Planning & Prepping

I don't usually have a lot of non-recipe posts on the site but I wanted to share a new technique that I am trying to incorporate. I am sure that many people also read the Kitchn site and can across an article about a woman who preps an entire week of veggies in an afternoon and I have to admit I was intrigued. I always felt that cooking was something that I enjoyed doing each night and that advance prepping was more for people who had a bunch of children and a million activities. Last night, I cooked in the oven and since I was fresh from the grocery store with bags of fresh veggies I decided to give it a shot. While I prepped and cooked my fish and spinach I also made 2 lunches, 1 dinner mise en place and a healthy snack.

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthy is often time and planning. Its just so easy to grab something that isn't good for us - especially with so many tricky foods that market themselves as healthy. I wanted to try and set myself up for a good week and I needed to make sure that I had many different options ready so I didn't end up just "grabbing" something. One of the best and hardest parts of my work is that I often am traveling or eating out so there is a lot of temptation.

The dishes that I prepared were two servings of swiss chard and beans for lunches, roasted broccoli for snacking. I also prepped my dinner for tomorrow by dicing all of the peppers and onions needed for chili. This did save me a lot of time and helped me to prepare for the week as well as keep to my planned meals which helps in my new healthy outlook. I also put together a sandwich for his lunch and all the food for my day, an egg, berries and yogurt, a serving of the chard and beans, an apple and a clementine.

Do you ever meal prep in advance? Do you make a plan and stick to it or just make most meals as they come?

Garlic and Ginger Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts seem to have leaped from those slimy green things that your mom forced you to eat before you could have dessert to the trendiest menu item in recent years. While some of their popularity is due to all the health benefits that cruciferous vegetables have been credited with, much of it comes from how delicious they are when roasted until they have a bit of carmelization. I enjoy most roasted vegetables, in fact I often dream of being one of those super-organized people who not only menu plan but also clean, cook and pack up a weeks worth of roasted veggies on the weekends. But I will probably stick to cursing at my stove to hurry up as a snack on crackers while waiting for my dinner at 9:30 pm, since my weekends tend to revolve around a nap.

The best thing about roasting vegetables is that you barely even need a recipe, though many do use some yummy fat like bacon or pancetta to flavor the veggies and give a richer taste. While I really do love bacon, sometimes I am looking for a recipe that is a bit lighter which is why I decided to skip the bacon and head straight for the spice cabinet.

Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that people either love or hate - there is just no in between. I know many lovers so its a popular choice for me to bring to dinner parties. This holiday season I have seen quite a few new variations of this old classic including one of my favorite twists... cheesecake filled strawberries! My version was taken from a Martha Stewart collection of fall desserts. When I was invited to the Thanksgiving dinner, I was automatically thinking of something pumpkin flavored but the host's dislike of any and all orange colored foods made me rethink that decision. I was browsing though the list on Martha's site when I found this Maple version that was just perfect.

This is the first time I made a no-bake cheesecake. Usually I have a recipe that includes a few eggs and gets some time in the oven to make it more cake-like. This recipe was so easy and a great choice if you have been avoiding cheesecakes because of the water baths that they usually require for even cooking.

Shells with Bacon and White Beans

I am one of those people who eats soup year round. I honestly have a bowl almost every lunch time thanks to a few amazing NJ diner's who have 5 or 6 choices year round. Soup is one of the best meals out there. You can make it with just about anything - just throw some meat, vegetables, noodles, beans in a pot with some water or broth and you have a delicious meal that can be reheated over and over. I am trying to break my habit of going out to lunch every afternoon and so I have started to make a big batch on the weekend that I can then store in individual containers that I grab on my way out the door.

This soup was a little more thought out than usual...  I even made sure to have the bacon on hand and defrosted so no running the package under water for 10 minutes before I can start cooking. I saw the inspiration for this recipe earlier in the week on the kitchn and decided that I just had to make it. I went a bit more traditional for the pasta fagioli by including some diced tomatoes but you don't have to....and that is the beauty of soup!

Pumpkin Pudding Brulee

There is no shortage of seasonal inspiration in the fall. It almost seems that before the summer sun even fades bloggers are starting up their seasonal love. I admit I start marking recipes almost before its was cool enough to bake in the house. This year I finally found fuel for a cooking torch that I received as a gift a while back (thanks again Amy!). I was really excited and may have gone a bit overboard (as noted by the semi-charred crust on top) but I did start to get the hang of it - sometimes getting things picture perfect can be a bit difficult.

I am sorry to admit that I am not sure what recipe I used for this so I can't share it but there are so many on line to get your pumpkin fix.

