movie set, wind is taken care of.
I have so many blog entries where the photos are just locked in the camera I have to find the wire for, I may have them post while I'm away. Just cause there are so many of them.
I looked up the weather in Cyprus and Greece, July is hotter there, unlike here, so it shouldn't be that bad. I may not need every sleeveless top I own.
Last Wednesday was the Predator Keirin Classic Race, that was awesome, I worked registration, it felt like the old days running the canteen at school, so many people all at once, and all this cash. It's a real high when you get that rush, I miss that, getting all the math right, ok it was easy math, but still, fun. The races were fun to watch as well, keirin racing is a spectator sport, It's fast, but not too fast, and plus there were a whole lot of girls and juniors mixed in, including some that totally kicked ass. I'll link to the race video and report once it's up.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Olympics Snack: Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches
Over the years I've made dozens of different tea sandwiches, crusts off and everything, but the truth is the simple ones are sometimes the best. All this is is cream cheese hothouse cucumbers (which are my favorite cucumbers and really only available in the summers), partially peeled, and multi-grain bread, simple and great.
Cucumber cream cheese sandwich
1/4 Hothouse Cucumber
2 oz. Cream Cheese
multi-grain bread
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Hard to Believe it was a year ago
All I can think about is the upcoming trip, so much prep work involved. One of which is find an ATM card that is still valid, that's going to bite me again, I just know it. Why do I always forget that?
I am not looking forward to Cyprus though, Larnaca is so far away from everyone, I still haven't figured out how much blogging I can do on the road. There really isn't internet access anywhere, how crazy is that, so the whole thing depends on getting local phone numbers. Which I think I can figure out tin Greece, but in Cyprus no idea. Til then I may have to stick to text posts, and those are so much fun. Oh well there's still a couple weeks til then, I can't wait to post all the great food from over there, the Greeks are pretty obsessive to great tasting food. There is such an amazing array on offer. The Cypriots, their strengths lie in fish and the bakeries, there are a few other things here and there, but there is also some fairly strong weakness.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Melted: White Cheddar and Tomato Panini
Less juicy tomatoes are best, you can always drain them a little on peper towels.
Place in a foreman grill, olive oil side down, spray top side with olive oil and press for around 5 to 7 minutes.
Cheddar and Tomato Panini
Whole wheat bread
tomato
white cheddar
olive oil cooking spray
Friday, August 3, 2012
Quick Quick Paprika Chicken
In fact I like to give them a bit of a pounding before I cook these, but if you skip that step, this could be done in 10 minutes.
Start with a simple spicy mix or dry rub
Pound out chicken. I use my mallet sideways so it doesn't actually punch holes.
Place chicken in bag with spice mix
Place on an oven sheet top with a little cooking spray,
Then broil 5 minutes on one side and 3 on the other.
Done
Serve with veg of choice, or use as you would a roasted chicken.
So fast
Spice mix
2 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 1/2 lb chicken tenders
olive oil cooking spray
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Slow cooked Green Beans with Chilis
Ok so this isn't really intended to be a spicy dish, it's just supposed to be homey, but I had a can of tomato with chili, and if any dish can use a pick me up, it's green beans,
Saute onion in olive oil, on med low heat til golden in color
Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato paste
Stir in chopped tomato with chili, you can of course use something not spicy
Add green beans, I like them thin and long, but go with your own preference.
Add water so the beans are mostly submerged. Bring to a boil and simmer. Cook until very tender, this will take a really long time, this one pot cook for just over 3 hours, to get it really tender, but still holding it's own. Your looking for the color of green olives, You can taste to see if it's right.
Serve warm on rice with yogurt or sour cream, to cut some of the heat. This can also be served as a salad.
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 14 oz can chopped tomato with chili (or without)_
1 bag frozen green beans
salt and pepper
Monday, July 30, 2012
Oven BLAT: Bacon, Lettuce, avocado, and tomato in the toaster oven
Aside from avocado, of course the best possible ingredients, is how you cook the bacon. If you like baco extra crispy, then the microwave is the way to go. If you like cleaning the stove top, go ahead cook bacon on the stove, see how it goes. personally I've always like my bacon a little on the crispy side, but not microwave crispy.
So the toaster oven is my cooking method of choice. Simply lay the bacon out on foil, top with a little fresh pepper. By laying the bacon ont flat it clings a little to the foil, and come out pretty flat.
Cook on 425 for 8 minutes for a little on the crispy side, I always think i'm going to cook the bacon a little longer, and then 8 minutes comes out perfect. The range is between 6 and 11 minutes depending on what kind of bacon you like.
I use scissors to cut the bacon to size and fit perfectly on a slice of bread.
Place a little mayo on the other side of the bread
Tiop with avocado and tomato.
Then lettuce and top with a second slice of bread.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Best Tzatziki
At the height of summer, this can even be served as a cold soup, though I use a thinner yogurt if I'm going to serve it as a soup. If on the other hand you're going to serve this on burgers, use strained yogurt, to get a more spreadable consistency.
A touch of dill, doesn't take away from the mint flavor, but rather adds to it, and the lemon punches up the naturally sour taste of the yogurt, but then again I love strong acids, so that may be why I love that addition.
Getting the correct balance of salt is not always easy, I just add slowly and taste til perfect. This sauce increases in flavor if you leave it overnight, although the cucumbers do lose a bit of the crunch. It actually seems to absorb some of the salt as this happens, so if you do end up oversalting, an overnight stay can cure this.
Start by shredding cucumber, skin on.
Then strain out the excess water, I shred onto a paper towel and then squeeze out the excess.
Top with garlic, mint, dill, and salt.
Add yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix
Done.
tzatziki
1/2 large cucumber
1 clove garlic
2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried dill
salt to taste
1 1/2 cups yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil