Seared Tuna with Arugula-Lime Pesto

2 Tuna steaks 4oz. each
1 ½-2 cups baby arugula
1 clove garlic
2 lime
1 teaspoon olive oil, more for tuna
salt and pepper

Using a food processor, blender or mortar and pestal grind up the garlic and juice of one lime. Add the arugula and pulse a few more times to grind it in, then slowly add one teaspoon of olive oil and pulse one or two more times. If you use a blender the “pesto” will be smoother and if you use the processor it will be chunkier.
Heat grill or grill pan (I use a grill pan). Rub tuna steaks with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze half of the other lime over the tuna, don’t let them soak too long in the juice because it will start “cooking” them. On medium-high heat cook the tuna steaks about 3-4 minutes on each side. This depends on your comfort with their doneness, if you like them a bit rare inside cook less and if you like them opaque all the way through (medium well) then go about 6 minutes on each side. I’m kind of a medium gal when it comes to tuna. Serve the steaks with a wedge of lime and pesto divided between the two.

A&E at Unhinged

Abby and I had a blast doing our sketch show A&E at the Second City's Unhinged Series. No one was safe in this show, not our Mom's, Denise Richards, Barbie or Billie Jean King. Look for us to bring it back when I return from Denver.

Sultry Summer Pasta

olive oil
1 cup diced bell peppers (orange, green, red, yellow, whatever)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
4-6 ounces sliced mushrooms (about half of a package, more if you like)
¼ cup basil, cut in thin ribbons (about 10 leaves)
4 ounces grape tomatoes, cut in half (also about half of a package)

grated parmesan cheese
4-8 ounces Gemelli pasta (depending on how “veggie” you like this)

serves 2-3Prep all the vegetables and ingredients (this goes together very fast). Prepare a big pot of salted water for the pasta, put in on high heat with a lid. While the water is boiling start the vegetables. In a large skillet heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the garlic for about a minute then add the pepper. Continue cooking until the peppers soften (about 3 minutes) then add the mushrooms. Keep stirring this because I like to leave the heat pretty strong and like of caramelize the veggies in this last stage. Add the pasta to the water when it’s ready. Drain the pasta and take the vegetables off the heat. Add the tomatoes and basil at the last minute to the pan, stir a few times then add the hot pasta to the pan. Serve this with grated parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil if you like.

Rosemary Skewers

I had just a ton of Rosemary left over from a job I worked on at MK for Pizza. There were piles and piles of fresh herbs in the background of the commercial so I gladly took a bunch off their hands. But when I got home I realized, I don't really like rosemary, why did I take home so much rosemary, I'm always bitching when people put a lot of rosemary in some dish. But then I also realized, I have some chicken breasts and I could cut up the chicken and skewer it on the rosemary. Would it work? Would it taste to "rosemary-y"? Yes! And NO! It was awesome. My friend Cayner came over to help me move a cedar chest to my basement and we filled ourselves full of chicken skewers and a bottle of vine Verde wine from Trader Joe's ($3.99 and so good). All I did to make these beauties was strip most of the leaves from the rosemary stalks. Then I trimmed the ends on an angle, to make a sharp point like a needle. I threaded three or four pieces of chicken on each, sprinkled with salt and pepper and drizzled with a bit of olive oil. I cooked them on my grill pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Wow, I'm telling you this is good, right Cayner?

Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Potatoes with Sweet Onions

Sirens' Show=Critic's Choice!

Social Atom-Familiarity breeds comedy in the Sirens' 50-minute show of short improvised scenes: instead of building on characters or narratives, the ten-woman group explores permutations of a single human relationship suggested by an audience member. At the show I saw, to-be, current, and former sisters-in-law were presented in love triangles, as estranged siblings, and at family yard sales. The interpersonal theme suits the players' personable style: they invent names for one another during scenes, closely bookend the stage if they're not performing, and punctuate the evening with anecdotes from real life. Together for seven years now with few changes in personnel, the Sirens have a great time--and that positive energy really rubs off. " Through 6/30: Fri 10:30 PM, Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted, 773-509-6433, $8-$12. --Ryan Hubbard, Chicago Reader, Critic's Choice

Leftover Pork and Beans

Keep reading! I promise this isn’t some gross recipe for how to re-heat a can of pork and beans. THIS is a lesson on fridge raiding. As I looked in longingly wishing there was sugar-free fat free chocolate mousse, Cornell BBQ chicken, fresh tomato salsa, and sweet corn with herb butter, I found ½ roasted pork tenderloin, ½ bag of baby spinach (on it’s last leg), nub of parmesan, and wilting basil. All of these things would have been “past due by tomorrow” but today I had my chance to resurrect them. I would make something new out of leftovers! (Trumpets sound in my head as I think this; if my husband were here he would not hear the trumpets). What I came up with can also be made vegetarian by leaving out the pork (obviously) and substituting veggie broth or water for the chicken broth.

Stars of the Show (Leftovers)

½ pork tenderloin (already enjoyed on a roll as a sandwich)
½ bag baby spinach (already enjoyed as a salad and with scrambled egg whites)
very small block of Parmesan (about to be just the rind and perfect for soup or sauce)
10 or so basil leaves (already enjoyed on whole wheat pizzas)

The Pantry

4 ounces whole-wheat pasta (or any kind)
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup water
1 teaspoon “Better than Bouillon” (or combine these as ½ cup of broth)
olive oil
red pepper flakes

I will figure out a recipe to go with this picture!

Something so delicious your eyes will close!

Thai Chicken Thighs

Can you tell I bought a big pack of chicken thighs and I live alone right now? ...pause...

This can be made on it's own, but it uses up all the left over ingredients from the Coconut-Curry Mashed Sweet Potatoes and the French Chicken Thighs. Use up your food!!!! Don't be one of those people that throw away food from 6 months ago (mk). You waste your time, money and Tupperware! Get creative you lazy piece of s...wiss cheese!

Serves 2

1/2 onion, sliced
2 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water and 1 tsp. bouillon)
2/3 c. light coconut milk
1/4-1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach
1 medium sweet potato
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

If you have a left over baked sweet potato use that, if not wash it and poke it a few times with a knife, then microwave on high for 5 minutes. Heat some cooking spray in a skillet with a lid or a large sauce pan with a lid. Sauté the onion for about a minute then push them to the sides of the pan; turn up the heat to medium high. When the pan is hot again add the chicken thighs. Generously sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook each until they are brown and crusty on both sides (about 3-4 minutes each side). Turn the heat down to medium low, add the broth and rub up all the nice chicken bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the curry paste (make sure and incorporate it all) and the coconut milk. When it begins to boil add the spinach, stir, cover and cook about 5 minutes. Add the Sweet potato and cilantro and cook for a few minutes uncovered to thicken the sauce. I eat this with a green salad with Trader Joe's Cilantro dressing, but you could also have it with some rice.

Coconut-Curry Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Chili Broccoli

My friend Meagan came over to my house the other night, to cook, drink, and bitch. Two gals in their thirties who want to have babies and new jobs getting super drunk, it was very productive and wonderful. We cooked food. We drank almost 3 bottles of wine. We learned a lot about each other, I think. I made two of my favorite side dishes and some fish we won't mention for too long because I screwed it up. But the side dishes did I mention those, two of my favorites. The mashed sweet potatoes I first served at Easter a few years ago, my husband came up with the idea and I took care of the recipe (he takes the credit, that's fine). And the broccoli, I’m obsessed with it these days; I eat it about 4 times a week. It satisfies all of my cravings, sweet, spicy and garlicky at the same time. And for WW crazies like me they are both low points but feel like cheating.

Coconut-Curry Mashed Sweet Potatoes
serves 4

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 5-6 inches)
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1/4 tsp. red curry paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Wash the potatoes, then poke them several times with a knife or fork. Microwave for 8-10 minutes on high. Let the potatoes cool then scoop out and discard the skins. Mash the potatoes with a fork, add the coconut milk and carefully blend the curry paste making sure it gets incorporated. This curry paste stuff is VERY SPICEY. You only need a little, start with just a touch and add more if you like, you want to mix it well so that it doesn’t bite you in the ass later. Add the cilantro and mix well. The potatoes will be lumpy but that's a good things, feel free to whip them or play around with how much coconut milk you use.

Sweet Chili Broccoli

2-3 cups broccoli, frozen or fresh
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp. spicy garlic chili sauce

Sauté the garlic with some olive oil until soft and golden over medium heat. Add the broccoli and stir fry for 5-8 minutes until for tender. If you want the broccoli softer or if you are using frozen add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to steam it and cover the pan. Before serving toss broccoli with the chili sauces, adjust them to your taste.

Healthy Pizza? Screw you!

It's true! I'm human, American, I love pizza. But I gave up a dairy for a while (I still don't eat too much) and boy does that make you miss pizza and going out for pizza. Have you heard of Mary Lou Henner? Remember sexy gal from Taxi? She now writes health books and other stuff based on her "body makeover", vegetarian, non-dairy life and raising non-dairy kids. I have a feeling she's kind of coo-koo but she's a TV and movie star so I have to believe she has something interesting to say, and besides famous people's books always have great pictures from their ugly high school years and that gives me hope. I picked up one of these books on the Borders sale rack (I'm cheap this is documented) and the 30 days before I turned 30 I decided to make a few "changes." I cut out dairy and caffeine. My doctor had recommended that I cut out dairy to help my allergies, was he crazy? Oh wait, he wasn't it worked. Despite that fact that so many people are lactose intolerant it's pretty freaking hard to find soy cheese available at your corner pizza place (in Chicago I order from Leona's, they offer soy cheese). So people like me have been forced to huddle in their kitchen with their pizza stones and eat "homemade pizza." This should sound appealing but I'm not going to blow smoke, it's not as good as take out. But I've come up with two that are respectable, one uses soy and the other very little regular cheese. Both used store bought pizza dough or crusts.

Crusts I have used:
Boboli (regular and whole wheat)–both are good, I prefer the whole wheat, it actually tastes fresher, for pizza crusts they’re a little pricey
Rhodes (freezer section)–good old fashioned white bread tasting, great for stromboli and calzones too, defrosting does take some pre-planning but you can have the dough in your fridge for a few days
Pillsbury (refrigerator section)–not my favorite but in a pinch it’s okay, it tastes like a stretched our biscuit
Trader Joes (refrigerator section)-I tried their “boboli-like” crusts as well as the pizza dough they sell in regular and whole wheat. I prefer the doughs, both are good but obviously the whole wheat is better for you. The crusts are fine and cheap, but drier than Boboli.

Spinach-Feta Pizza

1 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced (half moons)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
1/2 c. tomato sauce (optional)
10-15 kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough

Preheat oven and pizza stone (if you are using one) based on the dough/crust's directions. In a skillet cook the onions and garlic with a little cooking spray and a generous pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat until they turn golden brown and start to caramelize. Add the frozen spinach and lemon zest, cook until just heated through and any liquid has evaporated. Stretch the crust to about 18" round/oval shape. Sprinkle the heated pizza stone with corn meal and place the dough on it. Top the dough with tomato sauce if you like or olive oil. Spread the spinach mixture and sprinkle the chopped olives and feta evenly. Top everything with another dash of salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Bake about 10-15 minutes (follow product directions).

Southwest Chicken Pizza

¾ c. Barbeque Sauce
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 c. red pepper, diced
½ c. cooked or canned corn (optional)
½ red onion, diced
1/3 c. cilantro, chopped
1 ½ c. grated soy cheese (I like a blend of Mozzarella and Cheddar) or Asiago

Thin Crust Boboli Pizza Crust (I like Whole Wheat)

Preheat oven. Top the crust with chicken then bbq sauce, spread around to coat all the crust and chicken. Sprinkle on the cheese then the peppers, corn and onion. Bake for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro after cooking because it tends to dry out if it’s on top, or blend it with the sauce and chicken first.

French Chicken Thighs

This is in honor of every woman who somehow falls in love with a French guy. He might be short, hairy, have crazy teeth, smoke instead of breathe but if he’s the real deal, shipped from France, we’ll fall for him. When I was about 24 my friend Nico came to me to ask would I consider marrying his friend so that he could stay in the country. He showed me a picture and told me he was a chef (hello I love to cook!). I said, “I’d only consider it if he paid for my grad school.” Well he did consider it and I had to meet him. Luckily he was unbelievably gorgeous. But you see I knew I had a funny Irish American guy waiting out there for me… somewhere…whatever the French dude was broke and full of promises.
This recipe takes me back to that time because my friend Nico cooked a lot with wine and I never really had. I remember some Sherry being in our pantry for 19 years but I never remember anyone cooking with it.

Serves 2

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
Onion (sliced)
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup water or broth
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes

In a skillet heat about two teaspoons olive oil. Sauté the onions and mushroom over medium heat until they are getting soft but not too done. Move them to the edges of the pan, add the chicken thighs and sprinkle each generously with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook about 4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Add the wine and let the alcohol cook off for a bout a minute. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium/low. Cook for another 4 minutes or so then remove the lid and add as much of the water or broth as you like (I used 1/3 cup because I like a little sauce but if you want it drier don’t use any). Serve with Rice or Risotto.

A note on chicken thighs for the other Weight Watcher Point whores like myself, I know they have more fat than chicken breast but the advantage is the intense flavor and the portion control. Some chicken breasts are a ½ pound or more each. Each chicken thigh is just about 4 ounces or less and 3-4 points. Just go for it you whimp.

SIRENS newest long form show SOCIAL ATOM

May 5th through June 30th. Fridays @ 1030pm
The Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted
Tickets $12, Reservation line 773 509 6433
www.sirensimprov.com
www.the-playground.com
A relationship comes in many forms and Sirens takes on ALL of them in their newest improvised long form. Social Atom explores an audience-suggested relationship to reveal the infinite permutations that one relationship can take in different lives and contexts. Professional and personal relationships collide, people meet in unlikely places, boundaries get crossed. Through fully-formed characters, some personal anecdotes from the cast, and Sirens’ usual quick wit, Social Atom reveals the normalcy and the absurdity of human social interaction.

Chicago Reader"This is comedy for the NPR set: smart, sexy, engaging, and very, very funny. "-Jennifer Vanasco read moreTime Out Chicago"[Sirens] had me laughing for weeks"-Novid Parsiread more

IMBB #24 - Date Night Tilapia with Sofrito and Black Bean Couscous and Mexican Slaw

This meal represents 3 important food elements to me: the crunchy (slaw), the salty (olives with the fish) and a vehicle for a sauce (the couscous with it's monster ability to absorb the amazing broth of the fish). The tilapia and slaw are two things I make a lot but the couscous is truly a new experiment that I created just for this. I am suddenly in lust with Sofrito so I had to incorporate that with some of my other favorite flavors and I chose couscous (you could sub brown or white rice) because it soaks up so well (like I said vehicle for sauce).
You can finish all these dishes in 30 minutes for sure. I did while pausing to take pictures. Here is the order I'd suggest: Chop everything first - the cabbage, cilantro and jalepeno for the slaw, extra cilantro for the couscous and the onion for the fish. That's all the major prep. Get out a large skillet, medium saucepan and a medium mixing bowl. Now you are ready to have a kick ass thirty minutes of cooking fun! Get the onions started for the fish, assemble the slaw and let it stand, finish the tilapia and make the couscous last. Wow, that was fun, even better than the time I made the game winning free throw against the West Middle School Warriors or the time I met Tommy Tune (I really did meet him). Good luck and enjoy!

Mexican Slaw

1/2 small green cabbage (shredded)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 red or green jalepeno (seeds removed and finely diced)
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. vinegar (white, rice wine, balsamic, anything)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt (I like kosher or sea salt for this, this is a minimum, you may need more)
Dash garlic or onion powder
Dash pepper

Here's what you do: Wash and dry the cabbage (save the other half for a stir-fry). Shred it on the largest cutting edge of a box grater or just chop it into thin strips (not longer than two inches). Place the cabbage in a bowl, layer on the cilantro and jalepeno, sprinkle on ALL remaining ingredients. Toss and let it hang out for a bit either on the counter or in the fridge. Taste it and see if it needs more vinegar or sugar. I sometimes use ½ packet of Splenda instead of sugar and leave out the oil if I'm really trying to be good. This goes really well with Asian food too, you can sub 1 teaspoon sesame oil in and chopped peanuts or sesame seeds.

Date Night Tilapia

(this gets it's name from the fact that I often order a dish like this at a place my husband and I frequent on our "dates")

1 lb Tilapia (fresh or frozen fillets)
2-3 tbsp. sliced green olives with pimentos
1-2 tbsp. diced pickled jalapeno (or leave them as slices)
2 tbsp. capers
1 cup diced sweet onion (white or yellow is fine too)
2 cups chicken broth (or one 15 ounce can)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper and paprika
lime wedges (garnish)

Okay, sauté the onions on medium in a large skillet with a lid (or use a big plate or platter if you don't have a lid) for a minute or two in 1 tbsp. of oil, add the oregano and garlic powder. Stir around, then add the capers, jalapenos and olives. Increase the heat to medium high, add broth and fish and cover. Cook for about 3-4 minutes (5-6 if the fish is frozen when you put it in) until the fish is white throughout. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika, drizzle of olive oil, dash of salt and lime juice. This is also great with some thinly sliced carrot or diced tomatoes. The real clincher is the Mexican oregano - if you can’t find it, email me and I’ll send you some. Seriously I will. You can substitute regular dried oregano but use a little less.

Sofrito and Black Bean Couscous

1 can black beans - 15 ounce (drained and rinsed)
3 tbsp. Sofrito (you can buy it frozen or find it in the ethnic food aisle)
1 c. water
1 tsp. chicken boullion (optional)
1 c. whole wheat couscous
salt to taste
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro (bit more if you like, I like)

In a sauce pan (with a lid) heat the olive oil on medium. Add the Sofrito and stir until it starts to get stickier but don't cook it too long just until the consistency changes a bit and the aroma releases. Add the black beans and stir around to marry the Sofrito flavors to the beans. If you like, add a teaspoon of boullion or soup base, incorporate it and add the water. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, cover and turn off the heat. Don't open the lid for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous, add the cilantro and taste to see if it needs more salt (between the Sofrito and boullion it shouldn't need much).

Tagged with: IMBB24 + 30Minutes

Sofrito Shrimp

Sometimes I fall in love with an ingredient before I even try it. This is evident in my relationship with Sofrito. Sofrito is a "Latino" but I guess I'd call it Puerto Rican seasoning. It has peppers and onions and garlic and cilantro and other wonderful things in it. I found myself watching this woman on PBS, her name is Daisy, cooking EVERTHING with Sofrito. She made her own and had it in a jar. It was so beautiful, wet and sensual looking and everything she made with it was so sexy. I fell in love with Sofrito and I had never had it, used it or tasted it. If this sounds weird to you think about when someone describes a paradise of a place to you, a cabin in the woods or a hidden water fall or an island or mountain they explored, you may never go there but you fall in love with it, right? And how about those movie stars we all lust after, we don't know them but they look and sound so beautiful they must be perfect for us, they would make us happier than our our boring husbands or wives or parents. So I fell in love with Sofrito and I never really planned to make it or cook with it, just admire it from a distance.
But I was visiting this great little fruit and vegetable market in Andersonville, they had a lot of wondeful Latino ingredients that the "ethnic" food aisle in Dominick's doesn't carry, I got some hepazote (I'm not sure how to spell it), some beautiful crumbly farmer cheese and in the freezer I spotted this container of Sofrito. Holy cow, there it was, like seeing John Malkovich in a coffee shop. I had to go for it. I really did encounter John Malkovich in a coffee shop with my friend Megan and we stared at him for an uncomfortable amount of time and then I very elegantly went up to him and slipped him a flyer to our improv show. Possibly what I thought was the bravest thing I had ever done and now I think, wow, what a DORK I was (I was 31, god, embarrassing). My run in with the Sofrito went much better, I bought it, brought it home and looked at it longingly in my freezer for a while until I decided to defrost it and force myself to cook with it. I was sure I'd be dissapointed but this stuff is fragrent and wonderful and versatile. I created a shrimp dish with it and then for a 30 minute meal I'm working on came up with a Sofrito and Black Bean Whole Wheat Couscous. Look for a container of it and try it or make it yourself. You'll fall in love and it will be for real, not like in People magazine.

Sofrito Shrimp

6 tbsp. pre-made Sofrito
1/3 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 lb. tail on shrimp (raw or defrosted)
3-4 tbsp. sliced green olives
3-4 tbsp. chopped cilantro
olive oil
lemon wedge (optional)

In a skillet or large sauce pan heat 2 teaspoons olive oil (or use cooking spray if you like), add the sofrito and cook until bubbling and starting to thicken and get sticky. Add the broth, and shrimp (if raw cook until opaque, if defrosted heat through for about 30 seconds then remove from heat). Remove from heat, add the olives and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

My dad Chris is partial to serving Angel Food cake with chocolate whipped cream, which is very simple to make. He isn't a baker (he's a Florist) but he loves making whipped cream for pies, or cakes or one of his other favorites peach or starwberry shortcake.

1 pint heavy cream (very cold)
1-2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons super fine sugar

Use a metal bowl and chill it in the freezer for a bit before you get to work on this. Whip the cream on high until very soft peaks form (using a hand or standing mixer). Add the cocoa, and sugar and using mixer on low/medium incorporate it (I suggested a range of sugar and cocoa because you need to make this to the sweetness you like, so taste it along the way). Add the vanilla and whip on high until the peaks form again, careful not to over whip this or you'll have chocolate butter (I've done it, no sweat, that's why I always buy two pints of cream when I make whipped cream.

3 Tier Angel Food Cake

Isn't this the coolest Angel Food cake pan you've ever seen? The mold/pan is designed to create three tiers with out having to cook three little cakes, I thought it was so beautiful!
I found this CRAZY pan at the Unique Thrift store by my place. I go there pretty much every Monday because that day
everything is half off. I am a cheap person, and I am proud of that fact. This mold was $1.20. It has the little feet to rest it upside down but I love hanging the cake on a bottle to cool (usually a liquor bottle, what does that say about me?). Oh you've never heard of hanging a cake upside down to cool? Oh you don't believe me? Oh you think that the cake would fall out of the pan? Step OFF! It's true the most fun part of making an Angel Food cake whether you use a mix or make it from scratch (both are delicious) is if you have a pan (like this one) with a hole in the center you can hang it upside down to cool (long loaf pans also cool upside down but just use their little feet, not as exciting I assure you). Oh you still don't believe me? You don't grease the pan so I swear it will stick and not fall, it needs to cool that way because it's mostly egg whites and will collapse into itself if you cool it the regular way. I served this with the obvious berries and more on side, chocolate sauce for drizzling and whipped cream, OUCH it was good!

Central New York Salad

I’m from Auburn, NY in Central New York (State). It’s the Canada of New York, we aren’t “New Yorkers” with Brooklyn accents we sound more like we are from the Mid-West. Manhattan and down state may have beautiful museums and ballets and operas and very expensive restaurants and Chinatown and little Italy, but we have WINGS. Buffalo wings and wing sauce are very important to us. A lot of Central and Western NY puts wing sauce on their pizza and blue cheese dressing too (it’s delicious try it). Luckily my husband (from Kansas City, MO) also has a love affair with Buffalo wings. But seeing as we are trying to be good and get down to our fighting weights having regular wings in kind of bad. I’ve come up with a salad that gets the wing flavor across and is super filling but very healthful. You could also just have the chicken and dip and celery and carrots and not salad, what ever get you through the ballgame.

2 cups salad greens
6-8 grape tomatoes
¼ c. chopped celery and carrot (I used shaved carrots in this picture)
2 tablespoons Blue Cheese Dressing (I substituted Ranch in this because I’m in love withTrader Joe’s stupid (I mean amazing!) low fat Ranch dressing)
Sprinkle of blackening or Cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 chicken breast poached and chopped (or use chopped left over chicken)
3 tablespoons “Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce” by Durkee (if you don’t have this substitute some hot sauce but not Tabasco, the thicker more vinegary kind)

For the chicken I used a frozen breast straight from the freezer. I browned it in a skillet with some cooking spray on both sides then added about 1 cup chicken broth or water and bouillon. Let the broth come to a boil and then put a lid on the skillet and poach the chicken until no longer pink about 10 minutes. Chop up the cooked chicken and toss it with the wing sauce. Assemble the rest of the salad; pour over the dressing sprinkle on salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning. Top it all with the chicken.

Lemon-Feta Pesto with Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Riffing off my obsession with fat-free Feta I made this pasta. It's has many things I love in it, lots of garlic and lemon and of course some salty cheeses. If you are a WW point whore like myself you will also like it. Each serving is 5 or 6 points, not bad considering how teriffic this tastes. I've been making alot of these improvised pesto sauces because Tim can't have pine nuts (or so he claims) so jarred or prepared ones are out. It's kind of rediculously easy and tons of different things can my subbed in for the ingredients I have in this, like some baby spinach or arugula or lime juice and cilantro instead of basil and lemon, come on work your imagination!


1 package store bought basil (the kind in the little plastic "bed")
or about 3/4 of a cup of leaves
2 cloves garlic
1-2 teaspoons lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons fat free feta cheese (or any feta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 ounces cooked whole wheat spaghetti (or any pasta), that's 1/4 of a package
8-10 grape tomatoes halved
Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients up to the olive oil in a food processor, chopper or blender. Pulse/blend until mixed, slowly add the oil while the machine is running. While the pasta is still hot add the pesto and tomatoes, divide into two bowls and top with a sprinkle or some shavings of fresh parmesan cheese.

My Current Obsessions

Since November I have been a "point" whore. I am going to Weight Watchers meetings and my life has changed forever (for the good or bad) because I will always know how many points are in most foods. This is of course a good thing for my jeans whose seams were pulling apart. This makes me a whore because I will do almost anything to get as much food for as little points as I can, ALMOST ANYTHING. When I find products that have low points and make me feel not just like a human eating but like I'm cheating and being bad and self indulgent and happy, I get a little obsessed with them. My current love affair is with Trader Joe's Parmesan Ranch Dressing. It has 1 point for 2 tablespoons, for anyone who doesn't know what that means it's 30 calories and 1.5 grams of fat for a ton of dressing. It tastes amazing, and no it's not because I have been eating only birdseeds of something, it's REALLY GOOD. A very close second is the Cilantro dressing. This Sh*t is so good my husband
has started eating salad with his lunch and dinner. In comparision there are fat free dressings by many compnaies, honestly most are barely edible, they are sticky, sweet, and taste fake. There are these "2 Good" ones that are sold by Wishbone I think, they are so chemically they don't need to be refiderated until they are opened, also barely edible. Moving on to cheese I've never been a cheese and cracker person but when I found out that regualr cheese had 3 points for an ounce, ouch, for some reason I was craving it all the time. I found this cheddar by Cabot that's not fat
free (thank God because then it would be gross) and it's only 1
point for 1 ounce. So basically I can have cheese and crackers and wine and not be very bad, thanks CABOT! Trader Joe's Fat Free Crumbled Feta is a great treat when you want a Greek salad or anything cheesey and salty, I sprinkle it on salads with vinegrette or on pasta. And last but not least this Greek yogurt that's fat free. Wow, I never spent much time with Greek yogurts but now I do, they are rich and cheesey and fantastic. My favorite thing to have this with is as a dip for carrots (with
some salad dressing or dried herbs mixed in or on a baked sweet potato or half of a roasted acorn squash. Let's hear it for healthy items that taste good, hooray! I want to stay in the jeans I own now but I never just want to eat to live. Sorry I know that is probably what I'm supposed to do because animals don't go out and spend $100 at a restaurant. But I like everything to taste good even if I have to go to the gym and do Pilates and plan out how to murder my teacher. These lowfat helpers keep her alive.

Date Night Talapia

This recipe is based on a dish I order over and over again at one of my favorite restaurants Las Mananitas in Chicago. The restaurant is very special to my husband Tim and I because we call it “our place.” All the waiters know us there because we sometimes go once a week. We went there to celebrate when I was a finalist for a TV show (Wickedly Perfect, I know I am glad I didn't get on, it was terrible) and when my husband got hired to perform for Second City and numerous other occasions that we have invented to give us a reason to go. We also went on one of our first dates there. Now, this restaurant is in the middle of Boys Town, which if you are not from Chicago is a gay neighborhood. The décor of Las Mananitas is kind of South Beach, very pastel, you get me? So of course it would make perfect sense to have one of our first romantic dates there. Just picture these two straight, pale, curly haired dorks oogling over each other. We are lucky they ever let us back in.


1 lb Talapia (fresh or fozen fillets)
2-3 tbsp sliced green olives with pimentos
1-2 tbsp diced pickled jalapeno (or leave them as slices)
2 tbsp capers
1 cup diced sweet onion (white or yellow is fine too)
2 cups chicken broth (or one can 15ounce)
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp dried Mexican Oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper and paprika
lime wedges (garnish)

Okay sauté the onions on medium (in a large skillet with a lid) for a minute or two in 1 Tbs. of oil, add the oregano and garlic powder. Swirl around then add the capers, jalapenos and olives. Increase the heat to med high add broth and fish and cover, cook for about 3-4 minutes (5-6 if the fish is frozen when you put it in) until the fish is white throughout. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika, drizzle of olive oil, dash of salt and lime juice.
This is also great with some thinly sliced carrot or diced tomatoes added. The real clincher is that Mexican Oregano if you can’t find it email me I’ll send you some, seriously I will.

Tim’s Current Favorite Pasta

My husband Tim can eat the same things over and over. Right now he’s on a vegetarian Corn Dog kick. But that works to my advantage if I have made something he really likes and I have leftovers. I love beans and greens type pasta and Tim has enjoyed it but when I came up with this ground turkey, beans and pasta version he really flipped his lid. We have been trying to eat healthier so I used extra lean turkey in this but you could also chop a skinless chicken breast in the food processor or use the fattier turkey or ground beef. Also I used whole-wheat pasta, now if you don’t like whole-wheat pasta you may just have to keep trying it and get used to it. It’s the wave of the future. There is going to be whole-wheat pasta at the Olive Garden soon, you can quote me on that. And a Kraft Mac and cheese box with “whole grain pasta” too.

1/2 finely chopped onion
1 carrot or 8-10 baby carrots finely chopped
1 stalk celery finely chopped
Olive Oil
1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I like Great Northern)
1 can Chicken broth or 2 cups
1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta
1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey (all white if you can find it)
Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper flakes, Garlic Powder, Dried Basil
Grated Parmesan Cheese
(serves 4-6)

In a large skillet, heat (on medium) about 1 tablespoon olive oil (try not to use extra virgin). Add the vegetables and about a teaspoon of salt. If you are lazy like me chop the onion, carrot and celery in the food processor until they are the size of grains of rice (or a little bigger). Sauté until they are getting soft about 5 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a generous amount of salt (my Uncle Tony likes to say that “generous” as a measurement). Whole-wheat pasta needs some help so use 1-2 teaspoons of salt in the water. Cook the pasta until it is still a little chewy, and then drain (don’t rinse or add oil to it). Add the beans and continue to cook on medium heat for another few minutes. In another large skillet brown the ground turkey (spray the pan with some cooking spray first). Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper and Garlic powder to the ground turkey. If you like (I like) add a sprinkle or two or red pepper flakes and basil. Add the turkey to the vegetable bean mix then add the chicken broth and allow everything to come to a boil. Add the pasta and serve with Parmesan. It’s a pain to juggle three pots and pans but I swear it’s worth it.

Shredded Chicken Chili

Do you want to be more thoughtful, spontaneous, creative, a tiger in bed? Than you need to know how to poach chicken, it isn't just delicious it's one of those cooking things that feels very advanced and adult but is super easy and will make you feel like a rock star (a.k.a. a tiger in bed). You can stop reading after the chicken recipe if you already have a KILLER chili recipe that you love. This chicken and broth is so amazing you can use it for anything, chili, soup, salads, seriously anything. Like I said after the chicken recipe I will tell you about the chili I made. You should learn how to do this not just because it’s easy and tastes amazing but the cost of boneless skinless breast is outrageous. The other day when it wasn’t on sale it cost $7.99 a pound. What??!! Insane this is much better and just as low fat if you peel off the skin when it’s done.

Shredded or Chopped Chicken and Broth

1 whole chicken cut up
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot or 10 babies
3 stalks celery
10 peppercorns or 1 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp salt
8-10 cups water
Suggested Spices:
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Peel, wash and cut into 2-3 inch pieces all the vegetables (garlic just peel but leave whole), place them in the bottom of a large pot. Add all of the chicken (neck too but not the heart, etc. that comes in the bag), the spices and water, make sure the water is covering the chicken. Over medium high heat bring everything to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes. The chicken should be done but you can check it by cutting into the breast and seeing if it is no longer pink, or use a meat thermometer and make sure it reaches 160 degrees. Remove the chicken to a pan or large plate and let it cool. When it’s cool remove the chicken skins and the meat from the bones. Chop it if you like in small cubes or I like to shred it with two forks.Remove all the vegetable and toss them, then strain the broth. Once you cool the broth, scrape off the fat and throw it away. Really you can use this broth for soup or something, it will stay in the fridge (a week) of freeze it (longer than a week).

The Chili!

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 pablano peppers chopped
1 can (6 ounce) diced mild green chiles
1 package sliced mushrooms (chop these more is you like)
1 can (15 ounce) crushed tomatoes (or half of large can)
2 cans (15 ounce) beans, drained and rinsed (I like red or white beans for this)
1 teaspoon salt
½- 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder or ½ chipotle pepper chopped very fine
4-5 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 chicken breasts and 1 chicken thigh shredded

In a large pot sauté the onion and garlic (use half of the salt now too). Add the peppers and mushrooms, cook until everything soft about 7 minutes. Stir in the dry spices and cook another minute or too, then add the beans, crushed tomatoes and broth. Continue to simmer for about 10-20 minutes so the flavors can marry. Add the chicken and cilantro at the last minute. Serve with a dab of sour cream if you like and the Mexican slaw.

Taco Bowls

This is less of a recipe and more of an assembly line list. I make these Taco Bowls as a pre-lunch or evening snack for the film crew I work with but it is a great idea for a group dinner or anytime you have to feed picky eaters. I have said it before but letting people assemble their own food empowers them and makes your life so much easier. Here is all you do so that you can hear the same magic words I do, "Taco Bowls? They are my favorite!"

1 stack bowls (depends how many people you are having)
1 large bowl shredded lettuce (you can buy a bag of "Shreds" in the grocery store, or just shred your own I like iceburg but romaine is great too)
1 medium bowl crushed tortilla chips (slightly open the bag then hit it with something hard to break up the chips, this is super fun)
1 medium bowl Seasoned Ground Turkey or Beef (use extra lean for less calories and fat, brown it, add a good amount of salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and what ever else you like, drain the fat if necessary, NOT DOWN YOUR DRAIN, you'll ruin your pipes, put the fat in a can or bowl and let it congeal and then throw it away)
1 medium bowl BEANS!!! or refried beans (I just posted this recipe)
1 small bowl salsa (from the jar or I make my sidewalk salsa)
1 small bowl sour cream
1 medium bowl shredded cheese
1 small bowl pickled jalepenos
1 small bowl chopped fresh cilantro
1 small bowl chopped white onion
1 small bowl lime wedges
1 small bowl sliced black olives

Arrange all the bowls on a big table, make sure and put the messy stuff near the front, like salsa and shredded cheese or else all of your ingredient bowls will become littered with the spills.

