Penzey's Spice Market

So, in my last post I talked about Ancho Chili Powder, which I said I get at Penzey's Spice Market in Scottsdale, but (I totally should have known this!) you can order spices from their website and they will mail them out to you. Their website is: www.penzeys.com. Just from my experience with them, you get a large amount of spices at (usually) cheaper prices than the grocery store. They are definitely worth checking out! So, if you're near Scottsdale they are located at 3310 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 and I just read that Penzey's is coming to Tucson!! Too bad they weren't here when I moved here 4 years ago! The store in Tucson isn't open yet and I couldn't find anything about when they will be opening, but when they do they will be at 4128 N. Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705. It's a great way to try new spices because you can get about 1.5 ounces for around $3. Geez, you'd think I work there with the way I'm pushing this, huh? They should pay me for all this promoting I'm doing!! Ha, ha! ;) But seriously, you should check them out. When you go, DEFINITELY buy the Vietnamese cinnamon, I mean seriously, this is the best cinnamon ever. You will never buy the regular cinnamon again.  Anyway, I could talk about all their spices for hours, but I won't, so you should go check them out for yourself! :)

Spicy Joe's

I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last post! That shows how busy I've been. Matt is getting ready to graduate from pharmacy school and we're moving soon after. Busy, busy, busy, but we're so excited for the next chapter of our lives! :) For the next several weeks, my posts may be sporadic, but I will blog as much as I can. For now, read below for my updated recipe for Sloppy Joe's!

I don't know about you, but for me, Sloppy Joe's are somewhat of a comfort food. There's something satisfying about digging into a messy, saucy, meaty sandwich and getting it pretty much all over yourself. But lately, every time I've mentioned making Sloppy Joe's, Matt hasn't wanted them. So, I thought it was time for a recipe makeover and I came up with Spicy Joe's. Don't let the name fool you...they are still sloppy! :) Here's what I did...

-1/2 lb of ground beef, makes enough for 4-6 sandwiches depending on bun size (for a healthier option, use ground turkey!)
-1 small sweet onion, diced
-1 jalapeno, finely diced (remove the seeds and ribs to reduce the heat level. Don't forget to wash your hands when you're done!!)
-15 oz can of tomato sauce
-a heavy splash of Worcestershire sauce
-2 TBS of brown sugar
-1/2 cup of dark beer (Don't measure the foam. I used Negro Modelo and it added a great deep flavor. But if you don't have beer or don't drink beer, then just omit this step.)
-1 TBS of ancho chili powder (I get mine from Penzey's Spice Market in Scottsdale. I'm not sure if grocery stores carry this, so you can just use regular chili powder BUT...I highly recommend trying to find the ancho chili powder. It's such a unique flavor, sort of smoky with a spicy raisin taste to it.)
-1 TBS of smoked paprika
-1 tsp cumin
-2 tsp coriander
-2 tsp dry mustard (if you don't have this just use regular yellow mustard.) 
-buns of your choice (if you toast the buns, it will help keep them from getting soggy from the meat sauce.)
-cheddar cheese slices (or if you want to kick up the heat level, try pepper jack cheese slices!)
-pickles


In a medium non-stick saute pan over medium heat, add the ground beef with 1 TBS of extra virgin olive oil. Leave the meat alone for a few minutes so that it can begin to caramelize. Then begin to break up the meat and add in the onions, jalapeno and spices (including a heavy pinch of salt and pepper). Let that cook for about 5 minutes and meanwhile, combine the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and brown sugar in a small bowl, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Deglaze the pan with the beer and let that cook out for a minute. Then add the tomato sauce mixture, stirring to combine. Allow the sauce to come up to a bubble and simmer over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about half. Spoon the Spicy Joe's onto your toasted buns, top with sliced cheese and pickles. 

*The picture above was taken right after I added the tomato sauce, so it obviously needs to thicken a bit. In my excitement to taste this, I forgot to take a picture of the thickened sauce.


I was so pleased with how these Spicy Joe's came out! It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. And I loved the smokiness that the smoked paprika and cumin brought to the mix. For sides, we had a spinach salad and baked sweet potato fries. When the fries come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle them with salt and chipotle powder. It gives them a smoky bite! :) This was a great update to an old classic and I hope you enjoy it!

