Thursday- Corned Beef Hash

Adapted from Cooking Light

Chef’s Notes: Do you have leftover corned beef in your freezer from St. Patrick’s Day? Oh? Well I guess that is just me. *Sigh* well just in case, this was really good. So good in fact, that I’ve made it twice now because I really like the way the eggs turn out (and I had the extra corned beef)! And both times the leeks turn into burnt pieces. This might sound crazy, but the burny flavor of the leeks really works for this. Don’t worry if you’re low on leftover frozen corned beef feel free to cook it just with the eggs. Or with leftover pork chops. I wouldn’t really go the ground meat/chicken route, but what do I know?! Go crazy!

Plan of Attack:

1. Cook all in ONE pan!

Ingredients for 2:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 leek, sliced thinly

8 oz fingerling potatoes, diced (we used PURPLE ones!!)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika (MUST used smoked)

½ tsp salt & pepper

1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed of red stems and roughly chopped

4-6 oz corned beef or ham, cubed

3 eggs

¼ C gruyere cheese (or swiss, or your choice), shredded

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil
2. Add leeks, fingerling potatoes and garlic; sauté 12-14 minutes until potatoes are nicely browned and softened (don't freak out, the leeks will be REALLY done)
3. Add ¼ tsp salt, pepper and ½ tsp smoked paprika
4. Also add Swiss chard and corned beef (or ham); cook 4 minutes, stirring often
5. Use your spatula to make 3 spaces for the eggs. Break the eggs into the allotted spaces and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika; cover and cook 3 minutes
6. Sprinkle mixture with cheese, cover and cook a final 1 ½ minutes
7. Enjoy!

SmithCale insists on showing you my mess, but on a happy side note you get to see my final sour dough bread product!

Wednesday- Asparacetta Pasta

Stayed tuned until the bottom to meet my new running companion, and learn about one I have recently banned!

Chef’s Notes: What do you get when you combine Asparagus/Pancetta/Pasta. I think you know :) Our run got rained out yesterday so we did our quick 3 miles today and thus I moved our carbier to tonight to replenish our glycogen stores. So I read my sports nutrition textbooks from college? I paid am paying good money for them, may as well use them to our advantage!

Plan of Attack:

1. Reconstitute mushrooms

2. Bake Pancetta

3. Boil noodles & asparagus

Ingredients for 2:

4 oz pasta of choice cooked according to package directions

4 slices pancetta

½ bundle of asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½” pieces (the rest will be made into this on Friday)

1 oz dried oyster mushrooms (or 4 oz fresh)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pecorino Romano, grated

Dressing-

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. Reconstitute mushrooms according to package
3. Boil according to package directions adding asparagus to the pot during the last 3 ½ minutes. Drain; and add to skillet
4. Bake pancetta for 6 minutes. Carefully diced and add to pasta mixture
5. In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper
6. Add dressing, mushrooms and garlic to the pasta and toss to coat
7. Enjoy!

I have been bugging SmithCale about this watch for literally weeks. I had been using a free running app on my iPhone, but it soon became painfully obvious it was really off. Case in point, on our first 5K it said I only ran 2.98 miles...

SmithCale found that it was on MAJOR sale on Amazon, so we jumped on it! Lemme tell you, it's amazing!

So what if it gives me cancer? What in our society WON'T give me cancer.

Also, I've been keeping something secret: I'm a recovering gum addict.

I'm now on day #6 of being gum-free.

Why give up gum? Well I was chewing like 3 packs a week. I know, crazy. But, also while reading my nifty textbooks it said that if you're suffering from the feeling of "rapid transit" while running (Yes, you assume correctly what that means), that it may because of the sweetner Sorbitol used in sugarless gum.

Since I stopped cold turkey last week, I haven't had that feeling anymore while running. That's including our long run (4.5 mi.) on Sunday which has usually been my most "rapid" feeling runs. As an added bonus it has also cut my snack cravings until they barely exist.

Just something to chew on.

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Tuesday- Tilapia Bundles

Adapted from Clean Eating

Chef’s Notes: I’ve been avidly trying to keep our fish consumption to once a week, but you can only make tilapia filets in so many ways. This recipe intrigued me; at first I just thought it looked beautiful. Then I realized that they were filled with cheesy tilapia. Hmm… some of you know my personal struggle with wanting only marinara/tomatoes in my pasta. I’ve never been a huge alfredo fan, but I thought I’d put on my big girl cheese pants and give it a curdle! Also, the recipe had a green onion portion that was too hard and didn’t really work, so I’ll save you the frustration. The flavor is light and the cheese will delight!

