Indulgent

This past weekend, I indulged in cupcakes and sushi. LOTS of cupcakes. LOTS of sushi. Red Velvet, Lemon Drop, and Triple Chocolate Meltdown dominated the cupcake scene. To counter the sweetness, I filled up on Rainbow Rolls, Eel Avocado Rolls, Red Dragon, Holiday Rolls, Tuna and Salmon Sashimi, Special Cucumber Rolls, and even threw in some fried tofu and squid tempura. Indulgent. Indeed.

Now, it is Monday. The weekend of pampering and fun is over. It's time to buckle down. This doesn't mean that what is On My Plate needs to be boring. I can still indulge in bright, beautiful flavors and textures. A Grapefruit Avocado Salad does just that. The citrus burst of the grapefruit melds well with the creaminess of the avocado and is highlighted by a drizzle of a vinegary dressing enhanced with shallots and chives. Indulgent. Indeed. 

Grapefruit Avocado Salad

(adapted from Food and Wine magazine and Alice Waters)

2 medium pink grapefruits
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium avocados, sliced 1/4 inch thick
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

With a sharp knife, cut the skin and all of the white pith off of the grapefruits.
Working over a bowl, cut between the membranes to release the sections; set them aside.
Squeeze the juice from the remaining membranes into the bowl. (You should have at least 2 tablespoons of juice.)
Add the shallot, chives, and vinegar to the juice.
Whisk in the olive oil.
Set aside and let stand for a few minutes to meld flavors.
Arrange the sliced avocado and grapefruit sections on plates.
Drizzle dressing over the salad.
Season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4)

Give and Take

It is a weekend of give and take.

I am taking the green out of my kitchen. Well, not ALL of the green; I am leaving the celery cupboards and trim. But, the avocado that I once thought was so retro, trendy, and cool, just isn't doing it for me anymore. I am painting it out with white. I do realize that in just a few months, I will be screaming that the white is cold and gets grimy too easily, but for now I shall take out the green and have a white kitchen.

However, just because I take out the green paint, doesn't mean that I am forsaking all greens. I still have a love for good-for-me vegetables, and with a big box of baby spinach in my fridge, a recipe for Spinach and Cheese Bake jumped at me from the pages of a Cooking Light publication. Although featured as a breakfast, it made a great, simple dinner during my painting process, and I couldn't wait to "give" the recipe to you here On My Plate.

I served this easy egg bake with Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins and a fresh fruit salad, but I could also see it  paired with sliced tomatoes and garlic bread. The mustard, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes give the cheesy baked spinach real zing. Next time I might add sauteed onions, mushrooms, or even crumbled (cooked) sausage and take it to a whole new level. It is the kind of basic recipe that is good as is, but adapts so effortlessly. I will take Spinach and Cheese Bake On My Plate anytime.

Spinach and Cheese Bake

(adapted from Cooking Light)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

12 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

(I cheated and used 2 cups Mexican blend cheese instead of the 2 cheeses.)

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk

4 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 350°.
Pour the butter into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; tilt dish to coat. 
Place spinach evenly in bottom of dish; sprinkle with cheeses.
Combine flour and remaining ingredients, EXCEPT red pepper flakes, in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. 
Pour milk mixture over cheese and spinach.
Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. 
Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve immediately. (Serves 8)

Sunny Delight

First, I used the excuse that the gloom that permeated most of June with cloud cover and drizzle prevented me from snapping acceptable photos for this blog. Then, when the sun did come out, I was so wrapped up in my attempts at yard and garden care and lounging under that glorious golden orb that I still neglected to post anything. The sun has felt too good to tie myself indoors with the computer. (Nevermind that I have wireless and can easily take the laptop outside...which is where I am right now.) I have been a slacker about sharing my recipe discoveries and wildly interesting *insert sarcasm* life.

Truth be told, daily cooking at home has dwindled. It is that time of year when if Hubby can work, he does. His hours are long and dinner doesn't usually happen before 9pm, if not closer to 10pm. He makes hay while the sun shines, and in the age of technology and headlights on field equipment, often longer. Our menus have been lighter and sometimes nothing more than odd assortments of snacky stuff pulled from the fridge in a hunger induced haze (when I ignore the signs of my plummeting blood sugar levels and wait for his return home to eat anything at all). At that point, food is just another necessity and has lost all fun and appeal. Anything will do; and anything usual does. (I think that there was a day that my "nourishment" totally consisted of Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels from World Market and Diet Cherry 7-Up...unfortunately.)

Occasionally, I have planned a bit better and our dinners were made up of quick, cool, and simple salads and something tossed on the grill. A fresh, sunny coleslaw from Martha Stewart Living caught my eye and paired really well with some extremely lean buffalo hotdogs (samples provided by a friend at the Tanka Bar company). It was a perfect summer supper...except that the Citrus Slaw and Tanka Dog landed On My Plate about the same time as the 10pm news. It is just that time of year.

Citrus Slaw

2 navel oranges
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded (2 cups)
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup fresh basil, leaves torn
3 scallions, thinly sliced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut peel and pith from oranges. Slice oranges along membranes to remove segments, letting segments and juices fall into bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes over segments and discard membranes. Remove orange segments from bowl and set aside. Combine champagne vinegar with orange juice. Slowly whisk the oil into the juice and vinegar until emulsified. Combine cabbage, parsley, basil, scallions, and orange segments in serving bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4)

New Year, New Foods

There is never a down day on the farm for Hubby. Livestock can't be ignored. Even on Sundays, chores need to / have to be done. On a good day with no problems, this often takes all morning. Following this, there are usually other tasks to be completed in preparation for the work of the coming week. These days, if he is home by 2:00 or 3:00pm on a Sunday, I consider myself lucky. But, it never fails, when he arrives he is starved. It's an odd time of the day...too late for lunch, too early for dinner. Often, snacks fill up the void and then compete with any dinner I may prepare.

