Rub with Love

I was at Bristol Farms the other day and saw these rubs by the butcher. I had to try one! It seems like the perfect thing to keep in the spice cabinet for a day when I have nothing to make for dinner. I have also been dying to try Rocco Dispirito's Macaroni and Cheese and I thought it would make a nice pairing with this rub. The rub was spicy, earthy and a little sweet. Even though it is for chicken, I bet it would be great on fish too!

If you like Macaroni and Cheese you have to try this one! No it wasn't as rich as the real thing, but it comes close. It definitely hits the spot with a LOT less calories and fat!

Simply Amazing

I was in heaven last night...or I should say my feet were! After a long day of being on my feet all day at work nothing feels better than a hot foot bath. Usually, I fill up this round plastic basin with Epsom Salts and Hot Water, but it is never quite right. It is always too hot or too cold and has no fun gadgets. I know, what should I expect from a glorified bucket...

Well, I saw this amazing foot spa in a catalogue (why I get this catalogue is another topic all together) and I had to have it!! It has a built in heating system, air bubbles, spiraling massage wheels and cover so the water doesn't get cold. It is really like the Bentley of Foot Spas. My old set up was like an old skateboard in comparison.

This was the best money I have ever begged my husband to spend...Valentine's Day is right around the corner. This could be yours! I also recommend Diamonds.

High Hopes

I really had high hopes for this recipe I tried last night for these Wild Mushroom, Flank Steak and Poblano Tacos. I followed the recipe exactly (unusual I know) and it just wasn't great. After reading all of the reviews this morning, I realize it might have just been a yucky piece of flank steak that I bought. I am going to blame it on that I guess. I think if there would have been a marinade then it wouldn't have been so chewy and kind of flavorless.

Next time, I would get my meat from where I usually do, Bristol Farms, and maybe marinade it in something first. I am just feeling blah about it....I promised to be completely frank on this blog and that comes with the good, great, okay and the bad! Tonight's dinner will be better!

My salad! One of the highlights! Had to post a picture and look at the glass half full!

I rubbed some chili powder as well as salt and spray butter on the corn and it turned out excellent! If someone tries this recipe and it turns out well, you have to let me know what you did differently!

Sent from Heaven

My Dad is a big fan of baked goods...such a big fan that we call him "The Cookie Monster" His favorite kind are Oatmeal Raisin, and believe me, we have all tried numerous new recipes to find the perfect one. I saw this one for Carmel Apple Oatmeal Cookies in my favorite Cooking Light Cookbook and just had to try it!

The carmels were a lot more difficult to chop than they make it sound in the recipe, but I may have gotten so frustrated because I was making this and my risotto at the same time. Once I got going, it went faster...the result was ooey, gooey carmel throughout the cookies. I almost got those tiny toffee bites when I was at the grocery store, but I am so glad I got the Carmel candies.
Do not back down from it!

I baked them on Silpats and I suggest using them. I think otherwise the carmel would melt all over the pan and regardless of how much cooking spray you use you would be scrubbing the pans for a indefinite amount of time. Not to mention the carmel would probably burn.

Brian is my resident taste-tester and he grabbed a cookie, bit into it and said, "Oh my Gosh! Where did this recipe come from? Was it sent from heaven?!? These are amazing!"

If I were you, I would try it out...if he only knew there were less than 100 calories in each one!

Still in the land of Pasta...

Still in the midst of my "Pasta Week", I decided to bust out my Urban Italian Cookbook. It is a great one for traditional Italian recipes with a modern twist. Has everything from an amazing tomato sauce recipe to really different things like Minestrone Risotto.

I really thought when I was preparing my grocery list on Sunday that I would end up with a hearty soup when I was done making this. I guess it is the way I read the title that it would be a soup with arborio rice swimming around in it instead of a traditional starch like rice or a noodle. I guess you have figured out by this point that I am not the best at reading directions, because this is actually a risotto with a minestrone flavor! I know, think what you want, I just failed to read the instructions all the way through before making this...

Regardless of what I thought it was going to be, it turned out excellent! I loved the flavor and it really does taste like Minestrone Soup only in a pasta! Brian loved it even though normally he won't touch risotto with a ten-foot pole. You have to try this one because it is a one-of-a-kind!

Restaurant Review: Pizzeria Ortica

Just in case anyone was wondering what my favorite food is...it is PIZZA! Not just any kind of Pizza. Pizza like in the picture below! I do not like thick, doughy pizza with too many things, too much cheese and no taste. I love Pizzeria Ortica's beautiful, bright sauce, the fresh cheese and the basil. The pizza part is really thin and the crust is a little thicker giving you something both to hold onto easily and to nibble on after eating the good part!

I really can't say enough good things about this place, but I will tell you that you must try the "Budino de Cioccolato". It is a semi-sweet chocolate homemade pudding with a salted caramel pudding layered on top and a dollop of whipped cream at the top of all of it. It is heavenly! It is something about all three different flavors melting in your mouth.

Last night my sister and I went here for dinner before going to see "Hair" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Unfortunately, we had to run out to make it to our seats in time and I didn't get to have dessert. Sad!

I am always impressed with the quality of the shows at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. I think it is because it is so convenient and easy to walk to from South Coast Plaza or neighboring restaurants. It just makes for a fun, relaxing thing to do right here in Orange County!

Last night we saw "Hair" and I have to mention that this is the 3rd Theater Production my mom has taken my sister to with Full Frontal Nudity in it. It is so hilarious!
I will never understand how these actors get up and take off all their clothes in front of so many people, but to each their own I guess.


The costumes were really cool and looked like they were authentic from the 60s. The music is what I really loved. The orchestra was amazing and the best part is the whole orchestra was sitting in special places within the set. Usually you can just hear them, but we could actually see them! If you get a chance you should look up tickets for this theater, it is small, but they get some great productions off Broadway.

Craving Pasta

After Bridget and I's cooking class (if you can even call it that) on Sunday, I have been in the mood for pasta! This week I decided to pull out the big guns with my favorite "non-tomato sauce" pasta recipe. I love this recipe for Pasta Ponza because it is easy, tastes great, and you can use basically any vegetable in your fridge to make it. It calls for ingredients I usually have on hand all the time and tastes a lot better than plain old pasta.

I like to add the following things to the recipe, but it is also great in its original form. I just like to spice it up a little from time to time from the norm. I also always have a hard time coming up with other things to serve with pasta besides more carbs, so with these additions I feel like you are getting equal amounts of vegetables and pasta. My additions:

-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Mushrooms
-Green Olives sliced
-Zucchini

I have also tried:
-Chicken (Baked, chopped and added in with the cheese)
-Peppers
-Green Beans
-Corn
-Peas
-Crushed Red Pepper

Basically you can add as much as you want, but you need to increase the breadcrumbs to cover everything you put in the baking dish. I really reccomend you trying this one! I have never met anyone who doesn't like it.



One tip: follow the directions. I know this sounds elementary, but you need to use a pasta with ridges (for the sauce to stick) and you need to let the vegetable mixture cool for 5 minutes, otherwise it will become gummy.

Try it out and let me know what you think! Stay tuned for more Pasta to come this week...

We Love Breakfast!

Brian and I are both big fans of breakfast! Brian loves the food and I love a nice healthy breakfast to start the day off after a great workout! This morning I made French Toast with Maple-Apple compote before I set off for work. I really meant to make this on Sunday morning, but didn't get up early enough!

Sunday morning I went to a cooking class with Bridget at Williams Sonoma. We both went in thinking that we were going to learn how to make homemade pasta, but that isn't what happened. We learned how to make a basic bolognese and boil pasta. There were two highlights: First, when one of the ladies was naming off all the names of various pastas and she couldn't pronounce any of them. Secondly, when they were adding the ground beef and called it "hamburger". HAHAHAHAHA. It was ridic! Bridget and I are still laughing about this...

Back to my breakfast....

Apples Sauteing...

Finished Product!
Complete with a Lactose Free Latte for Brian with some fresh grated Nutmeg on top!

About 1 minute later!

Overall it was a good, tasty recipe. It was fairly simple to make. I say fairly because I was making it after my Morning Bootcamp and before work. When I am working on a time schedule and have a lot of dishes to clean it makes me a little frazzeled. Despite all the bowls and pans, this is a good one. The best part of it is that it uses a lot of things I usually have on hand anyway! Try it out and tell me what you think!

Note: I used about half the butter that it called for.
If you are going to do this, watch out for the apples or turn the temperature down a bit so you don't have to babysit them otherwise they will burn!

Perfect Weekend!

Sunday night we went up to Santa Monica in search of the perfect place to have Karen's Bridal Shower. My mom joined us and we had such fun time looking at all the hotels up there and having lunch! I wish I would have taken photos, but I forgot as I was starving!

On our way home we spent the rest of the day with our friends Scott and Kathryn in Marina del Rey. I am so happy that we have been making plans with them more frequently because I love hanging out with them! We went for drinks at this place overlooking the harbor and the sunset was just exquisite. This photo below really doesn't do it justice, but I tried.

What a perfect end to a great weekend! We ended the night watching the Golden Globes and getting take-out. I normally despise take-out, but since I was with two of my favorite people I didn't care! We had pizza...which is my favorite food and the only acceptable thing to get from take-out. All was good! Especially the company!

I just hate eating things out of plastic containers, nothing is ever the same as when you get it in the restaurant, and you miss the whole experience of eating in a restaurant! The whole idea of it just bothers me, it takes just as much time to order food and go pick it up as it does to make a nice healthy meal that you see exactly what is going into your food!

Restaurant Review: WASA

Whew! I have been out of touch with blogging lately! But, I am back! Last Saturday night we were lucky enough to have Karen and Andrew visit for the night. It was way too short and we don't get to see them enough, but I am grateful they made the stop to see us!

My dad told us about this new (well, new to us) Sushi restaurant called WASA. It is so close and in a center I frequent often and am kicking myself for not seeing it sooner. It was excellent! The fish was so fresh and they had a perfect balance between classic Japanese dishes and some more adventurous western twists.

We had the best time, as usual, and were also happy to have Liz and Matt join us. Lots of laughter, Saki Bombs and good food! If you live in the area you must try this place! Delish!

Miss Karen and Andrew already, but excited to see them soon for Karen's Bridal Shower in March! Watch out for more to come with these two...

Call the Fire Department!

I saw this recipe and thought it looked really interesting and had to try it! I have never made Flat Iron Steaks before, but I am up for trying anything once. It was very easy to make and really flavorful despite the tiny prep time.

Unfortunately, I was tired/wasn't reading properly/made a mistake and accidentally used Cayenne Pepper instead of Chili Powder. I swear it was like that show Man v. Food! SO SPICY. Now, Brian and I both love spicy food, but this was ridic. Thank god for the beautiful, and very refreshing Tomato Sauce that cooled the whole thing down.

This recipe for Chili-Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Warm Tomato Sauce was outstanding! I will definitely make this again...but the correct way!

I paired it with some Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Artichokes. They made a nice mild side dish to go with the robust meat. Unlike the meat, they took more time to prepare, but the rub does need to sit on the meat for 30 minutes so I did all the prep work while the meat was resting. The time worked out perfectly and everything was done at the right time.

Spice Rub

Excellent Warm Tomato Sauce

Finished meal! Even though I made a big mistake and made it super spicy, it was still really good and I can't wait to make it again.

Sweet and Spicy

I was so excited to have my sis over for dinner last night! I made one of Brian's favorite dishes: Chili-Garlic Glazed Salmon. My sis was far away in Boston for 5 years and I missed her so much while she was gone. I am thankful that I can see her often now and on a whim she can come over for dinner! This is a great recipe that you can make on the fly because most of the ingredients you can just keep in you pantry and pick up some salmon on the way home. It is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet to compliment the salmon.

I also made some Cucumber Salad that makes a perfect compliment to the asian influence in the main dish. I love the cool, refreshing taste of the cucumbers and rice vinegar. Best of all...it is so quick and easy!!

Cucumber Salad

2 large English Cucumbers sliced very thin

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon black sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper

Combine all and serve! You can also add dill and thinly sliced Red Onion to change it up a bit.

Dreaming of Blue Cheese

Lately I have been feeling like something with Blue Cheese, but of course I don't want all the fat and calories that come along with it. I found this recipe for Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce and it seemed like just the thing to satisfy my craving and keep within the parameters of fat and calories I allot myself every day.

