Catching up with Friends

We love spending time with our friends and only wish we could get together with them more often. Last night we had our friends Mark & Terri and Brian & Crystal over for dinner. They have ski cabins next door to us in Ellicottville; they live in Toronto. We hadn't seen them in a while, so getting caught up over dinner and drinks made for an incredible evening. From the moment everyone arrived until the moment they left, we laughed and boy did we laugh! Conversations ranged from cars in ditches to undone belt buckles, from porcupines to cow carcasses, from an unforeseen - let's call it -"spill" on an antique rug to trying new things in Mexico, oh and let's not forget "Andrea has a blog!!!" I know, ya had to be there to get the humor but those were just some of the stories shared that made us laugh until we cried! I was pretty confident that even if my halibut dinner turned out awful, it didn't matter because everyone was just having a good ole time!

Our evening began with big pours of wine and whiskey which was paired with an elaborate cheese platter brought by Mark & Terri.  They never fail us with the cheese, always selecting the finest. For dinner I served "Baked Halibut over Sautéed Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Red Onions.  Goat Cheese Israeli Couscous was served on the side, along with crusty bread."  Brian & Crystal brought a delicious side, "sautéed shrimp with red pepper and garlic" which was a perfect compliment to my dish.  Dessert was simple, sponge candy made from a local chocolatier named Watson's.

I chose to cook this dinner because I've been making it for years, it's full of flavor, it's healthy and it's sooo easy to make. When I entertain, I cook meals that don't require me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, away from my guests.  Within 30 minutes the meal was prepped, cooked and served. Salute to good food, good friends and good laughs!

Baked Halibut over Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives & Red Onion with a side of Goat Cheese Israeli Couscous

Serves 6

For Halibut: 

6 4 oz halibut

1 lb of cherry tomatoes

12 oz fresh baby spinach

4 oz kalamata olives sliced in half

1 small red onion sliced

olive oil

3 tb minced garlic

1 lemon 

salt n pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place halibut in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil mixture (mix 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/2 t lemon zest and salt n pepper, set aside. Place tomatoes, olives, onion and a half of squeezed lemon with 1/4 cup of olive oil,  1 tb garlic, salt n pepper on a baking pan and mix. Bake/roast tomato mixture in oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tomatoes have bursted open. In meantime, heat olive oil and 2 tb garlic in a large saute pan.  Add spinach and 1/2 squeezed lemon juice until wilted. When tomato mixture is done add it to the wilted spinach and mix.  Set aside covered. Now bake halibut for 10 minutes. when done place halibut over sautéed spinach and tomato mixture.

For couscous:

8 oz Israeli cous cous

3 cups of chicken stock

2 oz goat cheese

Over medium to high heat bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil in a pan.  Add couscous and stir, turn to low heat and cover for 15 minutes, add goat cheese salt n pepper and stir.  Add a little water if needed.

Food Impressions:

Terri: "Oh my gosh Andrea, this is sooo good. You made this amazing dish look so effortless." ( I knew Terri really liked the dish when she used her bread to soak up every last morsel!) 

Mark: "This is fantastic, everything you make is always out of this world." 

Crystal:  "Delicious! What is this type of couscous is this? How did you make this spinach? What did you put on the halibut?"  "Im not a fan of kalamata olives but I get why they were used in this dish." (I knew Crystal liked it based on how many questions she asked about how I made the dish. So I told her she could find the recipe on my new blog!)

Brian: Unfortunately, only after a few bites he had to leave to take care of "a spill" on the rug next door.  By the time he returned his food was cold, I offered to reheat his plate but he said "oh no, not necessary, this is even delicious cold."

Dave: (He was so busy talking that I don't think he commented on what he thought of the dish!)

Andrea (me): Everyone was very complimentary about my dish and my cooking in general (I am a big sucker for cooking compliments so I was like "go on friends - no need to stop - keep telling me more!) Honestly, for me, there is no better compliment than making a lasting food impression on friends and family, and this was certainly accomplished tonight!

Aaaaaah.......it's Friday!

Every weekend in the winter months we head out to our 100 year old farmhouse in Ellicottville, New York. We bought the house 4 years ago and ever since it has truly become our Shangri La.  It takes us exactly an hour and a half to get there door to door.  We have a strict routine of getting there and we rarely stray from it unless there is significant reason.  Why you ask?  Because we CANNOT wait to get there.... it's like going on a mini vacay every weekend AND it's quality time for me to cook and experiment with new recipes!

If you care, here's a glimpse of our routine that rarely changes:

3:00 - boys get home from school, do their homework, change into comfortable clothes and gather their trinkets to take with them. It's usually their stuffed animals and blankets, like Baby Bear, Woof Woof and Moo Moo. Those stuffed animals are like my other children!  Nate doesn't bring his blanket and Moo Moo with him so much anymore, it actually makes me sad.
4:00 - I pack my now new "Scout" bag (gosh I love that bag) with groceries for the weekend. I shop ahead of time so I don't waste precious time while I'm in EVL (Ellicottville).
4:30 - Dave comes home, I get very upset even if he comes home 1 minute late! He packs the car and turns on a DVD for the boys and we're off.
5:15 - Arrive in EVL, stop at Tops to pick up local newspapers and milk. There is a sign as you enter EVL Village that says "What's the rush, you're here now." Awesome and so true!
5:30 - Stop at Dom's Butcher Shop to pick up his epic bacon.
5:45 - Stop at Pumpkinville to pick up fresh brown farm eggs.
5:50 - Finally, arrive at the house, greet Bruce (our weekend dog) with treats and unpack.
6:00 - Aaaaah.....now our weekend officially begins!!! I start dinner (tonight is pasta e fagioli and hot stuffed peppers), Dave turns on jazz music then pours us a glass of wine while the boys - hopefully getting along - play board games or with Legos.

So that's our OCD (obsessive/compulsive) routine. What can I say, we are creatures of habit! Okay, now on to cooking.  I try to cook something on Fridays that's quick and simple but delicious.  So tonight I am making "Pasta e Fagioli" and "Stuffed Hot Peppers." I haven't made this soup in a while and I chose it because it's a stick to your ribs kind of soup. I am making the stuffed hot peppers because my family goes crazy for them and would eat them everyday if they could. We also had crusty italian bread from DiCamillo's Bakery to soak up the soup and to cool our mouths from the hot peppers.  For dessert monster sized cannoli's also from DiCamillo's Bakery.  Salute to aaaaah it's Friday!

Pasta e Fagioli

2 tb olive oil

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced pancetta

2 cans of cannellini beans

8 cups od chicken stock

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1/2 lb of small pasta

1 t parsley

1 t oregano

1 t basil

2 tb minced garlic

pinch of red pepper flakes

grated parmesan cheese

small parmesan cheese rind

salt n pepper

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot on medium heat, add pancetta and cook for 2 minutes, add onion, carrots and celery until soft.  Add garlic, red pepper, herbs and salt n pepper.  Add beans, diced tomatoes with juices, and chicken stock. Stir on medium - high heat and bring to a boil. Add cheese rind and simmer and for  20 minutes.  Add pasta and stir until pasta is cooked through.  Plate in bowls and add freshly grated parm cheese.

Stuffed Hot Peppers

6 hot peppers

4 oz cream cheese

4 oz gorgonzola

1 t minced garlic

salt n pepper

1/8 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash and seed peppers. With a spoon or fork mix cream cheese, gorgonzola, garlic and salt n pepper until smooth.  Stuff peppers and place on a baking dish with olive oil.  Drizzle olive oil the top and add salt n pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with marinara sauce or with a crusty bread.

Food Impressions:

Nate:  Hearty enough for a pirate...aaarg!

Tyler:  Yummy Mom, is there bacon in here? (no, it's pancetta Tyler) Wow, it's delicious and two thumbs up!  Hey, save some of those peppers for me.

Zachary: Deliciousioso! yes with an "ioso" at the end.

Dave:  Savory but could use more garlic.  (What do you mean more garlic I say with a snarly look. I couldn't help being defensive about his comment of needing more garlic)

Andrea:  Savory but could use more garlic.  (You love it when you are right Dave!!!) 

Who doesn't like a classic PB & J?

So I was sitting at my desk at work, enjoying my lunch when a colleague of mine stopped and said "Siwiec, what the heck are you eating?" I said "A peanut butter and jelly sandwich." He said " YOU, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - it must be gourmet." He asked if it had almond butter or homemade jam or if it was bread made from a specialty bakery. I said "No, No and No. This is a classic PB & J with white Wonder bread, Jiff peanut butter and Smuckers grape jelly." I followed by saying sometimes the best foods are the classics, ones that remind of us our childhood.  He walked away still wondering why I was eating a PB & J.  I'll admit, I was not surprised that my colleague had the reaction that he did; my lunches look more like take out from Tiffany's! This conversation got me thinking and even chuckle a little that someone thought I would turn my nose at a PB & J.  I love making gourmet foods but I also love making some of the simple classics, especially for my boys.  While we were stranded in the house for two days during the blizzard I made the boys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a tall glass of cold milk.  They gobbled it down as fast as the peanut butter allowed and then finished their milk without taking a breath.  They looked at me with a milk mustache and said "aaah, that was good mom!" Talk about a good food impression.  I think they will always love the classics just like me.  Heck, who doesn't like a classic PB and J?  

Cast iron cooking, oh my!

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Fresh Thyme

Did I mention that I have the best husband in the world?  Well if I didn't I'm saying it now!  Dave cooked the most amazing meal for me tonight - "Cast Iron Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes."  I normally do 90% of the cooking in our household and I prefer it that way.  But Dave is the absolute master at grilling, making breakfast and drum roll please......cooking with the cast iron pan.  Tonight he was in the mood for a cast iron meal so he offered to cook dinner for me. Bonus! Salute to cast iron cooking!

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs and Potatoes!

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Thyme (Click to print recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 skin on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 6 whole garlic cloves
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 t paprika 

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat  for a few minutes and then add garlic cloves.  Generously season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika.  Place chicken skin side down for a few minutes until browned. Turn chicken over and heat bottom side for 10 minutes.  Add thyme by taking a few off stems and sprinkling on chicken, then place whole thyme sprigs on top of chicken. Now transfer pan to oven and cook through for another 15 minutes. Skin on chicken should be crispy and brown.

Cast Iron Garlic Potatoes: (Click to print recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

•  4 tb. olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. baby new red potatoes sliced
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 cup of diced red onion
• 3 minced garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes and then add onion, garlic and potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are browned.  Transfer pan to oven and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes.

Food Impressions:

Andrea: Oh My!!! Moist, delicious chicken with crispy tasty skin. Potatoes were tender inside and crispy on the outside. Perfect combination.  Cast iron pan made a winner out of this dish.

Dave: Full of flavor.  A repeatable meal for sure. (He was being modest...it was amazing!)

Nate, Tyler and Zachary: Unfortunately they didn't get to taste this amazing meal.  Since Dave got home later tonight I fed the boys earlier....their choice was leftover Spaghetti Parmesan.  I had a small taste, okay a fairly large taste, and I must say it was even better the next day. Yum! 

Dinner and a Blizzard!