Plan of Attack:

1. Boil lasagna noodles

2. Prep carrot/ Cook tilapia

3. Melt cheese sauce

Ingredients for 4:

8 oz lasagna noodles (we opted for regular over whole wheat, have to say, twas a good choice)

Cooking spray

1 carrot, shredded

1 tsp olive oil

12 oz tilapia filets

4 oz light cream cheese

½ C 1% milk

1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

½ tsp salt

2 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside
2. In a large pot boil enough water to cooking the noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside
3. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil and heat about a minute
4. Add tilapia filets and cooking about 1 ½ minutes on each side, then break fish into pieces using your spatula. Continue cooking until fish is cooked through; remove from heat
5. Heat a medium pot on medium heat and add cream cheese, milk and salt. Whisk until fully melted. Then add ½ of the shredded cheese and whisk until smooth again. SET ASIDE ½ C of the cheese mixture (for the top of the dish), then pour the rest of the mixture into the tilapia and mix in the shredded carrot.
6. Assemble the bundles by laying the lasagna noodles on a cutting board a few at a time and placing about 2 Tbsps of the mixture at one end and rolling. Place in the prepared 8x8 dish and repeat until all are stuffed and rolled. (I really had the jam the last few in, but they did fit!)
7. Top the bundles with the reserved cheese mixture and shredded cheese
8. Bake for 25 minutes
9. Enjoy!

Food for the Brain,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Had to share this gooberific picture of me. SmithCale was playing with the setting on our camera and found a smile detector. Obviously you have to roar smile REALLY big to get it to work.

Meatless Monday: Indian Refried Bean Burgers

This recipe has been a long time in the making. Once we saw the recipe on Spice Goddess, SmithCale bugged me to make them.

First I had to load my pantry. Not going to lie, I had to use a spice pantry in New York to find the spices I needed! (Which by the way, if you live close to me and really would like to try this, just let me know and I can hook you up with enough Chana Masala to last you until the sacred cows come home. Heck, even if you don't live close to me I can MAIL you some!)

Starting with the above recipe the only thing I changed was chilling the burgers for a few minutes then rolling them in panko bread crumbs before cooking.

Indian spices are something we're new to, but we both really liked it!

I won't keep my secret anymore about my potato chips. Same principal as before, but I use the awesome mandolin slicer that Monni gave me for Xmas and slice them fairly thin.

Preheat 450

Toss taters in olive oil, salt & pepper

Place in singler layer on pizza stone (or baking sheet)

Bake 10 minutes, flip, bake another 8-10 minutes

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

P.S.- Recognize those buns?? Defrosted like a champ!

Garden v2.0

Our gardening actually started a couple of weeks ago when it was still cold(ish), note that SmithCale is hot on the bottom and cold on top.

We upgraded from last year's garden and bought a cultivator (<-- BEST investment!)

The blades were very easy to remove and clean of all the grass, and we couldn't but happen to notice they looked like ninja stars.

Fast forward to today: garden installation.

As you will notice, yes we do have gardening hats. Giggle all you want, but don't want to damage our facial skin!

Planted a little something for Monni :)

We CANNOT wait to combine this...

with this...(basil)

and mozzarella to make one awesome panini!

Let me introduce you to MY second love. (You met SmithCale's meat poker yesterday). We acquired a new sprayer that we have nicknamed "my green thumb".

Then, of course, I baked bread to use up the rest of our Guinness. We aren't beer drinkers, so I have finally found a great way to use it up!

And finally did the 1st Refreshment on my Sour Dough!

Then insert: nap, Tae Bo, Hot Dogs, Baked Chips and Back to the Future!

Food for Nourishment,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Friday- London Broil(ed) to Perfection

Today consisted of:

Driving

Signed Affidavits

Meeting awesome old people

More driving

Lunch with a work Amanda

Buying Jumper Cables

Buying a new battery

Recording documents

Driving...again

Finally home to:

Adapted from recipe submitted to AllRecipes.com by Jill

Plan of Attack:

1. Marinate

2. Grill to Perfection

Ingredients for 2 servings:

8oz flank steak

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp soy sauce

½ Tbsp ketchup

½ Tbsp Olive oil

¼ tsp dried oregano

Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a bowl combine soy sauce, garlic, olive oil, ketchup, oregano & black pepper
2. Score meat, making a diamond, about 1/8” deep on both sides
3. Place meat in a ziptop bag along with marinade and massage to incorporate
4. Allow to marinade in fridge overnight, flipping bag a few times
5. Heat Grill and cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until it reaches desired doneness (medium!)
6. Enjoy!

TEST

PERFECTION!

(just FYI SmithCale is holding his meat flipper that he bought at AlleyFest in Downtown Longview a few summers ago, AKA his second love)

Food for Fabulous Fridays,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at at time

Thursday- Red Chicken O'Curry

In the Smith household we've really been on a Curry kick here lately. Well, that and I had leftover coconut milk I wanted to use so it doesn't go bad.