Clams in Red sauce with Bacon

There is really nothing easier than a clams in a broth. You can use almost any liquid with herbs to give it more flavor. I love garlic and bacon and couldn't resist clams steamed in this delightful duo. So rich and fragrant - I am not sure if there is a more tempting aroma to great you from the bottom of the staircase as you are entering the kitchen.You could also use a white wine in this dish with some additional caramelized onion to make a whole new combo. I love easy, versatile cooking. Its fun to follow recipes sometimes but whats even better is being able to adjust and work with what you have on hand.

One of the most important parts of this dish happens long before the sauce come together - completely cleaning and removing sand before steaming the clams. The last thing you want is to have a gritty, sandy broth. Take a few extra minutes to make sure that you completely scrub each shell with a small brush.

Clams Casino

I love to cook and entertain but sometimes I am just happy to spend the night doing nothing. I am very lucky that I have many friends who are more than happy to chip in and get their hands dirty when I feel more like sitting on the couch and drinking some wine! My friend Jema and I decided that we were going to visit a friend with her new baby and it would be better that we spent the night at my house so we could get an early start... next thing you know we were planning a feast that was starting to be a bit excessive!

There is nothing better than friends who don't judge because after all of the food we ate that night there may have been some jeans traded in for pajamas and waist bands of all type banned from the room. Jema was so kind to come and take over the kitchen and make the deliciously decadent start to our feast. Be warned if you order clams casino on a restaurant menu you will most likely end up with something stuffed with breadcrumbs and only a bit of bacon... but that is absolutely NOT how we do it!

click through for the recipe....

Deviled Eggs

Our house is eggtastic! My boyfriend wakes up around the same time as me and while I am busy showering and dressing he sometimes makes me a hard boiled egg for breakfast. His cooking skills are basically one step only - sausage in pan or pasta in water...he even simplifies things like a grilled cheese by putting it in the oven instead of using a pan on the stove top! But I always appreciate it when he takes the time to make me breakfast, especially since I am pretty much non-functional in the morning. Well he loves deviled eggs and I have been promising that I would make him up a bunch since we almost always have a dozen eggs hanging around.

Along came football season and the creative cooks at seriouseats.com  have come up with a spicy version of the deviled egg as well as one that uses a touch of sour cream instead of mayo... delicious! I am not as adverse to mayo as I used to be but if there is a substitution I am always going to try it. There is nothing that my guy likes more than spicy so when I saw a version with sriracha sauce I knew exactly where to start. I love the idea of a Bloody Mary and some deviled eggs to start the day... though I think I should make sure to leave that to the weekend!

The Moistest Pumpkin cake ever!

So AGAIN this year there is a pumpkin shortage and when I went to the store they were just about cleaned out! I guess that means all of the plans I had for pumpkin cheesecakes are going to be on hold till next year? I was happy that I got one of the last few cans and made this cake because true to its name it was so absolutely moist and delicious. However, as usual I decided that I couldn't wait to spring my cake open (the restless peanut gallery who kept asking "is it done yet?" may have contributed to that!) though it was far from cooled so it kinda crumbled making the picture a little less pretty. (Food Photo hint #14595 if you mess up your cake stick it in a martini glass and pretend that's how its suppose to look!)

The cake took a bit longer that expected at least 20 - 30 min more due to subbing out the bundt pan for a springform. It was a good option as the batter was perfectly contained though it did rise above the edges in the oven but I think that I would like to invest in a proper bundt cake form. I first found this pudding pie recipe that sounded absolutely sinful with airy light layers on creamy mouse but in the end the cake won out with my friends. If I and lucky enough to find more cans of pumpkin you know what I will be doing later! 

Cinnamon Peach Tartlets

A friend went apple picking in the beginning of the fall and surprised me with a great harvest to bake up. First, we made a great apple maple tart then we are worked with the peaches. I never knew that you could pick peaches in the fall (disclaimer...this was baked months ago - I am a bit behind on my blogging!). This ended up in a major discussion about crumbles and crisps and cobblers. There are small differences between some of these desserts though in general the idea is the same - some sort of crust with fruit. We decided to just stay simple and avoid some of the extra sugar and crust, as delicious as they can be, to show off the natural taste of the local fruit.

This crust for this tart is the same pate brisse that I often use - its delicious, simple and I know it by heart. What more can you ask of a crust?

Toss fresh sliced peaches in cinnamon and sugar to coat
Set aside for 20 -30 minutes to break down
Place into mini tart shells and bake for 25 min at 425 F