2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 28,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 6 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

quinoa with corn, tomatoes, avocado, and lime

Adapted from http://www.seriouseats.com

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, from one small onion
1 cup pre-washed quinoa
1 2/3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
Juice of two limes
2 small avocados, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat, add onions and cook until soft
2. Add quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes
3. Add vegetable broth to the quinoa mixture, turn heat to high and bring to a boil, cover pan, reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed
4. Transfer cooked quinoa to mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator
5. When quinoa has cooled, add remaining olive oil, tomatoes, corn, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice
6. Season with salt and pepper
7. Lightly toss in avocados

carne asada

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds thin cut lean steak I used sirloin
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a zip top bag, marinate for at least 1 hour (4 hours has worked for me)
2. Remove steak from marinade, discard marinade
3. Heat grill on high, sear steak on both sides until caramelized, chop and serve on corn tortillas with chopped cilantro and onion

low fat enchiladas

Ingredients:

Enchilada Filling:

8 low carb burrito sized tortillas
2 chicken breasts, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked and chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup non-fat sour cream
1/2 cup medium spicy salsa
1/2 cup shredded low-fat 4 Mexican cheese

Enchilada Sauce:

3/4 cup medium spicy salsa
1/4 cup non-fat sour cream
1/4 cup shredded low-fat 4 Mexican cheese

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a 9×13 inch-baking dish with non-stick spray
3. In a nonstick skillet, spray with non-stick spray, add onion and peppers, lightly season with salt and pepper, cook until onions are golden brown
4. In a large bowl, mix veggies with cup sour cream, chicken, and cheese and salsa
5. Spread 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the middle of each tortilla and roll into a small burrito. Place seam down into baking dish
6. In a small bowl, mix remaining salsa, sour cream, and cheese, spread over the top of the enchiladas
7. Place foil over dish and bake for 20 minutes

foreign affairs

Awesome! my recipe in Dutch.

And remember kids, don’t forget the 1 cm verse gemberwortel, fijngesneden.

I got a picture published

Add a second photo credit to my food blog resume. Oddly enough, this was the same photo that was used in the Bon Appetit article for bacon cheddar biscuits.

cassoulet

I realize I never gave you a chance

I realize I never gave you romance

At the top of the hill

At the top of the hill

Leave me to stream in the current or breeze

“California on My Mind” by Wild Light

Is there a special someone in your life that you’d really like to impress? Do you have way to much free time and/or discretionary income? Then I think it is high time to make cassoulet. The first time I had cassoulet, it was at Chez Pannise so I guess I set the bar pretty high.  The one thing that really stood out was the crispiness of the duck legs, I mimicked this by broiling the after they were braised.  If you’ve got some free time, a special someone, and a little extra jangle…give this hearty dish a stab.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried great northern beans
6 tablespoons duck olive oil
16 cloves garlic, smashed, divided
2 onions, chopped, divided
2 carrots, chopped, divided
1 large ham hock
1 lb. lamb shoulder, cut into one inch pieces
¾ lb. pork belly, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 sprigs oregano, 4 sprigs thyme, 3 bay leaves, tied together with twine
1 cup whole peeled canned tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
4 duck legs
1 lb. pork sausages
2 cups bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Soak beans in 7 1⁄2 cups water overnight
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
3. Add half of the garlic, half of the onion, and half of the carrot, cook until light brown
4. Add ham hocks and beans with water to vegetables, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes, remove and discard ham hock, set bean mixture aside
5. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat
6. Add lamb shoulder and cook until brown, add pork belly cook until brown
7. Add tomatoes and tied herbs, cook until liquid thickens
8. Add wine cook until reduced by half
9. Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce mixture to a simmer, cook until mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes
10. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat, sear duck legs, fat side down, remove once browned
11. Preheat oven to 300 F
12. Add sausages to duck fat and cook until brown, cut sausages into once inch chunks, set aside with duck legs
13. With a strainer, add beans (and other vegetables) to the thickened meat, reserve bean stock if cassoulet dries out during cooking
14. Add sausages and duck legs to bean and meat mixture, cover and place in over for 3 hours
15. Remove pot from oven, set oven to broil
16. Pull out duck legs and pork belly, place on a baking sheet and broil until crispy
17. Serve crispy meat with cassoulet

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 27,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 10 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

french onion soup

Once more to the boards, one more curtain call,

Give the crowd everything they’re asking for and more.

Always make ‘em laugh, try to make ‘em cry,

Always take the stage like it’s the last night of your life.

“Balthazar, Impresario” by Frank Turner

This blog isn’t dead until I say so. I’ve been busy, real busy (an 18 month old, went back to school to get my admin credential and a little girl due any day now). I can’t say that I will be posting as frequently as I did in the past, but I have not killed this little project.

Happy holidays!

-Mark

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 medium white onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine (I would suggest a nice Burgundy that you could enjoy with your soup)
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced, brushed with butter and broiled until dark brown and crispy
1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat
2. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, cook until onions are caramelized
3. Add the wine, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until onions look dry
4. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs
5. Turn heat to low, sprinkle the onions with the flour, cook for 10 minutes being sure not to burn the flour
6. Add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper
8. Portion to individual oven-proof containers, place toasted baguette and cheese on top of soup
9. Broil cheese until dark brown

wardrobe for opportunity

Let’s put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town

Set ‘em up, we’ll be knockin’ em down

You wear a dress, baby, and I’ll wear a tie

We’ll laugh at that old bloodshot moon in that burgundy sky 

“New Coat of Paint” by Tom Waits

 

Wardrobe for Opportunity (WFO), a nonprofit that supports low-income individuals in the Bay Area, is running a Trendsetter Campaign from June 14th – June 30th. Check out the awesome ‘virtual boutique’ they created for the campaign. You can set a trend by donating $15, signing up to volunteer, or telling your friends. For more info, visit www.wardrobe.org/trendsetter.html