BEANS!!!

This may be one of the most popular and most requested dishes I have ever served. Thankfully it is super easy. These beans are an important if not crucial element to good Taco Bowls (that recipe is also listed). I think they are kind of like baked beans mixed with refried beans. I came up with them when I ran out of refried beans and I had a lot of vegetarians to feed. Most vegetarians are low maintenance but some, well let’s just say they are not. My friend Ledell might be the biggest fan of these beans and is the first person I gave this recipe to. He is a great guy who I work with, he maintains and cleans the facility at MKFilms and he is very specific about what he likes and doesn’t likes, he sometimes thinks I’m trying to kill him with healthy food. He was pissed at me for months for making him try a California Roll with wasabi and soy sauce. The fact that he loves these beans makes me sure that everyone will.

2 cans (15oz) Pinto, Great Northern or Red Beans
1 cube Vegetable or Chicken Bouillon or 1 can broth
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon Mexican Oregano (if you don’t have Mexican omit this)
¼ teaspoon dried Chipotle Pepper (or if you have a little chopped up chipotle or adodo sauce use that)
Dash Salt
Dash Pepper
2 teaspoons Olive Oil

In a saucepan heat the oil over medium low heat. Drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the oil. Stir regularly until the beans get sticky and start to have an opaque sauce. Add the dry spices and then 1 ½ cups water (if you use broth don’t add water). The water should just cover the beans but not make them super soupy. Continue to cook uncovered on low until the water/broth has thickened. Check to see if you need more salt or pepper. Serve as a side dish or a filling for tacos, taco bowls or burritos.

Mexican Slaw

This idea is based on a cabbage slaw from a catered Mexican lunch I once had. I asked the catering company over and over for them to bring it back but now they just serve sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, I don’t mean to complain but that is BORING! And it doesn’t go with Mexican food. This cabbage slaw is pretty close that I have come up with and it is amazingly low fat and compliments any Mexican style dinner you like. If you are like me and you can eat truckloads of chips and anything, this slaw helps fill you up so you don’t go back for your fifth taco or third plate of nachos. It also is a great salad base instead of lettuce. Just today I made some and topped a big pile of slaw with some ground turkey I had left over from tacos, diced jalapenos and a little salsa verde (green salsa).

½ small green cabbage (shredded)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 fresh red or green jalepeno pepper (seeded and diced very small)
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon vinegar (white, rice wine, balsamic, anything)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (I like kosher or sea salt for this, taste it you may need more)
Dash garlic or onion powder
Dash pepper

Anyway here’s what you do, wash and dry the cabbage (save the other half for a stir-fry). Shred it on the largest cutting edge of a box grater or just chop it into thin strips (not longer than two inches). Juice the lime and add all the other ingredients to the cabbage. Toss and let it all hang out for a bit either on the counter or in the fridge. Taste it and see if it needs more vinegar or sugar. I like a diced jalapeno for heat but you can leave it out. I have also used ½ packet of Splenda instead of sugar and left out the oil if I'm really trying to be good. This goes really well with Asian food too, you can sub 1 teaspoon sesame oil in and chopped peanuts or sesame seeds.

Egg Drop Soup

My husband Tim constantly reminds me that he really doesn’t like soup, but I think that’s crazy, in my world everyone likes soup, or they should. I make soup a lot at work but I do at home too. I always had Italian Egg Drop soup when I was a kid, our neighbor and old baby sitter Carolyn Bauso used to make it for us (I think). It was many years until I had an Asian version and now I really love to make it, it's a little like a science lab.

3-4 eggs beaten
1 can straw mushrooms
1 can baby corn
3-4 scallions (chopped greens only)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2-3 ¼ inch slices ginger root
3 cloves garlic (lightly smashed but still kind of whole)
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
3 cans chicken broth (15 oz. each)

In a saucepan over medium heat broth with the garlic and sliced ginger until it reaches a boil then reduce to a simmer (about 10 minutes). Strain out the garlic and ginger with a slotted spoon, swirl a wooden spoon around the broth in a figure eight movement, then keeping the broth almost boiling add the beaten egg in a slow steady stream pausing every once in a while. The egg should resemble beautiful light ribbons, I recommend using a liquid measuring cup to pour the egg in. Drain and rinse the mushrooms and baby corn (hey, leave these out if you hate them it’s okay) and add them, the scallions, and the sesame oil to the broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another minute or two.

Seared Dates with Bacon

These are such an incredible little appetizer or Tapas, and super easy. BUT, they are not the most attractive little things. You will have to convince people to try them.
They will ask you “What’s in them?” You will say “Dates.” They will say “No, thanks I don’t like dates.” Remind them they are covered in bacon and everything turns out well covered in bacon. They will fall for this. If they don’t, stop wasting your breath. They are weird, picky eaters and don’t invite them over to your place again (unless they always bring outstanding wine or spirits).

Buy pre-cooked bacon, heat it for 5-7 seconds on high in the microwave to make it pliable. Cut each slice in half and wrap around a date and secure with a toothpick. In a hot skillet sear each date until the baon is crispy. Serve hot!

I recently had this kind of appetizer out at a resturant but they stuffed the dates with chorizo sausage, wow it was a very good idea!

Pumpkin Sage Pasta

I made up this recipe because I had to get rid of a big can of pumpkin. It turned out great, it's very rich and cheesey tasting but not really bad for you at all. I was inspired by some squash ravioli that I made that did not turn out as well. The squash ravioli looked kind of like square fried eggs with bulging bright orange centers.

3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 shallot (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh sage or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage(add it a little at a time depending on your taste)
1/3-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
15 ounce can prepared pumpkin
2 teaspoons brown sugar (white is fine too)
sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pasta water (more is needed)
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (more if needed)
8 ounces cooked pasta (I like penne rigate for this)
toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pinenuts for garnish

In a large fry pan, over medium heat, saute the garlic and shallots until golden with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (not extra virgin). Add the pumpkin, cheese and all of the spices, cook for about minute to carmelize a little. Add the stock and left over pasta water. Combine and heat through, then add the hot pasta (drain but don't rinse). Serve with a sprinkling of nuts or seeds a little more salt and pepper and cheese if you like.

Arugula Brushcetta on Grilled Kalamata Bread

You'll need a loaf of Olive Bread or any rustic kind (sour dough is always good). If it's stale and left over even better, why waste fresh bread. Slice the bread thin on an angle. Grill it on a grill pan, or toast it in the oven or toaster. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the bread. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle a little sea salt too. This is great alone BUT here's where the magic happens. Toss a few cups of arugula (or spinach will do in a pinch) with some olive oil (1 tbl.) fresh lemon juice (letbl. you 1 tbl.you will need to taste this an adjust for how lemony YOU like things) and some salt and pepper, add a sprinkle of garlic powder if you like. Lay 5-6 leaves of the wilted salad greens on each piece of bread. This is a great accompaniment to the Pumpkin Sage pasta, the lemony bite of the arugula and the rich bread and olives balance the warm, cheesy flavor of the pasta.