It is a great way to get those veggies in! Just look at that bowl full of color!

So we used the same recipe from last week's green O'curry, except we subbed red curry and added an Anaheim pepper, voila!

In other really not that exciting news, I've finally worked up the nerve to try to make authentic San Fran Sour Dough bread from my Organic Cookbook. I don't know how it will turn out, but fingers crossed!!

Sour, my little doughball, sour!

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Wednesday- Marinated Lamb Loin

Adapted from Cooking Light

Personal Note: Today was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky and temps in the high 70s, low 80s. Today was the kind of day that you just have to eat al fresco. So instead of cooking our lamb inside, we fired up the charcoal and grilled on our newly purchased grill grate. Maybe SmithCale will remember to NOT to tempt fate and see if it will NOT rust in the snow so we WON’T have to buy another one next year. Just a SUGGESTION. HINT HINT. AHEM. Still love you SmithCale and you’re mad lambing skills. Smooches!

Plan of Attack:

1. Marinate Lamb

2. Grill

Ingredients for 2:

1 lb lamb loin chops

Marinade-

Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/8 C red onion, diced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

½ Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp cilantro leaves or ground coriander

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large zip-top bag combine all marinade ingredients, add lamb and toss to fully coat meat.
2. Allow to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight
3. Heat grill. Salt & Pepper meat then cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until it reaches desired doneness (lamb is traditionally served on the rarer side, but use your own judgment)
4. Enjoy!

I know that many of your are dying to know how my thumb is doing since last's week's Paddy's Day slicing. Well, probably not, but I wanted to show you anyway.

As you can see SmithCale did a nice job of gluing it back on nice and even. Now I'm just waiting for the cut nail to fall off.... yuck!

The only reason I was inspired to take the bandage off was because I realized it smelled like red onion. (What? So we like to eat them everyday in our lunches!) I took the bandage off and realized that my thumb STILL smelled like red onion and was super sticky.

Washing then followed.

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Tuesday- Waful

Just in case you weren't able to read my title, I pronounced it WA-ful; read on.

I had planned to make a pasta dish tonight, but I made it Sunday and it was deliciously undocumented. So we agreed go back to our old friend, waffles, and our newer friend, bacon.

This was our first run day after our race on Saturday and it was r-o-u-g-h. Even though we were ready to run yesterday for some reason today it just wasn't our best run.

But, that's ok, that's why you train. So you can have your off days hopefully NOT be on race days!

SmithCale wears his running clothes under his work clothes. In case you're counting that three layers on the bottom, the summer might be a little warm for his lower half.

Lesson #1 learned today: Invest in sweatband. For SmithCale, to remember bought sweatband

Lesson #2: I also learned I'm a thirsty runner. Need to invest in CamelBak.

Lesson #3: Sweat in eyes burns.

Aren't I purdy?! :)

Food for Life,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Meatless Monday: Onion Tartlet

Adapted from Cooking Light

Personal Note: I think it has become glaringly obvious that SmithCale and I can enjoy an onion. Maybe enjoy is too soft of a word…obsessively devour is probably more accurate. Good thing we both feel that way, so the following oniony breath doesn’t scare either of us away. I have to admit this came together so beautifully that I squealed in the process of making them because they looked so cute! I’m always a little stunned when what I make actually looks similar to the picture.

Plan of Attack:

1. Prep Pie Dough (option to purchase, I’ll look away)

2. Carmelize onions

3. Assemble tarlets

4. Bake

Ingredients for 2 tartlets:

1/4th recipe pie dough (think to yourself half, then half again)

½ Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

¼ C red onion, sliced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp water

1/8 C feta cheese

1/8 C jarlsberg swiss cheese (or any swiss of your choosing), shredded

1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Either the night before or the morning of, prepare the pie dough and allow to rest for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat
4. Add onions, fresh thyme, salt and pepper; sauté 10 minutes stirring occasionally
5. Add water and sauté an additional 10 minutes until nicely browned
6. While onions cook for the final 10 minutes, split your dough into equal portions and roll into 6-8 inch circles and transport on to baking sheet
7. Sprinkle feta on the dough, leaving ½” space all around
8. Split the onion mixture between the two dough circles, and top with swiss cheese
9. Then fold the edges over and brush with beaten egg
10. Bake 25 minutes
11. Enjoy!

Listen closely ladies, having trouble getting your man to mow the lawn? This meal moved SmithCale so much, he immediately jumped up from the dinner table and promptly went to mow the lawn. No joke. See?

