Avocado Gruyère Wrap

I don't know that this deserves to be on a cooking blog, since there isn't any cooking involved. However, I get easily bored with sandwiches, and I'm never quite sure what flavor combinations will work well together. And, to be honest, by the time I usually get around to making a sandwich, I am too hungry to want to experiment with flavor combinations that might turn out to be horrific. So, it seemed like a good idea to share with you one of my favorite sandwiches.

There is no meat on this wrap. I went for years in school where my mother used to pack me soups, salads, or pasta for lunch because I really didn't like sandwiches or wraps. I am not intellectually opposed to lunch meat, but once I start reading the nutrition labels (the salt content!) and peeling it out of the package (it gets slimy!), I am pretty grossed out in practice. I do however think that this wrap would be delicious with some extra lunch meat added, or diced pieces of grilled chicken tossed in.

In the summer, I find that heat generally makes me not hungry. If I am hungry, I tend not to want to cook; I want what I'm eating to be quick, easy, light, and chilled, if possible. In this triple digit heat with air you could probably slice, plate, and serve, the less my oven and stove are on the better. This wrap has been one of my staples over the past few weeks. It meets all of the above criteria, transports well, and is not hard to do. 

Avocado Gruyère Wrap

1/2 small avocado
2 Tbsp. sweet onion, diced
2 oz. Gruyère, diced
1 tsp. ranch dressing
1 whole wheat flour tortilla, fajita size

Place the tortilla on the plate.  Scoop out the flesh of one half of an avocado onto the tortilla, using the knife to mash it up a bit.  Add in the onion, cheese, and ranch dressing.  Use a spoon to mash/stir until everything is well blended.  Wrap up the tortilla; slicing is optional.

Barbeque Blue Potatoes

So, I don't have a photo for you because my latest obsession really would not photograph well.  I, frankly, make it a point not to look too hard at the bowl when I eat these, because the result is not aesthetically pleasing.  If I shared a photograph, you might be too unenthused to ever try these, and that, my friend, would be a serious mistake.  However unappealing the aesthetics, the taste is phenomenal.

The first time these came into being was a happy accident; I like barbeque sauce on my potatoes anyways, and a little bit of the gorgonzola from my steak had toppled onto the potatoes.   The second time, it was intentional.  And, well, we won't go into how many times after that because, really, you don't need to know.

Barbeque Blue Oven Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes
1 medium sweet onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
Barbeque sauce
Gorgonzola crumbles

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  You can peel or not peel the potatoes; for me that depends on how thick/eye-ridden the skins are and how hungry I am (peeling takes time).  Chop the potatoes into about 1/2 inch chunks.  Place in a single layer in a jellyroll pan.  Mince your onion.  Spread it on top of the potatoes.  Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and then give everything a good mix with your hands.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until fork-tender, stirring once about halfway through.  Top with barbeque sauce and gorgonzola crumbles then stir.  Close your eyes (barbeque sauce over potatoes and onions isn't the prettiest thing), take a bite, and realize that it's totally worth not looking at for those flavors to melt together on your tongue.

Creamy Ravioli

I can't believe it has almost been a month since I made these.  The sheet of paper I jotted the recipe down on has practically been crumpled beyond recognition after a month in the behemoth I like to call a purse.  That's just the way life has been these days.

Most people, after finishing up a grueling final year of law school (and yes, I'm aware I did something wrong somewhere because it was not supposed to be that way), would go out drinking, or, more likely, pass out for a week-long nap.  I decides I wanted real food.  Real food, as in something other than peanut butter on a honey wheat english muffin, crackers and cheese, or cereal (my I'm too tired to care what I eat staples). 

Starving, I dug around in my kitchen to find that I hadn't purchased real food in weeks.  But, in the back of my freezer, underneath the soup I didn't really want either, I found a package of Asparagus & Gruyere Ravioli I had picked up from Costco back when my subconscious knew there would come a day that I needed a delectable meal of minimum fuss.  Those sound really heavenly, right? 