For a job I served the green "salady" part of this in a big bowl and arranged the toasts around it. Sometimes giving people some work to do assembling their food is worth it. I like to serve a lot of “make your own Blank,” breakfast burritos, taco bowls, sandwiches, because people are picky and will ask you to make them a special version.
Let's visit a typical exchange between myself and some people I work with (cook for):
“Erin what is in these sandwiches”
“Fresh slices of marinated skirt steak, baby spinach, shredded cabbage with a Vietnamese dressing on toasted baguettes”
“Oh, could I just have plain skirt steak with no marinade, and no cabbage and no spinach and no dressing and no bread?”

If you put out things a little un-assembled then you can avoid having to make special things for people and they can enjoy your snacks their way. It makes happiness happen.

Chopped Lentil Soup

When I am hung over or sleep deprived I make this soup. You don’t have to do anything, it’s all chopped in a food processor. You could make it very chunky and chop it all yourself but come on, go to a thrift store or garage sale and get an old food processor, non-cooks register for them all the time and then never use them and sell them at church bazaars. It's a great investment.

2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 large onion
2-3 cloves garlic
3 stalks celery
2 carrots (or handful of baby carrots)
1 bag pre-washed baby spinach
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
In a food processor chop all ingredients in batches until pebble sized or smaller. Or chop all ingredients by hand. In large stockpot heat oil over medium heat. Saute ingredients until semi-soft. Add:
1 can petite-diced tomatoes with juice (15 ounce size)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
½-1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 large can low sodium chicken broth or vegetable (48 ounces)
1 cup dried lentils (rinsed and sorted through)
Turn up heat and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to med/low to simmer until lentils are tender. For meat-eaters add:
½ lb. diced ham, turkey ham or turkey kielbasa (use up to a pound if you like)
Serve with a sprinkling of soy sauce. Makes 8-10 servings

Sweet Potato Thai Soup

Many of my soup creations are honest attempts to clean out my refrigerator. This is the point of soup (other than I just love soup, it’s so good, even pea soup and peas in general disgust me). I came up with this Thai inspired soup because I wanted to make Chicken Coconut Curry (I’ll add that recipe soon). BUT I was afraid the folks I was cooking it for would not go for it (especially because I was serving it at 11am). I have a weird job. My Craft Service is different because I mainly (only) work for MK films and they work EVERDAY on a “sound stage.” On location Craft Service I would not cook as much I would assemble snacks for them mostly. At MK, I cook breakfast, a hot mid morning snack, often a baked good in the afternoon and an evening snack. I when I say snack I mean meal cut up in smaller portions, it’s a meal for 35 let’s not kid ourselves. So, I love Chicken Coconut Curry but I didn’t think they would so I made it into a soup. To my surprise and the crew’s credit they scraped the giant pot clean.

(Originally I invented this to serve 35 people at MKfilms, so you will want to try it and keep tasting it, until I can make it a few more times and perfect the smaller servings)

1 large yellow or white onion-thinly sliced in half moons
2 cloves garlic-minced
1-2 large sweet potatoes-peeled and small diced
1 can petite-diced tomatoes with juice
1 can straw mushrooms-drained and rinsed
1 can bamboo shoots-drained and rinsed (chop smaller if you like)
1 can baby corn-drained and rinsed (chop smaller if you like)
2-3 cans low sodium chicken broth or veggie broth
1-2 cans lite coconut milk
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 chopped green onions
1 cup bean sprouts (washed)
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Cook sliced onion and garlic in a little olive or vegetable oil. If you have peanut or sesame add a few drops of that too. Sauté until soft, add brown sugar and cook another minute. Add soy sauce, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and corn; turn up heat to medium high. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil then reduce to a bubbling simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are tender. In another pot bring coconut milk and curry paste to a simmer for a few minutes (make sure curry paste is completely dissolved you don’t want any chunks, you can whisk it or use or fork). Taste test the curry/coconut milk because curry paste can be very spicy, add more if you like. Add warm coconut milk mixture to the vegetables and broth. Just before serving add chopped green onions, bean sprouts and cilantro.Serve as a soup or over hot Brown or Jasmine rice. You can also add left over cooked chicken just at the end for a heartier meat dish.

My version of Mrs. Kuntz's Potato Salad

Possibly the best Potato Salad EVER!

2 pounds red potatoes (washed, and diced into 1/2 inch pieces, they should be pretty small)
6 radishes (diced small)
3-4 dill pickles (diced small, THEY MUST BE DILL)
1/4 cup red onion (yep small diced)
1/2- 1 cup mayonnaise (use more is you like I only like it to be the binder)
1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped fine, use more is you like, but a little goes a long way, you can use dried dill but only use 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (basically a good sprinkling)

Boil chopped potatoes in a roomy pot with a teaspoon or so of salt. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and let cool, don't rinse them the starch will make everything bind together. When the potatoes are no longer warm pile on the onion, pickle, and radish. Place the mayonnaise in the center and sprinkle all the dill and dry spices on it. Swirl around the spices and the mayonnaise and then GENTLY combine all the ingredients.

Chipotle Potato Salad with Jicama

This should be eaten outdoors so I took it's picture next to the window.

2 pounds red potatoes (diced small, 1/2 inch or smaller)
1/2 pablano pepper (diced small)
1 chipotle pepper (seeded and diced SUPER small)
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers (more is you like it hotter)
1/2 cup jicama (diced small)
4 green onions or 1/2 small white onion (diced)
1/4-1/3 cup cilantro chopped
1/2-1 cup mayonnaise (I use a little to start and see if it needs more, I really just use the mayo as a binder but if you like it by all means use more)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a big pot boil potatoes with about 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until tender, drain but don't rinse. Transfer potatoes to a bowl to cool, when they are room temperature pile on the peppers, jicama, onion, cilantro, then the mayonnaise in the center. Sprinkle the dry spices and adobo over the mayo, swirl to combine then very gently mix all ingredients. Serves about 6-8.

Grilled Burgers with Chimichurri Sauce

Chimmichurri Sauce
1-2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (I usually love lots of vinegar but in this I like less and to add a bit of lemon juice)
2 tablespoons water
4 cloves finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup flat leaf parsley

Combine everything except parsley and olive oil in a bowl. In a food processor pulse/chop parsley and slowly add oil to emulsify. Add other ingredients and pulse a few more times. If you don't have a food processor you can use a blender, just combine all ingredients except oil to start and then slowly add it on "blend", and if you don't have a blender chop the parsley very fine and combine ingredients in a bowl in their order.

Paso Doble

Re-Opening October 21st at the Strawdog Theater. Check out the killer review from our first run.