Also, had to share that I was enjoying Harry Potter on ABCFamily this weekend, and I saw SmithCale running around like a madman. I dare not ask what he was doing, because I knew he had gone into his nervous cleaning rampage. Don't let the word fool you, he wasn't mad, but about 1-2 times a year something sets him off and he just goes through the house cleaning out and putting up odds and ends that always get left out. I just did what any woman would do, sat back and enjoyed the moment, and my Harry Potter.

I mean, look at him go!

Food for Male Domination!

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Longview March 19, 2011 5K

Who gets up on a Saturday @ 6:15 a.m. to prep to run 3.1 miles? These guys!

As you can see it was beautiful day for a run!

SmithCale and I did well! We didn't know how we would rank, but we were so pleasantly surprised we didn't suck!

Out of 268 participants:

SmithCale finished 57th in 26:54 minutes!

I came in 105th in 29:29 minutes!

I definitely want to do another race soon (which we have one lined up for April already), if nothing else for the free purple/blue gatorade.

We buy the powder and make our own, you know to save the planet and our brains from the neurotoxins in plastics, sadly they only sell the powders in nasty yellow & orange.

We had so much fun! Now we know what goals to set for ourselves and look forward to our next one.

By the way, did you know that chocolate milk is popular for refueling after a race? Eww...I don't know about you but after running putting something thick down my throat makes me sick to my stomach!

And, No! I don't want to chick-fil-a sandwich at 9 in the morning. You just ran 3.1 miles, not a marathon people!

Sunday we took a much needed day of reflection and thankfulness. I have been making my way through the New Testament and have found verses that inspire me.

I'll just share with you my FAVORITE:

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Food for Running,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Thursday- Corned Beef

Adapted from a recipe submitted to AllRecipes.com

Chef’s Notes : If you’re looking for an authentic Irish-American dish, look no further! SmithCale and I agree that corned beef is the cut of meat that you really can only make so good. Be sure to cut it across the grain and REALLY thin. But, like I said, any meat that smells like bread while cooking because it’s cooked in Guinness is a win/win.

Plan of Attack:

1. Season meat

2. Cover in beer

3. Cook for 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:

2 ½ lb flat cut corned beef

One spice packet (included in package)

½ C brown sugar

12 oz bottle Guinness

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2. Wash and pat dry meat

3. Place in a oven-safe dish the appropriate size and rub both sides with seasoning packet & brown sugar

4. Pour Guinness over the meat

5. Cover with foil

6. Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes

7. Allow to set for 5 minutes

8. Thinly slice & enjoy!

So while chopping the cabbage I nearly hacked off the tip of my thumb.

I looked down and saw that I can cut all the way through my thumbnail, and it was game over.

Whenever there is blood involved calmness and I separate.

But, I've done this too many time (not quite this bad), that I know to yell curse words loudly to alert SmithCale. Yell Answer that I'm not OK, and go sit down and wait for him to super glue to tip of my thumb back.

Our dinner still turned out great, but thumbs down for thumb slice!

Not only am I icing my bruised right foot, left calf and buttocks from running I will also be icing my thumb.

So no, I will not get up, SmithCale, to get you anything! :)

Food for a Great St. Patrick's Day!

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time

Wednesday- Irish Lamb Stew

Chef’s Notes : To do more research on Irish food, I recorded “Tasting Ireland” hosted by Bobby Flay. On that, oddly delightful program I learned that Lamb Stew is the official dish of Ireland! Perfect since I already had one planned on this week’s menu: SCORE!

Plan of Attack:

1. Brown Lamb

2. Brown onion & garlic

3. Stew for 1 hour

4. Add veggies & simmer 20 minutes

Ingredients for 4:

2 slices bacon

1 lb lamb shoulder arm chops, trimmed of visible fat and cubed into ½”-1” pieces

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 C all-purpose flour

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

½ C water

4 C beef broth

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 tsp dried thyme, divided

2 Tbsp red wine, divided

1 bay leaf

1 ½ tsp corn starch

Added Veggies:

3 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat skillet to medium-high heat and cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and crumble; set aside

2. In a small bowl (while bacon cooks) add flour, salt & pepper. Toss cubed lamb in the mixture until well coated.

3. In the bacon grease, add the lamb pieces and brown meat (about 3-4 minutes)

4. After lamb is brown place in a large pot along with crumbled bacon.

5. In the same skillet the lamb was browned spray with cooking spray and add 1 chopped onion & garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until browned. Deglaze pan with ½ C water, then add to the pot

6. Add beef broth, 1 Tbsp red wine, ½ tsp dried thyme, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour

7. After the hour, add the additional veggies, 1 Tbsp red wine, ½ tsp dried thyme, bay leaf & corn starch. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as needed (i.e. more salt)

8. Stir well and simmer for a final 20 minutes.

9. Enjoy!

Food to be Hearty,

the SupperSmiths, forging one meal at a time