Any sane, rational person would have tossed the ravioli in some butter or olive oil, probably with a sprinkle of parmesan, and called it delicious.  I was not so lucky.  Instead, I made this delectable sauce that turned delicious into heavenly.  The sauce makes the ravioli melt into your mouth, and adds that extra punch of flavor that pushed these over the edge. 

Creamy Ravioli

1 package ravioli, ~ 9 oz.
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. grated parmesan
salt & pepper

Cook the ravioli as the package directs.  In a small saute pan, heat the oil until it is shimmery and a drop of water skitters and pops across the pan.  Add the onion and garlic, and saute until translucent and softened, approximately 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once it is melted and hot, whisk in the flour, and cook, continuing to whisk, until the mixture is bubbly and lightly brown, approximately 2-3 minutes.  While whisking, slowly and evenly pour the milk into the roux, so that the roux is fully incorporated into the milk rather than becoming chunky.  Add the onion and garlic to the milk.  Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened and begins to boil, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the parmesan.  Add salt and pepper to taste; pour over the ravioli.

Nutty Goat Cheese Penne

I had this recipe saved for a long time in one of my many "recipes to try" collections. At first, it sounds kind of crazy: who puts nuts in pasta? I mean, I suppose pine nuts go in pesto, and sometimes you'll find them in pasta primavera mixes, but who puts walnuts in pasta?  Then I thought about how much I love cashews on my salads.  Seriously, if you've never tried it, swap the bag of croutons for two tablespoons of cashews and finely mince them on a cutting board before topping your salad with them. Delicious.  You may never eat croutons again.  So, a few weeks ago (perhaps several months at this point), I decided to give this recipe a try.

Nutty Goat Cheese Pasta (from Good Housekeeping)

1 box pasta (~14.5 oz.)*
1 pound frozen peas
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. goat cheese, softened
1 c. reserved pasta water (since I frequently forget if it's not in the ingredients list)
Salt and pepper

*I used penne, because that's what I keep in my house (if you hadn't already figured that out). The original recipe called for shells. I really like this with the Barilla Plus pasta, because it has a slightly nutty flavor to it that really melds with the walnuts.

Fill a saucepan or stockpot with water and heat to boiling. Add a teaspoon of garlic salt to the water once it is boiling. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the peas when there are two minutes left so that they cook in the water with the pasta. Remember to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil until it is shimmery and a droplet of water skitters across the pan.  Saute the garlic and walnuts until toasted and golden. They should smell delicious. Stir in a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Remember to reserve your pasta water (are you sensing a theme?). Return the drained pasta and peas to the pot.  Stir in the cup of pasta water, the goat cheese, salt, and pepper. I find that the goat cheese melts more easily if you stir it in as chunks or dollops rather than the entire log. Top with the garlic and walnut mixture. 

Vegetable Stir Fry

Some days are rough, as in too exhausted to even think about cooking, yet burdened with guilt over the knowledge that you promised yourself that post-graduation, you would focus on losing weight before you went crazy in July focusing on not failing the bar.  That means delivery is not an option. It's days like these where I'm reminded of a comment Deb Perelman made a few weeks ago in one of her posts over on Smitten Kitchen:

This thing where you can grab anything at random without a shopping list in hand or recipe in mind and transform it effortlessly into a LQLACSD [lightning-quick, lazy, and completely satisfying dinner], this is real cooking. This is what separates those grandmothers that cranked out dinner like clockwork every night for 60 years, that didn’t throw in the towel because they only had canned peas and stale rice in the pantry, from the dilettantes.

I too aspire to be one of those people one day.  Today demanded one such dinner.  I am not a morning person, not by any stretch of the imagination.  Despite not nearly enough sleep, I managed to be semi-cheerful this morning, until I realized that despite my mother's household being one in which 5 out of 5 of the most frequent bodies that inhabit the kitchen drink coffee, there was not a commuter mug to be found, anywhere, dirty or clean.  And so the day started with an hour long commute with a ceramic mug that didn't quite fit into the cupholder of my car and rapidly cooling coffee.  That, combined with a lecture that ran close to five hours instead of the promised three and a half to four and a half, a detour to water my plants again because the last person who watered them did a poor job and they were already wilting after only two days, and another hour-long commute back, and I was ravenous and cranky.  I snacked on some leftover sweet potatoes while hunting through my mother's cabinets for something for dinner.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to grab a few staples from my pantry before making the drive this afternoon.  I had whole grain brown rice.  Mom had mentioned she had purchased some stir fry vegetables from a small neighborhood grocer this week.  Some serious digging and I discovered (shockingly) both soy sauce and sesame oil.  Vegetable stir fry was born.  Quick, filling, and not terribly unhealthy, all the while being incredibly tasty.