I also made a wedge as an ode to my Blue Cheese theme because when I hear "blue cheese" I can't help but think of a lettuce wedge. Too much cheese, especially Blue Cheese, is never a good thing so I made this avocado dressing instead!

Avocado Herb Dressing

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 reduced-fat sour cream

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Tarragon

1/8 Teaspoon salt

1/2 ripe peeled avocado

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 drops hot sauce

Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. While running, add the water, vinegar and hot sauce and blend. Store in an airtight container. (1 Tablespoon 19 calories, 1.4g Fat)

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I chopped some fresh tomatoes and red onion to go with the wedges. Brian's is the one with the yellow tomatoes, he doesn't like red ones. Only yellow. ??????

Finished product! Tasted Great and I will make it again!

Great Start

There is nothing better to start your day than a workout and a great breakfast! This morning marked the first day of my family's new private bootcamp. For the past 7 months we have been going to a bootcamp down the street, but they moved a lot further away and at 5:30 am no one wants to drive further or wake up earlier. Our solution: Make our own bootcamp! It is fabulous!

Last night I made these Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins as a new addition to our normal breakfast this week. My hopes are that Brian would like them and his brain would get its "unhealthy craving" for the day and be tricked! They are made with whole wheat flour and oats and really taste good. The part in the recipe where you toss the blueberries in flour first really works. They are pretty quick to make (despite my lack of interest in baking) and are great!

Batter-I used steel cut oats so I think that is why they are more grainy and visible. They tasted fine though. I sometimes make dumb choices at Trader Joe's!

Brian's Chocolate Soy Latte made with our Nspresso (best machine ever!)

Overeasy Eggs (with extra pepper)

Beautiful Muffins

What a great start to a great day! What do you do to start your morning??

Weeknight Wonder

I missed my Sunday grocery shopping again this week because I was working. I found this recipe for Chicken Curry in my Cooking Light Cookbook my sis gave me. It says you can feed 4 people for less than $10. This seemed perfect because I had to get my ingredients at Bristol Farms in order to save time...and my feet.

I spent more than $10, but it was perfect because it was fast and easy. It tasted great and I will make this again soon now that I have the curry paste in my fridge. I probably have all the other items in my kitchen anyways on a daily basis!

Only complaint is that it doesn't call for any pepper or heat. It needed both. After taking a few bites, I went and got my grinder and some crushed red pepper. Perfect! I also added some mushrooms and yellow onion I had just to include some more vegetables because I was way too lazy to make a salad. Sometimes a salad is just too much work!

Finished Meal which I ate with my feet up!

Brian was not thrilled with the dessert (Fresh Cheeries) I got, so he insisted we go get frozen yogurt! Turned out to be a fun excursion at 8 pm!

Fruit Topping which I love

Candy Toppings for Brian

Ended the night watching Real Housewives of Atlanta. Not a huge fan of this week's episode, but I am excited to see next weeks, as it looks more interesting. Also, excited for this weeks Beverly Hills episode. Camille bugs me and I can't wait to hear the phone call from her husband....

Dinner Party Time!

Friday night, our friends Brooke and Alan came over for dinner! Brooke and I have known each other since elementary school and I am so lucky that her boyfriend, Alan, got a job here in the desert so Brooke and I have been able to reconnect. There is no one better to reminisce with about High School with or laugh about funny things we hear about High School peops than Brooke! We talk about other things also of course, but one thing is for sure...it is always a good time with lots of laughing!

Lately, I have been obsessed with my new cookbook from Ina Garten (you may have noticed from my recent posts this week) and I was so excited to see this Salmon recipe.
I really like simple, fresh flavors so this seemed perfect!

As usual, I was coming home from work to prepare for this so I had to chose something that I could make quickly and still enjoy my company. I also wanted to make a roasted vegetable platter, but it is so time consuming washing and chopping all the vegetables. I decided to wash and chop everything the night before and store them in Tupperware so I was ready to go with that when I got home. My plan worked out perfectly; I was very calm and able to have a great time with my guests...the ultimate goal of a dinner party!

In five minutes I already had all the vegetables on the cookie sheets seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, crushed garlic and tarragon ready to go in the 375 degree oven for 20 minutes

These Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto were amazing...and amazingly easy! Even though 2 out of the 4 of us claim to dislike tomatoes, everyone loved them!