So today is not a blizzard but the end of a blizzard here in Buffalo, New York. Temperatures hit a low of -5 with wind chills as low as -28. It tied the lowest record since 1942. The outbreak in the cold air is being termed "polar vortex." My friends are terming this as an "outdoor refrigerator." In other words, a great opportunity to store large supplies of adult beverages outside! Heck, we are Buffalonians, we can handle any type of weather, in fact we embrace it! Some bars and restaurants in the city have even opened several hours early to host blizzard parties.  There are driving bans and let me tell you that is not stopping anyone in Buffalo from having a good time!  Trust me, I'm a proud Buffalonian but treading through mounds of snow and getting frostbite to go to a bar is not high on my list!  My idea of a good time is making comfort food for my family, while my husband and I share a bottle of wine. (While also watching my sons get into a wicked competition of Creationary). So tonight I made Spaghetti Parmesan.  The perfect compliment to the end of a winter storm. Salute to dinner and a blizzard!

Spaghetti Parmesan

1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef (85%)
1 small onion diced
2 tb. of minced garlic
1 28 oz. can tomato puree
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup of milk
1 t. parsley
1 t. oregano
small handful of fresh basil torn
1 lb. spaghetti
1 large egg
2-4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
parmesan cheese
salt n pepper

Preheat oven at 350.

For meat sauce: In a pan saute ground beef, diced onions and garlic until browned and cooked through.  Add milk, parsley, oregano, and basil and stir until milk is almost dissolved. Add can of puree and tomato paste and stir.  Let simmer on med-low (until spaghetti is cooked).

In meantime, boil spaghetti until al dente and strain.  Add whisked egg to spaghetti and stir quickly to prevent it from turning into scrambled eggs.  Add half of the meat sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella, stir and add to an oven proof baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Add the rest of mozzarella to top of pasta (I added 3 more cups of mozzarella, my son Zachary LOVES cheese) and cook until melted and bubbly.

Plate and add extra meat sauce and grated parm cheese to top.  I added extra fresh basil on top as well...Dave can't get enough of fresh basil.

• I will always follow up with my family's food "impressions."  Enjoy and cheers!

Dinner Impressions: 

Tyler: "Blasting with Flavor."  (He said this was a term from the movie Ratatouille, hey I'll take it) He had a second helping.

Zachary: " Cheesealicious" (Yes, he is my cheese lover)

Nate: "Saucealicious" (He wanted me to note that Zachary copied him on the "alicious" term) 

Dave: " Very satisfying" (I think he just wanted to sound regal, he even said it n a regal voice)

Andrea (me): "Quintessential comfort food" Not one drop left on anyone's plates...now that's a good meal!

My New Years Resolution

My New Years Resolution for 2014 is to regularly journal our family recipes, meals, menus and experiences for my sons. Sounds easy right? Well no not for me.  I'm usually not so great at sticking to my New Years Resolutions.  Last year my New Years Resolution, which was highly recommended by family, was to give up salt. Okay, I admit, I'm a salt-aholic.  I wouldn't say I over salt but I put salt on everything. I even sprinkle a little salt on my salted butter toast! Anyways, I barely lasted one week without salt. To make it worse my family even allowed me to salt while I was cooking, just not after plating and I still could barely last a week. Pathetic, I know. So with that said it might be a good idea for me to add a second New Years Resolution...TO STICK TO MY RESOLUTIONS!!!!

I am actually really excited to start this blog.  When I told my 11 year old son Nate that I wanted to blog but had no clue how to he grabbed my computer and said "I got it covered mom, I'll show you how." I was like what???? I didn't even know he knew what the word blog meant let alone set one up for me!  I have journaled my recipes for years but they are not organized and mostly just written in steno pads and sit in a drawer or closet, and no one sees them. I know a pretty dull system.  I figured blogging would be a fun and creative way to share my love of cooking, not only with Dave and the boys but also with my dear family and friends. Plus, there is no better day than today to start a blog...we've been stranded inside for 2 days during Buffalo's Blizzard of 2014! Nothing beats a snow day...it's a good excuse to stay in PJ's all day, watch the Today Show & Kathie and Hoda (don't laugh, I love them), lounge by the fire and of course cook comfort food.

So here's to my 2014 New Years Resolution Nate, Tyler and Zachary! I promise to regularly journal for you.  I guess my posts will tell! Salute to memorable long lasting food impressions my dear sons!