Vegetable Stir Fry (makes 4 servings)

1 c. whole grain brown rice
2 1/4 c. water
2 tsp. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. stir fry vegetables*
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. soy sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

*Mom had a Stir Fry Medley from Tom Leonard's that included broccoli, asparagus, yellow squash, green squash, red onions, orange peppers, yellow peppers, and green peppers. While not listed, I'm also 95% sure there were radishes in there, because I definitely tried a bite of one. 

Combine the rice, water, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to boil.  Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the water is fully absorbed but before the rice starts to stick to the pan.  Let cool, transfer to a container, and let chill in the fridge or freezer, depending on your time constraints.  I know this step is not quick.  I have heard there are faster ways to make rice, and yet I still prefer it the long way.  The good thing about rice (like bread) is that it doesn't require much attention.  I made the rice while studying, put it in the fridge, and then took the puppies for a long walk.

Drizzle the olive oil in a wok.  Heat the oil over medium high until a drop of water crackles and pops.  Add the stir fry vegetables and the onion, and let cook about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are starting to look translucent.  Add the garlic, 2 tsp. of soy sauce, and the sesame oil, and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are the consistency at which you like them (I prefer mine on the crisp side of crisp-tender).

Once the vegetables are done, add the chilled rice to the wok, as well as the remaining 2 tsp. soy sauce.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until the rice is warmed through.  Serve and enjoy.

Roasted Tomato and Onion Rice Medley

I wanted something to go with my Butternut Squash Rounds, and I was a little tired of pasta after all of the pasta I've been eating lately.  Whole grain brown rice is one of my favorite foods.  Yes, it takes a while to cook, but it also keeps me feeling very full after I eat it, and that means I'm less cranky.  You really could substitute any sort of vegetable in with the rice, but I feel like the tomato and onion gives it a light, summery feel. 

Roasted Tomato and Onion Rice Medley

1 c. whole grain brown rice
2 c. water
2 tsp. butter
2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
2 medium sweet onions, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Combine the rice, water, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, simmering about 30 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.  It is better if you don't burn the rice such that it sticks to the bottom of the pan, but I've never quite been able to master that, and so I usually just scoop out the nonstuck parts and then set the pan to soak overnight and it works out just fine. 

While the rice is cooking, spread the tomatoes and onions in a shallow cookie pan/jellyroll pan.  I just picked up these pans a few weeks ago (after my favorite pan for roasting from college started banging around in the oven by itself it was so warped), and so far I absolutely love them.  Drizzle the onions and tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with the salt and pepper.  Mix them together so that the vegetables are evenly coated.  Roast at 450 F for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 or so, until the onions have started to turn golden, the tomatoes are looking a little blistered, and there is a fair amount of juice in the pan. 

Once the rice is done, combine it with the tomato-onion mixture, tossing to let the juices/olive oil evenly coat the rice (if you burn the bottom of the rice pan like me, this is best done in a separate bowl).  I don't like to mix parmesan in with the rice, because then it gets melty and stringy and sticks something awful to the spoon, but rather to grate a little over each individual portion once it's on the plate.  This works really well as a side dish, or topped with the Butternut Squash Rounds as a complete meal.

Lemon-Basil Penne

This recipe is adapted from here. I originally pulled the idea because it seemed like a fresh take on pasta. I wasn't too sure how the tart lemon would taste with the pasta, and it took some getting used to. By the time I finished my leftovers though, I was absolutely loving the flavors. It has a nice, light, summery feel to it that was perfect for the warm weather we had last week.

