Thirty Day Challenge: Are you brave enough?

I am going to skip any great intro and just come out and say it:  We are going to give up eating out for a month.  Completely and totally, for thirty days we are not going to have any food that does not come from our own kitchen.

It is not that we are going on some organic hippy movement, or we have lost a job and therefore cannot afford to do it.  Rather, we have some extra expenses (expected and not expected) coming up in the next two months and we want to avoid that feeling of, "Where did all of our money go?!"  You all know this feeling I speak of, and it does not feel good.  So we decided to be proactive... what could we do to cut back on this right now so when we get to the end we are not left in a state of shock?  Where does our money go, anyway?

Well...

There are detours on trips...

... and lunch dates with my love...

Celebratory dinners

Fun with the girls

Sushi (It gets a class of its own)

Snacks

Picnics with friends

Late night snacks with "family"

and finding coffee to wake this Brazilian man up in the morning.

Did you know that the average American spends more than 5% of their paycheck on eating out?  The average.  But I know a lot of you (no, surely not YOU!) would probably be able to raise your hand if I asked who falls into the ABOVE average category.  We are American, it's what we do. 

But what if we didn't?  Five percent, that is a lot of money.  If you spend more than five percent... that is a lot more money.  Think of what that could go toward. 

So here is my plan:  Starting next Monday, May 16, I am dining-out-free for thirty days.  No dinners out, no oatmeal from McDonald's when I am running late, no snacks.  Nada.  But that also means one other thing: Nothing extra being spent.  Nada, as well.  All of that extra money can go towards the other things, and leave me a little happier at the end of this heavy month.  I don't think I have ever in my entire life gone that long without grabbing at least a small bite to eat, so it will probably be a little tough, but tough things make us tougher, right?  And hopefully will keep our wallets a little more full.

Now comes the question... who's in?  Who thinks they have what it takes?  Come on, you know you wanna!  And besides, misery loves company, right? ;)

Accidental Deliciousness: Mahi Mahi in Pesto Butter Sauce

I was going to batter and fry a pack of Mahi Mahi pieces tonight, but then I noticed the recipe that came on the back of the package.  Tried it, and was amazed.  So simple and completely tasty.  Just my style.

Here you go --

Fry Mahi Mahi pieces (or other fish pieces) in 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil for 6 - 10 min.  Lightly salt.
Meanwhile, put fresh basil leaves (1c. loosely packed) in food processor with 3 cloves of garlic and juice from 1/2 lemon.  Add pine nuts if you have (I didn't, tasted great anyway.)  Blend.
Add 2T soften butter to basil mixture.  Blend again.  Add dash of salt.

The end!  Enjoy!

My OCD Tendencies and The List...

Tonight is Monday.  It is the night I should be so excited to try a new recipe.  But I am not.  Why?  Because I do not have a new recipe to try, and even if I did, I would probably crumple it up and toss it out the window. 

There can only be one answer to that question: I did not make The List. 

"What is The List?" you ask.

The List is the answer to all of my struggles with cooking.  Before The List came into my life I was a disorganized cook at best, always stressing over what I could/should cook with my knowledge and ingredients on hand.  Many times I would think, "Well, I could make a tuna casserole..." but lo and behold, I would have no tuna on hand.  And a nothing-casserole just doesn't seem like it would do the job.  Or I would have a wealth of ingredients on hand, but I didn't know what to do with them.  Which would mean one of three possible things would transpire:

1. I would have to run out to the grocery store to pick up that one item, say tuna, and come home instead with five items -- tuna, chips, peanut butter, cookies, and juice.  This turned out to be both a waste of time and money.
2. I would try to make something up, which had something like a 20% success rate.  Not that great...
3. I would give up entirely, hop in the car, and head out to eat.

But then I created The List.  When Sunday, or whatever day I plan on doing my grocery shopping, comes around, I sit down down with a piece of paper and a pen.  I think, "What sounds good to me?"  and start jotting down the ideas.  Tacos, tuna casserole (yes again, don't make fun of me, I loved my canned fish), grilled chicken with mashed potatoes, and so on and so forth.  I then plop them into the days it will work best.  For instance, I know I have more time on Monday and Tuesday nights, so I put the more laborious work there.  Wednesdays I have no more than an hour free from the time I get home from work before I head out to my Bible study, so that day always says, "Pasta."  Then I make one final run through to add a variety of veggies to the week, and viola!  I have The List.