CRITIC'S CHOICE-(Chicago Reader 8/5/05)Sirens, the all-women improv troupe, just keeps getting better. Now six years old, the group shapes its creative, rich comedy well, skewering the everyday grandiosity, quirks, foibles, and self-delusions of ordinary people. In their newest long-form improv show every sketch ends on a laugh: they've thoroughly mastered timing. "Paso Doble" begins from the seed of an audience suggestion, which gets turned into a monologue, which becomes a scene. By the end of the show I saw, the performers had somehow woven together Reno, TiVo, cats, the Messiah, dream catchers, and Catherine T. and John D. MacArthur into an interesting, multilayered story. This is comedy for the NPR set: smart, sexy, engaging, and very, very funny. --> Through 9/16: Fri 10:30 PM. Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted, 773-509-6433. $8-$12. --Jennifer Vanasco

Sidewalk Salsa

Dick Butkis and Roger Ebert ate this salsa. Just about anyone I’ve done Craft Service for has. This salsa has been made all over Chicago, on city streets and various kitchens. I make it using a food processor, BUT if you don’t have one just a little chopping will get you all set. That is what I do on location.

½ small white onion
¼ cup cilantro
½ bell pepper (any color)
Juice from ½ lime (sometime I use the whole thing)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can petite-diced tomatoes (drained)
1 can petite or regular diced tomatoes with chiles (hot or mild, drained)

In a food processor combine first five ingredients; don’t chop them just put them in whole. To get the most juice out of the lime, pierce its skin with a knife and heat it in the microwave for 7-10 seconds. Slice it in half and squeeze out the juice or us a reamer. Pulse four or five times then add the olive oil and pulse a few more. Add the tomatoes and pulse only 2 maybe 3 times. If you are doing this with out the use of a food processor, chop the onion, pepper and cilantro and then combine all ingredients in a bowl, omitting the olive oil. It’s just as good both ways.

Ahhh Summertime Avocado Corn Salsa

I made this salsa for a Blue Co. picnic. Adapt it with any left overs and odds and ends you have around, if you have canned corn use that just drain and rinse it, or if you have tomatoes instead of peppers use those.

4 ears of corn
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 red bell pepper(diced)
1/2 pablano or 1 whole jalepeno (diced, seeds removed)
1/2 small white onion (diced)
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
3 avocados(diced)

Shuck corn , rinse and break each cob in half. Boil in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt for 5 minutes. When the corn in cooled off slice off the kernels by holding the cob vertically, broken side down. Place corn and all other ingredients in a bowl (the peppers and onions should be diced very small because this is salsa and they have to fit on chips). Cut each avocado in half length wise and remove seed by stabbing it with a knife tip, and pulling it out. Using a butter knife cut up the avocado into small cubes right in it's own skin, basically make about 3-4 slices down and 3-4 across. Scoop out the avocado cubes with a large spoon and combine with the corn mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bass Fry

Cooking Bass in the Crest

I didn't have flour so I changed my fish fry recipe a little. I took the bass fillets, sprinkled them with a little salt then coated both sides with biscuit mix and a little cayenne pepper, then dipped them in egg with a little milk. I fried the fish in an electric fry pan with about 1/3 cup vegetable oil until golden and firm. We ate them with some tartar sauce of chopped pickle, lemon juice and mayo and some spicy cocktail sauce made with prepared horseradish, ketchup and habanero bbq sauce.

Otty Lake 2005

We have been staying at Farmer's Cottages on Otty Lake in Ontario for 18 years now. My mom, Margaret has been vacationing on Otty since she was a young child. Chris, Anneke, Adam, Tim and I all made appearances and almost all caught fish. This year my dad Chris came up for a few days wearing clogs and bermuda shorts, and it was our dog Tiki's first visit to the wilderness (as far as we know). This place always makes me want to eat and cook. As per the usual we had wonderful Bladerson cheese and cheese curds, red pepper jellies, maple sausages, viva puff cookies, fresh corn, dill pickle chips, and of course BASS!

Patty's Cucumber Salad with Blue Cheese

I got to try this salad at Otty Lake, Patty brought it to a picnic. The entertainment featured some brave souls in Improv games that I hosted. This game is "Dr. Know it All" with Adam, Bronwyn, Kathy and Jeanette.

1 cucumber (sliced)
2-3 tomatoes (sliced)
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons bottled Italian dressing
OR
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (a little goes a long way so use as much as tastes good to you)

Alternate cucumbers and tomatoes around a platter. Sprinkle cheese, dressing and dill.
(This salad is pictured with Chimichurri burger)

Florist's Daughter

I'm a florist's daughter so when I had some extra spray roses I felt the need to make sure I hadn't lost my touch. I arranged the bouquet and the various boutinnieres.

CEVICHE DE CAMARON: SHRIMP CEVICHE "COCKTAIL"

This dish was the star of a bridal shower I hosted. I substituted frozen tail off shrimp (2lbs.) and doubled the rest of the ingredients. I soaked the shrimp in the lime juice before I added the other ingrdients, but using the pre-cooked shrimp saved me time and dishes. My version made 10 very good sized servings. Thanks Rick Bayless this is terrific!

CEVICHE DE CAMARON: SHRIMP CEVICHE "COCKTAIL"
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 generous pound unpeeled smallish shrimp (I prefer the ones that are 41/50 count to a pound)
1/2 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
1/2 cup ketchup 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (such as Tamazula, Valentina or Búfalo, the latter being on the sweet side)
About 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin (optional, but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
1 cup diced peeled cucumber or jícama (or 1/2 cup of each)
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt
Several lime slices for garnish
Tostadas or tortilla chips, store-bought or homemade or saltine crackers for serving

1. Cooking and Marinating the Shrimp. Bring 1 quart salted water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Scoop in the shrimp, cover and let the water return to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat, set the lid askew and pour off all the liquid. Replace the cover and let the shrimp steam off the heat for 10 minutes. Spread out the shrimp in a large glass or stainless steel bowl to cool completely. Peel and devein the shrimp if you wish: One by one lay the shrimp on your work surface, make a shallow incision down the back and scrape out the (usually) dark intestinal tract. Toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 lime juice, cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
2. The flavorings. In a small strainer, rinse the onion under cold water, then shake off the excess liquid. Add to the shrimp bowl along with the cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, optional olive oil, cucumber and/or jícama and avocado. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
3. Serving the ceviche. Spoon the ceviche into sundae glasses, martini glasses, or small bowls: garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines to enjoy alongside.
Working Ahead: The ceviche is best made the day it is served. The flavorings can be added to the shrimp a few hours in advance. Makes 3 cups, serving 6 as an appetizer.Mexico One Plate at a TimeOctober 2000Rick BaylessScribnerEpicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sparkling Sangria

I made a version of this Sparkling Sangria from the Martha Stewart Living website for my friend Meagan's shower. I was a big hit but I changed it quite a bit. I used raspberries, tart apples, lemons, limes and blood oranges for the fruit and soaked them over night in Brandy and sugar. Then I used Young Berry Juice (Ceres brand) about 2 cups and chilled Prosecco (they have a great cheap version at Trader Joe's $6.99).

This picture freaks me out a little, I always think there are knitting needles next to the Sangria and I wonder to myself, "Are you supposed to drink Sangria when you knit? Is that some kind of tradition I don't know about?"