Sun-dried Tomato, Spinach and Artichoke Meatloaf with Marinara

I know, I know...I'm on a meatloaf kick lately. First, I only tolerated meatloaf and now I'm making it all the time. This recipe is so different than any of the other meatloaf recipes I've done. First of all, it uses ground turkey instead of beef. Sometimes, I'm not a big fan of ground beef, so I wanted to write a meatloaf recipe using something else. Plus, I didn't want to overpower the other ingredients with the ground beef. This is a great meatloaf, full of veggies and great flavor! Here's what I did...

-1/2 lb of ground turkey (I used 85/15 to keep the meatloaf moist. Also, this amount would feed 3-4 people, so if adjust accordingly.)
-a generous handful of sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted (to reconstitute the tomatoes, bring a small pot of water to a boil, drop in the tomatoes and remove the pan from the heat. Let stand 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened.)
-2 handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped (the spinach will shrink as it cooks, so use more than you think you want.)
-1/2 of a 15oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
-6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (the store didn't have fresh basil so I had to use dried, which is perfectly fine. If you use dried, you'll need about 2 tsp and rub it in your palm before adding it to the meatloaf.)
-a small handful of flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
-1 tsp of dried oregano
-a sprinkling of red pepper flake
-1/2 cup of Italian cheese blend (I feel that you can't have enough cheese, so feel free to add more.)
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of plain breadcrumbs (start with less, you can always add more. You want the meatloaf just to come together.)
-1 egg, beaten
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Marinara sauce (optional, but highly recommended!)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, saving the breadcrumbs for last. Add about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to begin with and mix until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. If the mixture is still sticky or not holding together well, add the remaining breadcrumbs and mix again. Form into one large loaf or into individual loaves. Place meatloaf into a 9x5 inch loaf pan or place individual loaves on to a cookie sheet. Spoon marinara sauce over the meatloaf and bake in the oven for about 1 hour for a large meatloaf or 30-40 minutes for individual loaves. Be sure to check the internal temperature to ensure that the meatloaf is cooked all the way through. The thermometer should read 165 degrees. Let the meatloaf stand 5-10 minutes. Garnish with some shredded parmesan cheese if desired. Slice and serve!


*Note: If you like the crusty top of meatloaf, don't cook it with the marinara sauce on top. Cook the meatloaf, then add the sauce when it comes out. 

We had this with a caprese style pasta salad. For that, I just cooked up some whole wheat short cut pasta (penne or rotini), cut up some English cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and chopped parsley. I also added feta cheese (Matt's favorite), but you can also use mozzarella. For the dressing, I did equal parts balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, whisking until combined. Once the noodles are cooked (8-10 minutes), drain them and add them to the bowl of chopped veggies, pour the dressing over the noodles and stir to combine. 

This was a great meal. It was filling without being heavy. The lean ground turkey mixed with so many veggies makes this meatloaf pretty healthy, too. The spinach and artichokes is a classic combination, but the sun-dried tomatoes really punched up the flavor. I enjoyed having something besides potatoes as a side. The dressing was tangy, which was a great contrast to the rich tomato sauce on the meatloaf. This was a delicious meal and I really hope you try it!

*Note: If you need a recipe to use up the remaining artichokes and spinach, check out my Tuna Sandwich recipe which you can find under August 2010! It's so good!! 

Italian Style Meatloaf

Last night was meatloaf night, but it was time to do something different. I really like the A-1 bleu cheese meatloaf that I've written about before, but I have to keep things new, fresh and interesting. This one was inspired by Matt. He loves Italian sausage, so I thought it would be fun to make a meatloaf that included that in it. Thus, a new meatloaf recipe was born. And as soon as Matt took a bite, he said "You have to put this on your blog." Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pictures as I was making the meatloaf, so I only have one picture of the finished product. But not to worry, I'm sure I will be making this one again and when I do, I will update this post with more pictures. The flavor of this meatloaf was surprising. I did a combination of meats and I thought both flavors would come through, but actually they meshed well together and created a wonderfully rich sausage-y taste. That, combined with the other ingredients made for a very flavorful, juicy meatloaf. Here's what I did...