(Photo courtesty of weheartit.com)

That, however, is just the beginning.  I then take The List, and on the back I subdivide it into three categories: TJs (Trader Joe's), Mi Pueblo, and Lucky.  Going through each day, I write down the ingredients I would need to make that meal that I don't already have at home.  That way, when I go shopping, I know exactly what I need and where I can find it at. 

I know, I know, I sound like I have OCD.  And I might, but I don't really think so.  Whether or not I do is not the point however.  THIS is the point:  Since I have started doing this I have (A) stopped throwing away food that went bad before I could use it, (B) cut way down on my grocery list because I know exactly what I want, and (C) I am excited to cook each night.  Before it was a stress to me.  What do I make?  Do I have the stuff to make it?  Does it even sound good to me?  Honestly, since The List has come into my life, these questions are a thing of the past.  My thought pattern now goes something like this:  I am going to have veggie soup and dumplings tonight, YES!   The end.  And since I try to write down only one new thing a week with the rest being recipes that live in my head, the cooking process is quite easy.  No cookbooks, no failed attempts, no defeat.  Just food, good food.  And a lot of free money in my pocket and time on my hands. 

But this week I failed.  I did not make it.  Instead, I just said, "It's OK, I will  just make something with what I've got."  But what I've got sounds like yuck.  I don't want that.  I want something else.  Yet I don't have the ingredients for my something else.  And I don't want to go to the store.  Gee, I really should have my The List.  I guess I will sit down, and get to work.  It only takes ten minutes but saves me a week of agony, so why not?

You win some, you lose some...

I love trying new recipes.  The anticipation of something new, the process of learning new cooking skills, and of course, the great taste that comes along with it.  Most times I hit the jackpot.  New dish, new fave, all is well in the world.  But then there are the other times...

... like when I tried homemade spinach gnocchi for Christmas dinner and we wound up with something that resembled a pile of bird droppings on our plates...

Yeah, sometimes it doesn't work out as planned.

This Monday I tried something that just sounded amazing.  A-maze-ing.  Fusilli with ricotta and crispy kale.  As a lover of pasta, this was one I had been waiting for.  Finally, it was time to make it happen. 

First, I needed to find the Dinosaur Kale, or as I called it, "flat kale."  Known in Brazil as couve, Paulo was ecstatic.  His mom makes a side dish with chopped up couve, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and some salt.  Yum.  So I set out, knowing what I was looking for.  But apparently, in the entire South Bay area, I was the only one.  Lucky, Trader Joe's (which I was pretty sure wouldn't have it, but you never know...), Safeway, and finally Whole Foods.  Surely Whole Foods would have it, as they carry all things weird and organic.

"Oh, Dino kale?"  the checker asked.  Excited head nod from me -- Yes, you have it!  "Yeah, with all this rain it stopped coming.  I think it was ruined for the season, but you know, I am not really sure about that. I might just be making that up.  Come back and check in a few weeks."  Bummer.  After two hours driving around, I picked up that stupid batch of curly leafed kale, which I found at EVERY grocery store and could have bought hours ago, paid the high price that one pays to buy food at Whole Foods, and headed home.

All of that, and I wasn't that fond of the dish.  What a waste of time.  Well, Paulo's coworkers said it smelled really great and he told me it made for wonderful leftovers and apparently (according to that wealth of knowledge we call Google) it is quite popular, but nah, not going to happen again.  The crispy kale, however, that is a repeater.  (Click on picture to get recipe). 

Photo from Rachael Ray Magazine

Simple change I made: chicken sausage instead of regular.  Healthier (as much as sausage can fall into the "healthy" category) and tasty.  Move over girls, chicken sausage is my new best friend!  (Which is why, if you come at any given time, you will find a pack of it in my fridge.  And it comes in so many flavors!)

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

I sang it as a child, and I am sure you did, too.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit

The more you eat, the more you toot.

The more you toot, the better you feel,

So let's have beans for every meal!

And then, like you, I giggled ("We just said 'toot'!") and then went on my way, not thinking about it anymore.  After all, nobody wanted to toot all the time, so nobody would even consider having beans for every meal, right? 

Until four years ago I could easily count the time I had eaten beans.  It was pretty much limited to the large spoonful that was slopped onto a tortilla at Taco Bell whenever I ordered a 7-Layer and my haystacks that were devoured at after-church potlucks.  And I am not even sure we can consider that brown mush that is served up with the label "refried beans" as beans.  It should more accurately be labeled, "Bean Puree".  It once was in the state of beans, yes, I agree, but now?  Nah, brown-bean-mush with a ton of seasonings.

