Portobello Wraps

What is it about portobello mushrooms? They're earthy, they're juicy and they are totally versatile. This recipe uses portobellos as the main component of a summertime wrap. I cannot, however, take all of the credit. I have adapted the recipe from a recipe called Portobello Wrap with White Bean-Chile Spread from this version of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook that my grandmother-in-law (those don't actually exist...they are really just grammas :)...) gave me for Christmas (love Grandma Ryno!). I use my own hummus as the spread, and I make it less classy by simplifying some of the other ingredients (who needs to be classy when they're hungry, anyway??)

Reagents:

Portobello caps, gills removed
Italian Salad dressing, divided
Hummus
Fresh spinach
Shredded mixed cheese
Flour tortillas

*I know I didn't put any measurements. This is not hard, people. Just read the method, and breathe. Everything will be fine. Just pretend you're making tacos, and make as many as you need, ok? Gauge 1 portobello cap per person, and about a handful of greens. I normally can only eat one of these, because they are pretty filling, but some people (named Tony...) may eat more than 1.*

1. Preheat broiler. Brush both sides of the cleaned portobello with Italian dressing--make sure you've covered it up well enough for it to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drizzle the spinach with some more Italian dressing, and mix well

3. Place mushroom caps on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet, and broil for 6-8 minutes, turning over at about 3-4 minutes.

4. Spread hummus (liberally, if you're like me) on flour tortillas. Add about 1/4 cup of the spinach with dressing, some cheese and slices of the portobello caps

5. Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy!

This is one of my "staple" recipes to use whenever I see that portobellos are on sale--it's so easy!

The Long and Short of It.

I donated my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths yesterday. I was very worried in the beginning, that I would look like some hideous short-haired goblin, or something. I think that I look much better with shorter hair. Infinitely better. I feel like I cut off a weight, in more ways than one.

My shower this morning took 5 minutes. 5 minutes, people. My stylist, Jeremy, was the "bomb dot com", as Veronica likes to say :). He made sure that I was emotionally stable enough to cut off the 12 inches I took off (not to mention the other 2-3 inches he took off styling it). He ensured that I would not have to use a curling iron or a flat iron, since I have no idea how to use them. Just a big roll-y brush and a hair dryer is necessary. Of course, I learned this morning, when styling it on my own, that I look like a baby moose taking its first steps when I am juggling a hair dryer and a brush. This is my own styling below. It's a little more relaxed, which I am okay with :).

On to a new life...without super-long hair ;).

Bean Greens

This is another very simple recipe for sauteed green beans. My mom makes the best sauteed green beans EVER, and I think she uses some rice wine vinegar (which I don't have). This is a modified, semi-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing. It also could be voodoo.

***please try to disregard my water-spot laden pasta thinger***

Reagents:

green beans (I normally cook about 2 fist-fulls)
2 Tbs olive oil
ground black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic (depends if you are a garlic-lover or not)


Method:

1. Wash and prep the green beans. Cut off both ends of the beans and remove the string.
2. Pour olive oil into a skillet-wok-whatever and allow it to heat up on medium heat.
3. Once oil is hot, place quartered cloves of garlic (or, if you want no friends you can mince them) in skillet.
4. The garlic cloves will begin to sizzle, and that's your cue to add the green beans.
5. Saute the beans, adding pepper to taste, until they have wilted a bit, but are still crunchy.
6. Remove the garlic cloves, and add a pinch of salt to taste.

Kitchen Reflections

So, let me preface this post by saying there is not going to be a recipe in this one tonight. My personal computer is being repaired, and I don't want to hassle with getting cooking photos onto my husband's. This is going to be more of a "reflection" post, rather than a recipe.

On the way home from work, while my wonderful husband was driving and talking about the future, I found myself zoning (sorry honey) and thinking about my day. I did not have the best day at work/school, and I was trying to think of things that lift my spirits. Of course, God, husband, family and friends are at the top of the list. I am, however, an intense person, and I had to dig deeper. I have become very passionate about cooking over the past year, and some of my happiest moments have been at the stove.

Being ridiculous, I rationalized this. My day job is a chemistry/biology graduate student. I spend most of the day either at the bench failing at seemingly simple tasks, or burying myself in the literature at my desk, trying to figure out why I am failing at the simple. When I come home to cook dinner, I am basically continuing my work at the lab bench. Things are carefully measured, appropriate temperatures are reached, and patience is exerted. Chemistry, however, is not glorified cooking. There is thought to cooking, but comparing it to chemistry would be comparing a molehill to a mountain, not to be trite. Cooking is like chemistry, in that having good hands leads to success and experimentation can be handsomely rewarded. Cooking does not require a broader picture, like science does. My sense is that you cook because you enjoy eating, and all things accompanied with gastronomy. Science is not so simple. One is a scientist because they want to improve the quality of life of the next generation, or explain our reality, from sub-atomic particles to heavenly bodies. Perhaps my view is biased (no doubt it is), because science is my job and food is my hobby. The more I think about the comparison between cooking and science, the more similar they can be. A foodie may only cook food for his or her own pleasure, but my guess is that there are people who are enamored with food, looking for the types of food that cure cancer, give longer life, and ultimately improve the quality of life for humanity.