The original recipe called for fresh basil. My mommy had just planted me some basil for my patio, and I wasn't about to go pick from the baby basil plants. Part of what is fun about cooking is taking the ingredients you have on hand and turning them into something scrumptious, without a lot of time or effort. Therefore, I substituted in some dried basil. If I had fresh basil on hand, I would definitely have used it.

I used, I think, 6 or 7 small lemons to get my lemon juice. There aren't many things I am missing in my kitchen, but one of them was a juicer. Needless to say, after squeezing that many lemons between my palms, I promptly picked up a juicer the next time I was out. My hands smelled lovely all day though.

Lemon-Basil Penne

~ 14.5 oz. penne
1 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan (the food processor is great for this)
3/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. dried basil (or 2 c. finely chopped fresh basil)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Stir together the cheese and the lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. With a hand (or stand) mixer running on medium, slowly pour in the olive oil, and continue to beat until the mixture is thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, lemon zest, and basil. Toss with the pasta. Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

French Onion happens to be my mother's favorite kind of soup. I have had a "go-to" recipe for years that I have adored, and it has gotten good reviews from friends and family. While I was skiing at Whistler (really Blackcomb, since we liked that mountain better) in March, my sisters and I ate twice at this lovely restaurant on the mountain, Christine's. They had amazing French Onion Soup. Chatting with the waitress, she mentioned that the chef uses his grandmother's recipe, and that he uses both red and yellow onions. I don't know why it had never occurred to me to put red onions into my soup, but let me tell you, they add an incredible depth of flavor.

The recipe I started from is an old Southern Living favorite, Bistro Onion Soup, tweaked a little bit (as usual). It's from Southern Living Homestyle Cooking, a favorite that lives on my cookbook shelf. Maybe one of these days I'll do a post of my favorite cook books. Just last week I tried mixing in red onions and the result was to-die-for. I also intend to try the soup in the next week or two, substituting canned stock for the bouillon and water, which I suspect will be even better, although it's difficult to imagine because, as it is, this soup is delicious.

I love this soup because it makes the house smell wonderful, and it tastes sinfully rich without being heavy. It's also fairly quick, as long as you have a mandolin to speed up the slicing. I usually do not bother to top it with bread and cheese, because it's perfectly capable of standing on its own. I was visiting my mother last weekend, and while I started the soup, I had to run out before it was done. Leaving my mother in charge of finishing it, she naturally ran to the store to get bread and cheese to top it. Healthy soup no more I suppose. It also freezes really well. For tips on a convenient way to freeze soup, check out this post over on Corporette.

French Onion Soup (makes 4 servings)

1/4 c. butter (half of a stick)
2 large sweet onions
2 large red onions
2 Tbs. flour
5 1/4 c. water
1 c. wine*
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 beef bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 (1/2 inch) slices of french bread (optional)
8 slices Gruyère cheese (optional)

*The original recipe calls for 1/2 c. dry white wine and 1/2 c. dry red wine. I am a lightweight and can't usually get through two bottles of wine before they go bad. I use 1 c. of whatever wine I happen to have on hand (that I naturally would drink). I find that the white wine gives a lighter flavor and the red more of a deeper, richer flavor, but play with it to find the combination you like.

Melt the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Thinly slice the onions into your pot. I highly, highly recommend using a mandolin for this, because you get nice even rings and it is very quick, and I actually rest mine on top of the pot so that the onions fall directly in. This will look like a lot of onions; do not be alarmed; they will cook down significantly.

Cook the onion in the butter over medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring often, until the onions have reached a deep golden caramel. This step is the key step in getting the depth of flavor that takes the soup from tasty to out-of-this-world. The deeper the color, the deeper the flavor.

Once you are satisfied with the color, stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the water, wine, bouillon, bay leaves, salt, sage, and pepper. Let the soup come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. You can actually let the soup simmer longer, depending on when you're ready for dinner. Remove the bay leaves.

Optional Step: Ladle the soup into 4 ovenproof ramekins or soup bowls. Set the bowls on a baking sheet so as to catch any drips and reduce the chances of tipping them over while removing them. Place two bread slices and top with two slices of cheese on each serving, and broil about 6 inches from the heat until the cheese is golden and bubbly (only a few minutes).