all-time favorites

There are certain things that i'll always order at a restaurant, if they're offered - not only because they are delicious but because I know that i'll never be able to replicate these dishes in a million years.  At least, not unless I cheat and use short-cuts or less exotic ingredients.  Anyway, because I'm currently hungry, i've been thinking about how tasty these three dishes are and how much I want them right now.

Cassoulet

you really can't go wrong with a dish that uses this much duck fat

Paella

mussels, clams, saffron, sausage...a serious ensemble of tastiness

Eggs Benedict

especially when it has a twist - like jalapeno hollandaise, grits & shrimp (above), or smoked salmon

One day I will learn to make one of these recipes (OK, probably not the cassoulet).  When that happens, you'll all be invited over to eat it with me :)

Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade

Lemonade is my favorite summer drink.  Who doesn't love a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade on a summer afternoon?  I'm not very picky about my lemonade---I love all kinds, whether its made from concentrate, from powder mixes, or from scratch.  (Although, to be honest, I am partial to Chik-fil-A's lemonade which is so addictive that i'm pretty sure it includes crack as an ingredient.)

I've made homemade lemonade a few times since we've been in Albuquerque, but last weekend (to impress my brother) I decided to try this recipe for Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade.  I'm not going to lie, it was a lot of work and involved a lot of dishes.  But the end result was so delectable that I'm tempted to make it again!

Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon (I used 3 baby seedless watermelons)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)

Directions:
1. Combine water & sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in basil; chill 1 hour. Strain sugar mixture through a sieve over a bowl, and discard basil.  (Or, if you're lazy like me, you can skip the straining step & just be content with basil pieces in your lemonade.)
2. Place watermelon in a blender; process until smooth. Pour watermelon puree through a fine sieve into a pitcher; discard solids.
3. Combine watermelon liquid, sugar mixture, and juice in a pitcher; chill.

Lavender Festival!

Every summer, the Village of Los Ranchos (an incorporated village within the ABQ city limits) hosts a Lavender Festival.  I thought it sounded adorable, so I dragged Dave there.  And I'm so glad I did.

There were cute little goats . . .

Tons of lavender products . . .

Delicious raspberry sno-cones . . .

An owl (!!!) . . .

Beautiful artwork . . .

Tasty free samples of lavender-honey goat cheese, lavender sangria, lavender popsicles, etc . . .

And pick your own lavender.

All in all, it was a great success.  Even Dave is glad he went :)

Dave chowing down on freshly baked sausage pizza.

the life of a federal judge

I think being a federal judge is the best job ever.  For one, you have lifetime job security.  For another, the hours are awesome. 

Take this week, for example.  My judge took off Monday & Tuesday to go to Boston and see a Red Sox game.  He came into work at 1pm on Wednesday and left again at 4:30pm.  Yesterday, he came it at 9am and left at 1pm.  Today, he's only coming in for an hour around lunch time.  That's a total of 8 hours worked over the entire week.

I seriously need a job like that.  Who wants to appoint me to the federal bench? :)

Oven-Roasted Catfish

I love Fridays because it means I get to make fish.  Not that I can't make fish other nights of the week, but it just seems easier on busy weeknights to defrost the chicken breasts or pork chops I keep stocked in the freezer than to make a special run to the grocery store for fresh fish.

This is one of my favorite Friday recipes because its so easy & so healthy!  Plus, I love catfish.

Oven-Roasted Pecan Crunch Catfish & Asparagus (courtesy of wholefoods.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided (or whatever herb you have on hand!)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon honey
4 catfish fillets

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Put breadcrumbs, pecans, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Toss asparagus with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl and spread it in a single layer on a large oiled baking sheet.
4. Scatter one-quarter of the breadcrumb mixture over the asparagus and arrange catfish over asparagus.
5. Press remaining breadcrumb mixture on top of catfish fillets.
6. Roast until catfish is cooked through and asparagus is tender, 10 to 12 minutes

(for a quicker/five-ingredient version, leave out the herbs & the pecans - it's still tasty :)

Lavender Festival 2010

just a little preview...we're headed to the ABQ Lavender Festival this weekend!  Apparently, they have pick-your-own lavender fields, vendors selling crafts made from lavender, tasty lavender treats and---the thing i'm most excited about---a pet parade!

Peach Season!

I love when peach season rolls around.  And not only because it means that summer has officially arrived.

One of my favorite summer snacks is a bowl of peaches drizzled (OK, doused) with sugar.  Alas, I am not a baker (at least, not a successful one)...but if I were, I would make peach cobblers all summer.  And probably eat them for breakfast.  Peach cobbler & coffee??!  Why have I not been making this my breakfast every morning??

Peach-bourbon bbq sauce, peach smoothies, peach bellinis...oh, my list could go on and on.

Anyway, to kick off peach season, I'm making Grilled Peaches & Pork tonight.  Wish me luck.

Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 (4-oz) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
4 large peaches (peeled, halved & pitted)
salad greens
1 teaspoon turbinado or granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, lime juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Reserve 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Pour the remaining juice mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Grill pork about 3 minutes on each side or until pork is done. Set aside.
3. Place peaches, cut sides up, on a plate & drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar. Grill peaches (cut sides down) for 4 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. Turn and cook 2 minutes or until heated through.
4. Cut each peach half into 4 slices. Slice pieces of pork into 1-inch-thick strips.
5. Drizzle salad greens with reserved 1 tablespoon juice mixture, tossing to coat.  Divide greens evenly among plates. Top with grilled pork strips and peach slices; sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar.

Goodbye, Anderson Valley! We'll miss you.

Our favorite Albuquerque winery has officially closed.  The good news is that they are reopening on the West side.  The bad news is that they aren't reopening until Christmas, two months after we leave Albuquerque.

While Anderson Valley certainly isn't the classiest winery in town, it was our favorite.  Everything about it is low-key and relaxing.  Plus, their wines are fun.  The winery was originally started by a famous balloonist named Maxie Anderson.  In honor of the vineyard's ballooning heritage, they offer a "Balloon Blush" wine every year.  They also produce a Red Chile Cabernet which you get to taste with chocolate....mmmmm :)

The winery is completely family-run and they don't sell their wines anywhere except the winery itself.  Which, sadly, means we probably won't get a chance to have their wines again.

We do, however, have an unopened bottle of red chile cabernet which we are saving for our last week in Albuquerque.  Au revoir, Anderson! We'll miss you.

Current fave summer cocktail

Back in April, I bought a bottle of limoncello at the liquor store because I needed it for some complicated recipe I was going to attempt for Easter brunch.  Of course, the liquor store only sold limoncello in huge bottles & I only needed a few tablespoons for my recipe.  For the next couple months, the bottle stood on our liquor shelf looking forlorn.

That is, until I discovered that I LOVED it.  As far as I can tell, limoncello is just lemon-infused vodka.  But gosh is it delicious :)

My new favorite way to drink it is to fill a glass with ice, fill the glass halfway with limoncello & top it off with sparkling or tonic water.  Sometimes, when I want to impress a guest, I'll put it in a fancy martini glass, add basil or mint, and a decorative slice of lemon :)  You can also sugar the rims to make it extra delicious.

Next Christmas/Valentine's Day/birthday, you might get one of these rosemary-limoncello concotions from me.  They are just too cute not to make.

Rosemary Limoncello Recipe

Yummy Salsa

Back in March, Dave & I went to the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show which is held just outside Albuquerque every year, at the Sandia Resort & Casino.

Basically, you wander through rooms packed with vendors handing out free samples of the fieriest foods you can possibly imagine.  I stayed away from the fiercest options and searched out sauces & salsas that I could eat without crying.  We came away with several excellent finds, but one discovery far outstripped the others.

It's called Cindy's Salsa.  Cindy's Yummy & Healthy Salsa, to be exact.  And its won first place in the New Mexico state fair multiple years in a row.  It's fresh & addictive & has just the right amount of kick.  The problem is that its only sold in Albuquerque.  In fact, even within Albuquerque, its only sold at one particular co-op!

Given its addictive properties, Dave & I needed to find a way to continue supplying ourselves with this amazing salsa after we leave Albuquerque.  The only solution was to learn to make it ourselves.  Thankfully, Cindy publishes her ingredients on her salsa containers.  After a couple tries (the first attempt tasted like ketchup), we figured out how to make an adequate (but, we stress, not equivalent) substitute.

I present to you...Dave & Jane's Yummy & Healthy Salsa.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs tomatoes (use fresh ones, if they are tasty & available! Otherwise, use a 28-oz can whole plum tomatoes; preferably organic - I swear they taste better)
1 white or red onion
2 jalapenos (leave the rind & seeds in for more heat)
1 large bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
2 limes

Directions:
1. If using canned tomatoes, drain them in a colander and rinse them with water to rid them of any metallic flavor.  Process tomatoes lightly in a food processor (it's important to use a food processor, not a blender!).  You want the tomatoes to still be chunky.  Pour the tomatoes into your salsa container.
2. Cut the onion into large chunks.  Toss it into the food processor & process lightly.  Mix the onion in with the tomatoes.
3. Process the jalapenos & garlic cloves together.  Mix in with the tomatoes & onions.
4. Chop the cilantro by hand.  Mix it into the salsa.
5. Finally, squeeze the limes into the salsa.
6. Mix & sprinkle with salt to taste.

The end result should have this kind of consistency (but obviously, not with these ingredients):

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

In Praise of Couscous

Growing up, we rarely---if ever---had couscous in our house.  Maybe mom didn't like it or maybe it just wasn't as popular or available then.  Since getting married, however, I have decided that couscous is an invaluable staple...one I don't think I could live without!

If you are not yet a fan, then let me try & persuade you of its merits.

First, it cooks in five minutes.  That's right - FIVE.  I dare you to find another starch that cooks that fast.

Second, it comes in endless varieties, so you'll never get bored.  I've recently discovered pearled couscous (also called Israeli couscous) and rainbow couscous (which consists of plain, spinach & sun-dried tomato grains).

pearled couscous

rainbow couscous

Third, it makes any dish look elegant and impressive.

Having salad? Mix in some couscous & now it looks like you spent all day slaving over a gourmet dinner.

Chicken? Just plop it down over a bed of couscous for added flair.

Add it to soup for a heartier meal.

Seafood is where I think it shines best.  I mean, seriously.  This looks positively ethnic.

Apparently, you can even make dessert with it!!

Finally, its cheap.  Especially if you forgo the stingy supermarket boxes and go for the Costco-sized plastic containers.

There you have it.  If I haven't convinced you yet, just wait.  I'm sure this will not be the last of my couscous love-posts :)

Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops

Thanks to Costco's awesome prices, Dave & I made lamb chops this weekend.  I've started growing herbs (more on that later) because I hate having to pay $4 a pop for those prepackaged containers of herbs.  Especially when I never manage to use the whole package.  Anyway, last night was the first time I used my newly purchased rosemary plant!

It's hard to go wrong with lamb because its so delicious.  I was sad when I finished licking the last morsel of lamb off the bone.  I even contemplated making these again tonight :)

Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 (4-oz) lamb loin chops
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (there are no rules against tripling the rosemary, if you love it like I do)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
1. Combine rosemary, oil, salt & garlic.  Rub mixture evenly over both sides of the lamb.  Cover & marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Sprinkle lamb chops with salt & pepper.  Grill lamb about 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

More summer salads

My subscription to Cooking Light has cost our family at least 100 times more than the advertised subscription price.  That's because the pictures make everything look delicious, which causes me to spend more than Dave would like on random ingredients I wouldn't otherwise buy.

Sometimes, however, I discover great, easy recipes that get added into our rotation.  This is one of those.

Salmon, Asparagus & Orzo Salad

 Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (go for thin ones!)
1 cup uncooked orzo
8-12oz skinless salmon fillet
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
1. Snap off ends of asparagus and cut remainder into 2-inch, bite-sized pieces.  Cook aspargus in boiling water for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.
2. Cook orzo (in the same pot/water to cut down on dishes :) according to package directions.  Drain.
3. Salt & pepper salmon fillet.  Place salmon on foil-lined broiler pan & broil for about 5 minutes until fish flakes easily.  Using a fork, break salmon into bite-size chunks.
4. While salmon/orzo cooks, combine last 4 ingredients in a bowl & whisk together.  Add salt & pepper to taste.
5. Combine salmon, orzo, asparagus, red onion slices & lemon-dill vinaigrette in bowl.  Toss to combine.  Serve or chill.

Birthday ballooning!

In honor of Dave's 29th birthday, we took a hot air balloon ride over the city just as the sun was rising.  Given my fear of heights, I thought I would be terrified.  To my surprise, I wasn't scared at all!

awaiting take-off, coffee in hand

the propane heats the air inside the balloon, causing the balloon to rise

flying over the beautiful Rio Grande

also, i found my future home.  It's a relief to finally have a house picked out :)

landing in a vineyard!

Afterwards, they gave us champagne & balloon flight certificates.  All in all, it was a very exciting morning.  Yay for birthdays!

Green Chile Cheeseburgers

Green chile is the cooking staple of New Mexico.  Locals put it on sandwiches, in their scrambled eggs, make soups out of it, or just eat it plain.

In the fall, when the chiles are harvested, the entire city smells like roasted green chile due to the makeshift stands with enormous roasters that pop up everywhere.

Despite my best efforts, I have fallen in love with green chile and I will miss it when we leave Abq.

In an attempt to bring a little bit of New Mexico back with us to D.C., Dave & I are trying to add as many green chile recipes as we can to our cooking repertoire.  Especially ones that only require canned green chiles, since we're not sure how easy it is to get fresh ones on the east coast.  So far we've only successfully added one recipe---but its a good one :)

Ingredients:
2 (4-oz) cans hot chopped green chiles, juice included
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped white onion
ground beef (don't go any leaner than 80/20 if you can help it...or the end result won't be nearly as tasty :)
cheese (pepper jack & provolone are favorites)
hamburger buns
any additional condiments you like

Directions:
1. Use your hands to mix 1 can of green chiles, garlic, onion & ground beef together (mix just enough to combine them - don't overhandle).  Form into 1-inch thick patties and make a thumb-print indentation on top.  Cook to desired doneness on grill, adding a slice of cheese to the patties a few minutes before they are done.

2. Lightly toast the hamburger buns and spread the remaining green chiles on one side of each bun.

3. Assemble hamburgers, along with whatever condiments you like!  Tomatoes & avocados both go well with this.

4. Enjoy with a nice, cold beer - preferably from New Mexico, but if you don't have access to those, a beer from the real Mexico will do fine :)

Oh, and...

while we're on the topic of salads, I thought I should share my all-time favorite summer salad ever, courtesy of Mama Hertz.  As a dairy lover, I could probably eat the entire thing in one sitting.

Mom's Tasty Cucumber-Cottage-Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

2 medium cucumbers
2 green/spring onions
1 pint cottage cheese

4 tablespoons mayo

juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons dry dill (i'm pretty sure I add way more dill than this...)

dash Tabasco (or any other hot sauce)

dash of salt

Directions:

1. Peel cucumbers, split lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Chop remainder into bite-sized pieces.

2. Chop green onion.

3. Mix all ingredients. Devour at once or chill.

Summer Salads

These hot Albuquerque nights make me crave cold salads for dinner.  Cold salads and Coronas.  But in case you are worried that I've gone all healthy on you, never fear: I typically douse my salads in a bath of fattening dressing, enjoy them with a beer and finish them off with a bowl of ice cream.  In an effort to satisfy my health-conscious husband, however, I tried my hand last night at a Salad Nicoise.  Amazingly, it was delicious!  Here's my version (modified from food network's recipe):

Ingredients:
1 large tuna steak
4 baby red potatoes
1 large handful of French-cut green beans (the skinny ones!)
cherry tomatoes
2-4 eggs
nicoise olives
lots of salad greens
bottled salad dressing (any vinaigrette-based one will do. Or, if you are a glutton for punishment, you can make your own)

Directions:
1. Boil salted water.  Cook potatoes for about 15 minutes.  Add eggs and cook for another 5 minutes.  Put a colander over the pot and add the green beans, steaming them for about 5-10 minutes until tender but still crunchy.  Drain the potatoes, eggs and beans in the colander and rinse them with cold water.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, salt & pepper the tuna steak & drizzle with olive oil.  Sear the steak in a skillet for about 2-minute per side over high heat.  Remove the steak from the heat and let rest.

3. Peel the eggs and cut them in half.  Cut the baby red potatoes in quarters.  Arrange a mound of salad greens on a plate.  Add potato halves, hard-boiled egg halves, green beans, cherry tomatoes and nicoise olives (to taste).

4. Finally, slice the tuna steaks and arrange them over the salad.  Drizzle with dressing.  Ta-Da!

(disclaimer: this is not, in fact, what mine looked like. this is what the food network says it should look like, just to keep the self-esteem of their readers low.)