Maybe, we are not so different after all.

Granola Bars---who needs Quaker???

Here's another thrifty recipe. I buy my oats, chocolate chips, flour, and sugar in bulk (well, from a bulk barrel), making this recipe much cheaper and more satisfying than any purchased granola you could find.

Moreover, this recipe should be used as merely a springboard---make it your own! Add crasins, rasins, nuts, dried coconut, carob chips, or whatever else tickles your fancy. In this recipe, I chose sunflower seeds to feed my salt craving, and semi-sweet chocolate chips to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Reagents:

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/3 cup honey (depends on how chewy you want them)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
handful sunflower seeds
1/2 TBS cinnamon (or more to taste)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease.

2. In large bowl, combine oats, baking soda, flour, butter, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and brown sugar. Stir in chocolate chips and sunflower seeds (or any other ingredients of choice).

3. Gently press mixture into prepared pan, and bake for about 18-22 minutes until golden brown.

4. Cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into bars. Let the bars remain in the pan until completely cool.

Wrap individually in cling wrap, or serve immediately!

Homemade Pita Chips

Being a busy (and oh so poor) graduate student, I don't necessarily have time to use up all of the fresh items I buy at the store weekly. Namely, I can never finish an entire pack of pita bread before it expires. Now, my husband suggests that I just eat regular bread, the kind of stuff he eats. I have my limits, people. Yes, I am thrifty, but I have to enjoy lunch. It's my one break during work where I should be able to enter pita heaven...not processed wheat bread hell.

So, I use the slightly stale (neeeever moldy) pita bread to make pita chips to dip into my hummus. This is a painfully easy recipe, so I expect everyone to try it!

Homemade Pita Chips

Reagents:


Pita bread pockets
Olive oil
Italian seasoning spices (parsley, oregano, thyme...whatever)
Garlic powder, or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
Chili powder (if you want a kick)
Ground pepper
Sea Salt

***Notice there are no measurement values listed. I never really know how many pitas I will have left over at the end of the week, so I normally play it by ear. If you would like a definitive amount, I would suggest for 6 pita pockets about 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil, and about 1/2 tsp. for all of the spices.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Stir the spices (except for the sea salt) into the olive oil and let them mellow for a few minutes.

3. Cut pita bread into 8 triangles, and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

4. Brush each triangle with oil and spices with a pastry brush.

5. Sprinkle sea salt on top, and bake for about 7 minutes. Pay attention! Ovens vary, so be sure to keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

Enjoy with hummus, with any other favorite dip, or just plain!

Finally...some recipes! Hummus!

Since I was so gently eased out of sleep this morning by some big dude throwing up while sneezing in our apartment complex, I thought I would write down some of my favorite recipes before church.

This hummus recipe is excellent, in my opinion. I've never had store bought hummus taste this good, and there is the added bonus of knowing YOU made something for less than a dollar that normally costs about $3.50 in the store.

This recipe was adapted from EatingWell.com's Roasted Garlic Hummus. I have tried this recipe with traditional garbanzo beans and pinto beans (because they are cheaper). They taste similar to me, and since pinto beans are available at Costco...well, there you go. The recipe would follow the same instructions for either, however, it is not necessary to "shell" the pinto beans.

Lisa's Roasted Garlic Hummus

Reagents:

1 19-oz can of chickpeas (or pinto beans)
1 head garlic
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS H2O (ahem...water)
1 TBS Soy sauce
1 TBS Tahini (sesame paste, usually found in the international foods section of grocery, or can be found at specialty markets, which is where I found mine)
2 "Grinds" from a pepper grinder
Dash of salt
Dash of Cumin
Chili powder to taste (I like mine a bit spicy)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Remove the outer, papery layers from the garlic, and chop of the top 1/2" of the head, exposing the top of all of the cloves. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and place in oven. Roast for about 40 minutes. Garlic should be soft and sticky, and smell ah-mazin'. Separate cloves (carefully if you're brave (read: stupid) and it's still hot), and place garlic in food processor or blender.

2. Drain and rinse chickpeas (or pintos). I like to remove the skin from the chickpeas to make a smoother hummus. To do this, soak chickpeas in water, and roll them around with your fingers. The skins will come off easily and float to the top. Skim them off, and have patience, because this is can be a frustrating step.

3. Puree garlic, beans, water, lemon, tahini, and soy sauce. Mix in spices thoroughly (you could probably puree them with the other ingredients, but I don't).

4. Garnish with...whatever you like! Popular traditional choices are paprika or a sprig of parsley.

Serve with crudites or pita chips. I also use this as a spread on my sandwiches for added flavor.

Enjoy!

Geez Louise

Okay, so obviously, I'm pretty terrible at this. It turns out being a graduate student + wife = full time (aka no time for yourself) job. I wish I could post (and remember to take pictures) all of my cooking adventures. It's just not going to happen easily, people. Perhaps the greatest hurdle I have is not owning a (working) computer right now. Cowering in the office while uploading recipes is not a good idea. HP, however, will fix my recalled product, and then I should be posting with a vengeance :). More to come!