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto
2-2.5 lb Red Tomatoes big enough for roasting (I used Roma)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup Store Bought Pesto
1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and slice tomatoes. Gently squeeze out the "guts". Lightly drizzle with Olive Oil and place in glass roasting dish face up. Season with Salt and Pepper. Place in oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread tomatoes with pesto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for 7-10 minutes or until cheese has become bubbly and slightly browned.
May serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Brookie and me

My bread basket I put together with some fresh breads from Trader Joe's

Ta Da! Roasted Vegetable Platter! Something for everyone here...

Roasted Salmon (and Chicken) with Green Herbs
2-2.5 lbs Salmon
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Dill
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Scallions (white and green parts)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon in glass roasting dish and season well with salt and pepper. Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and drizzle evenly over salmon.
Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine herbs in a small bowl. Coat salmon with herbs liberally and spread on sides and bottom as well. Pour the wine around the fish filet.
Place salmon in oven for 15 minutes till just still pink inside. Remove from oven and cover tightly with foil for 10 minutes to finish the cooking and rest. Serve.

Guests at the dinner table

Brooke's beautiful dessert she brought from her Club. Red Velvet Cake with Pomegranate Seeds and Toasted Almond Slivers. Also, the Syrah they brought was so smooth and yummy! I don't even like wine and I loved it!!

Thank you Brookie and Alan for coming and having so much fun with Bri and I! We had the best time and can't wait to do it again!

Easy Provencal...Filet Mignon

I am finally starting to get back into the swing of things after crazy December! As you probably noticed by my lack of posts the last few weeks, I could not get myself to cook dinner regularly like usual, and when I did cook, I forgot to take pictures. No pictures, no posting...

Tonight I made a take on a recipe I saw in Ina Garten's new cookbook: How Easy is That? The recipe she has in the cookbook is called Easy Provencal Lamb. It was just the two of us and I was too lazy to look for a lamb leg as I was traipsing around the grocery store in my 4 inch high heels after work, so I got Filet Mignon. I know, totally different, but whatever...it worked and it was probably 10 precious steps closer to the checkout than the lamb.

This is approximately what I did:

Easy Provencal...Filet Mignon

• 2 six ounce pieces Filet Mignon
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound ripe red tomatoes, cored and 1-inch-diced
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons good honey, divided
• 1/2 large Spanish onion, sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprigs fresh rosemary
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• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the steaks in a roasting dish. Combine the mustard, half the garlic, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a food processor (a mini one if you have it) and pulse till herbs are minced. Spread the mixture over the meat.
• Place tomatoes, olive oil, half the honey, the onion, remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and toss well. Pour tomato mixture around the meat and tuck the rosemary and thyme springs under meat. Drizzle with remaining honey. Roast for 20 minutes at 450, then for another 5-10 at 400. Remove meat from oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes to let juices reabsorb and rest. Serve with tomato and onion mixture.

I also made some roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash with the meat. Overall it was a good meal that tasted like I cooked it for a long time. It was quick, easy and best of all...Brian cleaned the dishes!

Weeknight Bolognese

Coming home from work tonight I was sitting in my car, so cold and uncomfortable in my suit. I could not think of something more comforting than warm pasta with this tasty meat sauce. Usually the problem with comfort food is it usually leaves you feeling stuffed and guilty. This pasta ended up being everything I hoped...Hot, Meaty, Comforting...but not too heavy.

Weeknight Bolognese

Recipe from How Easy is That by Ina Garten

2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra to cook pasta

1 pound lean ground sirloin

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 ¼ cups dry red wine, divided

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Kosher salt and black pepper

¾ pound dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

¼ cup heavy cream

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Finish the sauce while the pasta cooks. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well. Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Yield: 4 – 5 servings

Beautiful Sauce Simmering

Chopped Salad

Finished Dish!

Note: I omitted the last 1/4 cup of wine because...I just felt like it. I also unfortunately could not find orecchiette at Trader Joe's and was WAY to tired to go another market after work. Next time, I will use the orecchiette. The fusilli was great for the bolognese, but I think the other would have been prettier!