Today, I decided to offer something different from his usual cheese and crackers, popcorn, chips or veggies and dip, or can of soup snacks. I had seen a New York Breakfast Sandwich on a popular website, and picked up the ingredients the other day during a visit to the grocery store. It seemed a perfect Sunday brunch item, even if the clock was approaching dinner time. I thought the bright flavors would satisfy his hunger, but still be a lighter option to leave room for dinner.

Smoked salmon is not new to me. I am a major fan of bagels and lox, and sometimes even snip it into my favorite egg salad (and toss in some capers). Most every Christmas season sees me preparing a smoked salmon spread for snacking with crackers. However, until now, it has mostly been a solo indulgence for me. While I did believe that Hubby would appreciate the savory flavor, I usually prepare heartier options for meals with him. It's a new year, and I think it is time to give him some new options on his plate.

He cautiously watched me prepare the first open faced sandwich. I layered on the ingredients and refused to listen to his request to omit the paper thin slices of cucumber. A couple of slices of cucumber weren't going to make him burp any more than the Mountain Dew that he was guzzling. He took a first uncertain bite, then another, and by the third chomp, I knew that I had won him over. I had just completed my own sandwich preparations when he joined me at the cutting board to make another for himself. I think that lighter options, like the New York Breakfast Sandwich, will be appearing On Our Plates a little more often in the new year.

New York Breakfast Sandwich

8 slices pumpernickel bread
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
8 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
2 tsp. chopped green onions
2 tsp. capers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toast the bread.
Spread 1-1/2 tsp. of cream cheese on top of each slice.
Put a slice of smoked salmon, a couple of slices of onion, a slice or two of cucumber, and about 1 Tbs. of chopped tomato on top.
Sprinkle with the green onions and capers.
Season with salt and pepper. (Serves 4)

Resolutions

What other topic could a January 1 blog post have other than resolutions? Many of us make them and break them. Some try harder than others to achieve their goals, and some just can't be bothered. In the past, I honestly wasn't one for making resolutions. I would think about those few pounds I wanted to drop, or the lack of a consistently healthy diet, or my neglect to my treadmill, or those credit card purchases that I probably shouldn't have made, but never really made any New Year's promises to myself.

Last year, I changed that. I made my first real resolution. Surprisingly, given my food obsession, it wasn't about food, or dieting, or even working out in order to be able to eat more food. I decided to better my life by changing the way I was living.

On the surface, my home has usually appeared clean and tidy. However, don't open any door without permission or you might be met with piles that would threaten to avalanche at any moment. Every nook and cranny of my home was filled to capacity, and yet I continued to stuff more into the already crowded drawers, closets, and cupboards. I was becoming my my mother. The pack rat gene had taken hold.

It was time to halt the madness. I resolved to clear one piece of clutter a day. I knew that if I made grand plans, I would fail. I am not a grand plan kind of gal. I take things step by step and see what happens. My anal side does require that I have a plan, but I fly by the seat of my pants to achieve it. I did the same with my clutter. One day's clutter might simply be dealing with the mail as soon as I received it. Toss the junk; file the bills and important stuff. Easy, right? I could do that. The next day, I would have more time and decide that everything from the deep, dark recesses of the front closet had to come out and be sorted. Of course, piling it all on the sofa required that I have my task complete by the time Hubby returned home, or we would have no where to lounge in the evening. I sometimes needed those kinds of incentives to kick myself in the butt. But, I did it all bit by bit, piece by piece, junk by junk, and in some cases, trash by trash.

I am happy to report that I did succeed in keeping last year's resolution. Most of my home is now clutter free. I am not afraid of people peeping into my closets or of asking someone to get something from the pantry for me. The local Thrift Store has been thrilled with my donations while the trash collectors have cussed at the weight of my garbage can, and my home is happier for it. I still have a few spots that need some polishing, and I don't lie to myself that this job will ever be complete. Keeping a clean and tidy home inside and out is work, but I am not afraid. I am resolved to conquer clutter.

This year, I have new resolutions. Again, no food, dieting, or working out is involved (not that those areas of my life don't need a little help now and then). Oddly enough, I found my inspiration imprinted on some of my holiday gift wrap. LIVE JOYFULLY; GIVE GENEROUSLY; BELIEVE COMPLETELY; CELEBRATE LOVINGLY Good, huh? Aspirations that, hopefully, will make me a better person. I have no doubts that this will be harder than conquering clutter. I will need to be aware of myself and the effect of my actions on others. There will probably be times that I would rather clean the inside of a closet than clean the inside of my soul. Still, I am going to give it a go. What's the worst that can happen? I will be bad and know it? Isn't being aware still better than just being bad? ...am I talking in circles and being crazy? Probably. I still hope to live, give, believe, and celebrate to the best of my abilities in 2009.

But now, since my blog is entitled On My Plate, I should probably post a recipe, huh? How about something for those of you that HAVE resolved to improve your diet, drop a few pounds, work out more, be healthier, or eat more veggies? In addition to cleaning drawers and crawl spaces last year, I did manage to drop those ugly extra pounds that I had been carrying around. I searched out some healthy ways to fill my tummy and fuel my food obsession. This Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup is a great light meal or snack that is satisfying, and most importantly, full of flavor. Because, after all, if it doesn't taste good, I don't want it On My Plate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

10 ounces baby spinach, washed
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
2 leaves bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Remove bay leaves before serving. (About 8 (1 cup) servings)