Tag: Washington Post

Appetizers, Main Course, South Beach Diet

Mother Necessity

by Wendi4 Comments on Mother Necessity

Spice Dusted Tuna

Schoolhouse Rock taught me that necessity is the mother of invention.

Mother Necessity
With her good intentions,
Where would this country be
Without her inventions?

So when faced with a need, I try to get creative in my solution.  I look at what I do have and see if I can’t repurpose an item.  It’s amazing how many ordinary household items can be used in ways they are not specifically designed for.  For instance, did you know that in a pinch, a basket style coffee filter can be used to line a cake pan instead of parchment?  It can. Continue reading “Mother Necessity” →

Breads

Crusty

by Wendi11 Comments on Crusty

Nibble

A recurring theme in my kitchen is that I struggle with making breads. I don’t know what it is about yeast but it vexes me to no end. The bread I make at home is either a complete bust or just blah. Yet still I persist in thinking that if I just find the right recipe, the mysterious world of yeast will finally make sense to me. That thinking never really worked out for me with geometry or algebra. But call me the optimist because I am determined to one day pull a bread out of my oven that is worthy of ooohs and aaahs and gets gobbled up leaving people looking around for more, even if it’s just a crumb. This experiment with focaccia is just one step toward that goal. Continue reading “Crusty” →

Dessert, Sweets

Casting Call

by Wendi11 Comments on Casting Call

Cranberry Oat Bars

Would it surprise you to know that I test holiday recipes as early as October?  Trick-or-Treaters have yet to even put on their costumes and the BAH kitchen is already churning out possible holiday treats.  We take our holiday treats seriously. One year we made marshmallows.  Another year was macaroons and jam thumbprints.  The chocolate covered pretzels I tried last year were a complete flop.  Which only meant that since I couldn’t properly temper the chocolate, they lived in my refrigerator until The Mistah and I finished them off.  They just were not destined to be part of our out of town packages…sorry y’all down in Florida. Continue reading “Casting Call” →

Chicken, Main Course

Leftovers

by Wendi3 Comments on Leftovers

Roasted

I’m not a big fan of lots of leftovers.  It gets tiring to eat the same thing day after day.  This was a huge issue when I was single and cooking for one, but I still come up against it from time to time.  Even if I scale a recipe down, sometimes there’s just too much of it. After I’ve eaten a dish for lunch or dinner a couple of time in a week, I just don’t want to make it again anytime soon.  But is it the same if you scale a recipe up just to have leftovers to freeze? I think not.  And Honey Mustard Chicken Breast is why. Continue reading “Leftovers” →

Vegetables

Habit

by WendiLeave a Comment on Habit

Steaming

Just because I am a creature of habit, doesn’t mean I won’t try a new way of doing things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes it works but I like my way better.

This recipe falls into that last category.

Restaurant Style Asparagus

Washington Post

Asparagus can be parcooked 1 to 2 hours in advance; refrigerate, then saute just before serving.

  • big pinch kosher salt
  • 1 pund asparagus, woodey ends discarded
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • lemon zest

Fill a large skillet with 1 or 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Have a clean, dry towel ready.

Add the asparagus, adding water if necessary to  make sure the vegetables are covered. Cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes for thin spears or 6 to 10 minutes for thicker spears. Use tongs to transfer the asparagus to the towel. and pat dry.

Use just enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and heat over medium-high. When hot, add the asparagus and salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until they start to brown a little. Garnish with lemon zest and serve hot.

{Printable Recipe}

Random

Shorted

by WendiLeave a Comment on Shorted
typhoon-vintage-scale
image from amazon.co.uk

Used to be that when a recipe called for 8 ounces of pasta, I could just measure out half a box and be done. Not anymore. Have you noticed how with many of the things we buy, like pasta, ice cream, and coffee, you don’t get as much as you used to? But you’re still paying the same price. Continue reading “Shorted” →