-1/2 lb of ground beef (I use 80/20 because it keeps the meatloaf moist.)
-3 Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used sweet, but use whatever flavor you like.)
-4 large crimini mushrooms, chopped (also called baby bellas)
-1/2 of a medium sweet onion, chopped 
-1/2 cup of grated Parmesan (the real stuff!)
-a heavy splash of Worcestershire sauce
-a small handful of parsley, finely chopped
-3/4 cup of plain breadcrumbs (you can start with a little less and add more as needed)
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 TBS of dried basil (rub the dried herbs in your palm to enhance the flavor)
-1 tsp of dried oregano
-Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste (If you're not into heat, just put a light sprinkle of the red pepper flakes, but definitely add it because it adds such a great depth of the flavor to the meatloaf.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Saute the mushrooms and onions in a small saute pan over medium heat with a 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil until softened. Once the mushrooms and onions are soft, add a splash of Worcestershire to the pan and let it cook out. (Keep your head back from the pan when you add the Worcestershire otherwise you'll end up choking on the fumes!) Remove the pan from the heat and let the veggies cool for a few minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add the meats and spices. (I add the spices directly on top of the meat to ensure the meat is seasoned well.) Add the remaining ingredients including another splash of Worcestershire and the mushrooms and onions. Mix with yours hands until all of the ingredients are just combined. (Try not to overmix because that can make the meatloaf tough.) Form into a loaf and place into a 9x5 inch loaf pan OR something I've been thinking about doing is making individual sized loaves and cooking them on a cookie sheet. There are a couple of great reasons to do it this way instead of the large loaf. 1.) They will cook faster since they are smaller and 2.) For me, the crusty top of the meatloaf is the best part, which is why I always want the end piece. With these individual loaves everyone gets more of that tasty crust. The large loaf will end up cooking for about 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes and the individual loaves about 25-35 minutes (depending on size). Be sure to check the internal temperature, which should read 165 degrees. You MUST cook this meatloaf all the way through since it has pork in it. When the meatloaf reaches 165 degrees, let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute throughout the meatloaf. Serve with mashed potatoes and a nice salad or roasted asparagus.

This meatloaf was full flavored and delicious. There's nothing I would have changed about the flavors of this meatloaf. It has everything you could ask for...beef, pork, the salty cheese flavor, the earthy mushrooms and herbs and a little heat in the background. This, served with a side of mashed potatoes is a little slice of heaven. Now that I've told you about the meatloaf, the potatoes should definitely be mentioned. So, for Christmas I got a ricer, which is basically a strainer that you push food through to create a super smooth texture. I highly recommend investing in one of these. You will never get smoother potatoes with anything else. They were light and fluffy, the perfect "mashed" potato. I added just a little butter, a splash of chicken stock and some black pepper. I could have eaten the entire bowl myself! 

Click on the link below to see what a ricer looks like!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298481095&sr=8-1



I'm actually starting to really enjoy meatloaf. I don't know why I had such an aversion to it. I like challenging myself to come up with new flavors and different styles. I've already written another one that uses ground turkey for a healthier version. I plan on trying that one next week. I hope you enjoy this new meatloaf recipe and I'd love to hear your favorite meatloaf recipe!

Long time, no blog

I'm very upset with myself that I haven't blogged in MONTHS! What the heck?! I don't even know what happened. I've certainly made some new dishes, so why aren't they on here?! Oh right....the holidays and coming up, Matt's graduation and moving back to Mesa. But I will NOT let those be an excuse any longer! I love cooking and I love blogging about it. That's all there is to it. So, tomorrow...a new dish and a new blog post about it. Now, which new dish to make? Something with chicken for sure since we got it out for dinner tonight, but ended up at a friend's house for dinner. :) Stay tuned!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Ham and Gorgonzola Panini

This was the perfect meal for a cool Fall evening. Nothing warms you heart and soul better than a bowl of homemade soup. Even though there was nothing more in this soup that vegetables it made for a filling meal and very healthy too. Here's what I did...

For the soup:

-3 strips of bacon, diced (optional, it's used as a garnish)
-1/2 large sweet onion, diced
-1 medium to large carrot, peeled and diced
-2 ribs of celery, diced
-1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
-32oz chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you wanted to make this soup vegetarian)
-1/4 cup white wine
-1/4 cup of heavy cream
-some chopped chives (for garnish)
-a small container of greek yogurt (for garnish)
-smoked paprika
-ancho chili powder
-nutmeg
-salt and pepper
-extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cubed butternut squash on a large cookie sheet and add about 1 tsp each of smoked paprika and ancho chili powder and a lightly dusting of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add about 1 TBS of olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until squash is soft and golden brown. Meanwhile, preheat a large stock pot over medium heat and add the diced bacon, if using. Cook bacon until desired level of crispness. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside. In the same pot, make sure you have about 2 TBS of oil in the bottom. So, if the bacon didn't render enough fat to equal 2 TBS, go ahead and add some olive oil. (If you aren't using bacon, just add 2 TBS of olive oil and go from here.) Add the diced onions, carrots and celery (this is known as the "holy trinity" or mirepoix), along with 2 tsp of smoked paprika and ancho chili powder, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook the the vegetables until softened about 10 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and let it cook out for 1-2 minutes. When the butternut squash is done roasting, add it to the stock pot, along with a 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and gently mash the squash using a potato masher. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring the soup up to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until thickened. At this point, if you are looking for a smooth soup you can put the soup into a blender and puree it. Just be VERY careful while doing this because of course, the soup is hot and may cause the top of the blender to pop off. Or you can use a handheld immersion blender. Or you can just leave it slightly chunky, as I did. To finish the soup, turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. To serve, divide into bowls and spoon a dollop of greek yogurt in the center, topped with the crispy diced bacon and chopped chives. 