And then I wound up with a Brazilian man, and this answered my what-I-once-considered-a-rhetorical-question:  Yes, there really are people who like to eat beans at every meal.  As far as most Brazilians (and Puerto Ricans and Costa Ricans and many others I hear) are concerned, a meal is not a meal unless it has the necessary components of beans and rice.

So a new quest began.  Not only did I need to learn how to cook, but I needed to learn how to cook beans.

Luckily for me, my best Brazilian friend Querubia taught me how to make beans: saute the onion and garlic in oil, open the can, add the beans, and cook.  Easy!  No problem!  Obrigada, Querubia, not only did you get me the man, but you taught me how to feed him, too.  She is quite a wonderful friend to have around...

Except Paulo didn't believe that beans from the can counted as beans.  Try as I might ("See, 'Beans', it says so right there.") he didn't see my point.  Yes, he agreed that they were beans, but they were not real beans.  However, being the ever gracious man he is, he said, "It's OK, I don't need beans and rice.  You are a good cook, I can live without it."  A quick kiss and a smile to let me know that I had his support, beans or no beans.  One of the many reasons I love this man.

We continued on, living in our bean-free existence, until one night we had some Brazilian friends over.  The conversation was great until they found out that Paulo had gone two months without eating beans and rice.  "WHAT?!"  This was uttered so loudly that you would have thought we had said Paulo had gone two months without food.  Apparently to our friends, this was the same thing.  "It's not a problem," Paulo answered.  "Tiffany is a great cook, I don't need beans."  "No, no!  You cannot be saying this.  You are BRAZILIAN!  You need BEANS!"

Well, today I can make beans.  All it took was a little lesson while I was in Brazil one day and a pressure cooker.  Then I came home, quickly forgot everything I learned, and made up a recipe myself.  I am not going to say that I make them as frequently as Paulo's friends would expect, but I make them often enough to keep Paulo happy.  And he is really the only one whose opinion counts.  About once a month, maybe twice (maybe) I pull those beans out and get to work.  It is not that hard, it just takes a little bit of time.  As far as the beans-and-rice, well, my rice sucks.  It is always too wet or too sticky or whatever, so Paulo makes the rice, I make the beans, and together we have a dinner that counts as the only true option in the mindset of most Brazilians.  Although he really does like everything else I make and always compliments me, whenever the smell of beans fills the house a smile crosses his face.  "Yes," he says, "tonight we are going to eat real food!"

My Bean Recipe:
Ingredients -

1. beans (about one cup)
2. 1/2 onion, chopped
3. two cloves of garlic
4. salt, much more than a pinch (maybe 2 teaspoons???)
5. one bay leaf
6. a little bit of oil
7. water to cover the beans plus a little more

Directions -

1. Sort and rinse beans.  Add to pressure cooker.  Cover with water until about knuckle-deep.
2. Boil for 15-20 min.  Add more water at end if needed.
3. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and oil.  Cover with lid, and cook on high until the pressure cooker starts singing.  Lower heat to medium and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. 
4. Turn off heat and let cool down so the pressure releases.  Viola!  Delicious (and incredibly nutritious) beans!

Beans

Peas-and-Carrots Soup with Dumplings (Vegetarian)

For my Monday Night Special (the new name that I just now gave my attempt at creating a tradition of trying a new recipe every Monday evening) this week we tried this soup.  First, let me say, I am a lover of soup.  Lentil soup, split pea (Andersen's... yum!), tortilla, avgolemono (if you don't know, find a Greek restaurant nearby and check it out; you will not regret this decision) chicken noodle, and the list goes on.  The smooth texture, all the flavors mixed together, the warmth... all in all, soup was a great creation.  I can almost understand why Esau was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of soup.  Almost.

Let me also say, Paulo hates soup.  Really, truly, this man does not like it.  I am not fully sure the reason behind that, but I think it boils down to this: I don't think he feels that he can get full on it, even if it is a hearty soup.  That being said, I must admit my soup pot I received for Christmas two years ago largely goes unused.  Sad to say, but it is the truth. 

But not anymore!  I have found two, yes two, soups that Paulo now likes.  And this one tops his list (yes, his list of TWO).  He actually had it for lunch the next day (Oh, how I love to sing the praises of leftovers!) and texted me to tell me that it was even more delicious the next day.  Honestly, I am not sure how that can be possible, but sure enough, that's what he says.  And he almost never sends a text to me during the day, so I guess it must have been worthy of it. 

