If you're looking for fancy recipes filled with exotic ingredients, you've come to the wrong place! I'm not a classically trained chef, but my father is. I grew up in a kitchen. Literally. Two of the guys working for my dad would stand at opposite ends of the kitchen and take turns calling me, and that is how I learned to walk. My parents owned a restaurant from the time I was a teeny tyke until I was in middle school. That place was my second home. So many places to explore! My brothers' favorite was the pantry, where the chocolate chips were in easy reach. Well that, and the homemade waffle chips - yummy! When my dad was prepping chickens, he would make them dance for me. When I was tired, I'd cuddle up in a 'nest' of blankets in his office and nap. The wine cellar in the basement was mysterious and comforting, with its dark wood, soft lighting, and all those beautiful bottles. At any given time there was a five gallon steam pot full of potato chowder, a bit of heaven I have yet to recreate. To this day, the kitchen is my favorite place. When I walk into mine, I see all my old friends - the silver pots and pans, the rich colors and aromas of spices, the scent of sauteed onions and garlic - it's my bliss. Cooking to me is not art in the sense many people refer to. I don't plate my dishes as ornate and intricately designed masterpieces. Food is meant to be savored with a good glass of wine, in the company of family and friends. When it's done right, the food will speak for itself!
Over time, I've added recipes to my repertoire, in large part because my husband abhors fast food in any form. I have to admit, I'm with him on this one. But I have found I can fix (mostly) quick, simple, tasty meals with small expense, and make his tummy happy as a clam at high tide. He's partial to the flavor profiles in Mexican cooking, and truly, this is one of my favorites, because the food is so rich in flavor, but not heavy! I'm not a fan of French cooking, although I can make a mean Steak au Poivre! The Hubs is just fine if I leave starches out of our meals, so I don't often use pastas, but when I do, I grab the whole wheat or whole grain varieties. Even my kiddo will eat those!
The key to enjoying cooking is having the right tools. So let's talk about my favorites. Sharp knives are a must! They're safer and hey, they make life easier. So, keep your knives sharp. You don't need a fancy sharpener to do this; mine is about as simple as they come, short of the steel in my knife block.
What about pots and pans? They're the stars of the show, so you better make sure they can stand up to the pressure. Splurge on a heavy duty skillet. You'll thank me later. Trust me. Seriously. Do it. Pick out a shiny stainless skillet, and you'll feel like a chef. Come on, work with me on this!
Alright, now to stock our pantries. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Buy it, use it, love it. Unsalted butter. Put the salted butter away, and the margarine, they have no place in our recipes! A word on margarine and Miracle Whip: take them out of your kitchen. Now. My husband, really through no fault of his own, was a Miracle Whip eater before I got my hands on him. He has since seen the error of his ways, and has admitted that I was right. You heard me ladies. I was right. I cherish that day; I've tucked it away in my heart for safe-keeping. But I digress. Okay, get yourself grinders for both salt and pepper. The "pepper" sold already ground is not welcome in my kitchen. While you're getting the grinders, pick up some black peppercorns, or a melange, if you're feeling bold. Also, Kosher salt. Lowest amount of sodium, and more forgiving if you over-salt. Note: a raw potato cut in half, and thrown into a sauce, soup or stew will suck the extra salt right out, in case you get a bit heavy handed!
What else? How could I forget?! Vinegar!! Balsamic, cider, rice. I go through a good amount in my kitchen because my husband, hereafter referred to as 'J', considers it a food group. If he could drink it straight up, he would. He orders fish and chips just so he can soak them in Malt Vinegar. It's a bit of an obsession with the boy. So, get those three. Also have lemons and limes in your fridge. I like to keep fresh basil, cilantro, and Italian (flat leaf) parsley on hand. Onions and garlic. No question. Must be in your kitchen. And my go-to spices? Ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, dill weed, ground mustard, granulated garlic. Those are the basics. We'll add to them in time. Additionally, keep some chicken and beef stock (or broth) in your pantry, along with some canned tomato products and diced green chiles. Well, I use the green chiles a lot, you might not. Okay, I think I've touched on the basics, so now I'll throw a recipe at ya.
Effort in Futility def.: Asking J what he wants for dinner. Honestly, it's become a habit, which I should consider breaking. J does not care. J will eat what's put in front of him. If it happens to contain fresh cilantro, lime juice and corn tortillas, he'll go back for fourths, even fifths. (And still keep his figure, which is not fair. At all.) If I could bottle the aromas of The Big Three, and splash a little on my pulse points, J would be all over me. Occasionally, he'll placate me with a real response, mostly to get me off his back. When he does, I can usually count on the same thing: my casserole. I'm going to call it J's Go-To Casserole. I don't mind when he requests this one, because it's pretty dang simple. Now I know I just told you to get a stainless skillet, but this recipe could also be done in a non-stick. Just make sure it's big enough to hold two pounds of ground beef, along with some fixins. You also need a good sized casserole dish. I don't know about you, but when I set out to cook, I like to gather everything ahead of time. If I don't I end up wandering my kitchen, or walking in circles, talking to myself. That's right, I talk to myself when I'm cooking, and I'm willing to bet you do too. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah, I need two onions, some garlic and butter...Now what am I doing?" Save yourself some time, and go get what you'll need. At the beginning of the recipe I'll give you an overview, so you can collect your goodies.
J's Go-To Casserole
Go get a large skillet and large casserole, as well as a medium sized bowl. You'll need ground beef (or pork), onion, garlic, butter, diced green chiles, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, sugar, tortilla chips, eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. Preheat oven to 350.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean ground beef (or pork, or a combination, or turkey, or or or)
1/2 tsp unsalted (we've talked about this!) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3-6 cloves garlic, minced (to your taste)
1 pkg low-sodium taco seasoning
8 oz can no salt added tomato sauce
7 oz can diced green chiles (or mix in some diced jalapenos if you're feeling sassy)
pinch of sugar
4 oz can chopped black olives (they're small, so olive haters won't notice them, mwaahahahaha)
32 oz large curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced
bag of tortilla chips
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
Optional garnishes
chopped scallions (green onions)
sliced black olives
roughly chopped cilantro
sour cream
Toss block of Monterey Jack cheese in the freezer. This will make it easier to slice. Just don't forget it's in there!
Brown beef in skillet, drain. Melt butter in skillet, add onion and garlic, saute briefly. Return beef to pan, add seasoning, tomato sauce, sugar, chiles, olives, and 1/2 cup water. Stir well to combine, turn heat to low, let simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium sized bowl, slightly beat eggs, add cottage cheese and stir to combine. Slice Monterey Jack cheese. Spread 1/3 meat mixture in bottom of casserole, cover with layers of 1/2 Monterey Jack, cottage cheese mixture and chips (grab a couple of handfuls of chips, crush them slightly in your mitts, then spread in a layer). Repeat layers, ending with last 1/3 meat mixture. Top with grated cheddar. Toss in oven (don't spill it!!) and bake for 3o minutes. Bask in the knowledge that you've just thrown together a little bit of yummy goodness. Think about washing some dishes - whether you do is up to you. If you want them, chop some scallions and cilantro. Go kiss your husband and kiddos (if you want). Haul the casserole out of the oven, let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with garnishes.