For the sandwiches:

-bread of your choice
-sliced ham
-1/3 cup of softened cream cheese
-2 TBS of crumbled gorgonzola or bleu cheese
-chopped chives
-black pepper
-granny smith apple, thinly sliced

Mix together the softened cream cheese, gorgonzola crumbles, chives and black pepper to taste. Spread a thick layer on one slice of bread. Layer on the apples and ham and top it with the other slice of bread. Butter the outsides of the bread and place in a preheated panini press or cast iron skillet. Cook until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. To serve, cut on the diagonal.

There is only one way to describe that butternut squash soup: Fall in a bowl. It has a warm, smoky flavor from the bacon and spices, but the vegetables balance it out with their natural sweetness and the greek yogurt adds a nice tang at the end. It has a great balance of flavors. So does the sandwich...the sweet and salty ham with the sour green apple and bleu cheese really melt well together. This soup and sandwich combo goes great together, but feel free to swap either one out with a crisp salad. Hope you enjoy this flavorful meal!

Chicken Pita Pockets with Hummus

This recipe was really simple to make and was a very satisfying meal. It's great for when you don't have a lot of time to make dinner or have a hard day and want something quick and easy. I made homemade hummus, but if you need the meal to come together faster than that, then just use your favorite brand of hummus. If you've never had hummus, it's just a puree of garbanzo (aka chickpea) beans, tahini paste (sesame seed puree), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. It turns out smooth and creamy and tastes somewhat nutty. Hummus also makes a great dip for veggies or pita chips or can be spread on sandwiches instead of mayo! Here's what I did...


For the hummus:

-1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
-2 to 3 TBS of tahini paste (This will be based on your preference. Start with 2 TBS, taste the hummus and add more tahini as desired. Tahini paste can be found in the Oriental food aisle.)
-the zest and juice from 1 lemon
-1 to 2 cloves of garlic, grated on a hand held grater (This will also be based on your preference. If you like garlic, add more. If you don't like garlic or can't eat it like me, you can use some roasted shallots instead. Peel the shallots, drizzle them salt, pepper and olive oil and roast them at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and softened OR dice and saute them in olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat until softened.)
-about 2/3 cup of olive oil (you want the consistency of the hummus to be smooth so add just enough olive oil to achieve that texture.)
-salt and pepper to taste (normally, there isn't pepper in hummus, but I like pepper. Feel free to leave it out.)


Add all of the above ingredients (except for the olive oil) into the food processor or blender. While the processor is running, stream in the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth and creamy, adding more oil as necessary. Remove the hummus from the processor into a bowl and set aside.


Now, you can use any veggies that you like for the pita pockets. Here's what I used:

-chopped romaine lettuce
-chopped tomatoes
-sliced English cucumber (it's the one that comes in a plastic wrapper)
-kalamata olives, halved

Other ingredients you will need are:

-crumbled feta cheese
-pitas (they have plain, whole wheat and multi-grain. Use whatever you like. Most of them are perforated already, but if they aren't just cut them in half to create the pockets.)
-thin chicken breasts (allow 1 per person)
-tzatziki sauce (it's a cucumber and dill sauce made with greek yogurt. It's easy enough to make, by combining a small container of plain greek yogurt, some finely chopped cucumber, fresh dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper...or you can just buy it.)


For the chicken, use whatever spices you like. You can use a hot paprika or a curry powder or smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes, then thinly slice it.

To assemble the pita pockets, simply layer in the ingredients that you want. The hummus can be put inside the pita or served on the side with cucumber slices for dipping. 


This is a very healthy meal, but it was also filling without being heavy. Lots of veggies and protein, but with very little fat. I know I've been posting a lot of higher calorie meals and pasta dishes lately and I'm planning on putting more recipes like this one on my blog in the near future. I hope you give this a try and I'd love any feedback about this and any other recipes I've posted! :)