So simple, so easy, and so delicious!  The best part is, it cost me under $5 to make, allowing enough for four servings.  And with most of the ingredients you probably already have at home, this is a no-brainer to make on a rainy day.  Or a sunny day, for that matter.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 carrots—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 rounded tablespoons flour
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 rounded tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, dill or parsley
• One 8-ounce box biscuit mix (about 2 cups), such as Jiffy Buttermilk Biscuit Mix, batter prepared according to package directions

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the butter to melt, then add the carrots, celery and onion; season with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir for a minute, then whisk in the chicken (or vegetable) stock until thickened. Stir in the mustard and peas. For a thinner soup, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups water with the stock.
2. Add the chopped fresh herbs to the biscuit batter and combine. When the soup is bubbling, form the batter into small dumplings using 2 spoons, then drop onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook the dumplings, gently stirring, until just firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the soup and dumplings to shallow bowls; discard the bay leaf.

COST: $4.65      Per Serving: $1.17
Plus bread & butter with a small salad: $2

And so the quest began...

Five years ago I was a single college student, living off of cafeteria food and Rice-a-Roni.  One night a good friend of mine was hanging out with my roommate and me and we were talking while my roommate was making us a great dinner.  "She's going to be the kind of mom whose kids always have a great meal in front of them," she said.  "Your kids are going to eat Mac-n-Cheese every night, but that's OK, because you will have time to play with them, while she will be too busy cooking for hers."  I laughed, knowing that what she said was true.  Really, Mac-n-Cheese?  Yum.  Rice-a-Roni?  Yum again.  Really, why did I need more?

And then I grew up.  College was over, job was landed, and I was seriously dating a Brazilian man whose mother had probably never made a box of Kraft's cheesy goodness in her life.  Suddenly I needed to find ways to feed myself and often a very tall and hungry guy.  And besides, as funny as that comment was, it burned in the back of my mind.  Why, I asked myself, can't I be the mom who has time to cook AND play?  Who says I can't do both?  And so I set out on a quest to learn what I needed to know to make that happen.

That's where Gina stepped in.  First step: teach me to make mashed potatoes.  Oh, I made some good mashed potatoes!  And then I made them some more (with fish) and some more (with chicken) and some more (with whatever else I could find), until Paulo finally said, "Babe, I really like your mashed potatoes, but can we have something else for dinner tonight?" 

Uh-oh.

Somebody had stepped up to the plate, though, and I had been given the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.  If you want to eat it, this book has the answer for you.  Everything from how to boil an egg (which, sheesh, even I knew how to do) to distinguishing between the different cuts of beef, it was there.  So, now, instead of mashed potatoes at every meal, we had tuna casserole, broiled salmon, broccoli and beef stir-fry.

I don't know when it happened, but at some point a switch was flipped.  Instead of looking for food I could make in order to stay alive, I looked for food I wanted to make to enjoy my cooking.  Cooking was not only functional, but it became a form of personal entertainment.  And this is where it finds me today.  I cook because I like it, and I cook to make sure that we (currently, my husband and I) are putting healthy things into our bodies, not packaged junk that I used to be filled to the brim with.  The truth is, I will be forever grateful for that random comment made by a friend on a lazy afternoon.  It buried itself somewhere inside of me and later was my inspiration to do something more.

Some very important things to know about my cooking:

• I am not a vegetarian, and I am not planning on becoming one.  I was for seven years, and although it was fine, I choose to eat meat.  However, I do try to make at least a few of my meals each week without meat, and I still love vegetarian options, so there will be plenty of those shared here. 
• I don't drink milk or (sadly) eat cheese, except feta-types and cream cheese.  But if it melts into a gooey mess, it does not go into my body.  My taste buds love it, my digestive track does not.
• I am not a gourmet chef nor will ever claim to be.  I like good ol' home-cooking.  Sometimes I will try something more complicated, but I try to stick to meals that do not consume my life to prepare.
• I limit the amount of processed foods I bring home (although I am a sucker for Joe's-Joe's and sweets).  No chips, no more Pasta-Roni, etc. 
• If I can make it, I do.  Hollandaise, pesto, etc.  But if it takes a ridiculous amount of work, no sirree.  I am not boiling chicken bones to make broth.  I have better things to do with my time, thank you very much!
• I do not believe in spending exorbitant amounts of money on food.  This means that you might find me with a basket full of produce in Mi Pueblo or a cart full of food in Trader Joe's, but you will not find me spending a lot of quality time in Whole Foods (or even Safeway, for that matter).  I work hard for my money and like to enjoy it in as many ways as possible, not just on my dinner plate.
• I am a sucker for Rachael Ray.  Simple, easy, and cheap.  Feel free to let me know of any others I should check out :)