Two Hundred and Forty-Nine

Thursday, February 17

Boeuf bourguignon.

Thick, beefy and full of carrots, onions, red wine and all sorts of other things, this dish drips class and deeply-staining sauce all over your shirt. Thank you, Ina Garten.

Two Hundred and Forty-Eight

Wednesday, February 16

Gin & tonic.

My favorite cocktail. Preferably served with lime, but lemon is also delicious and definitely better than nothing. Oh, also tangerine is good.

Two Hundred and Forty-Seven

Tuesday, February 15

Soft-boiled egg.

I love me a good soft-boiled egg, sprinkled with salt and Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute. Even though my dad didn't make this because he was on the phone, I feel I should mention that the man makes a mean egg. His fried eggs are world-famous, his scrambled eggs are a favorite of mine and his omelets are craved state-wide.

Two Hundred and Forty-Six

Monday, February 14

Chocolate walnut bars.

Caramel, walnuts, chocolate, what's not to love?! I'll tell you: nothing. There is nothing not to love.

Two Hundred and Forty-Five

Sunday, February 13

Tangerines.

Whaaaat these are so good. I take as many of these as I could juggle if I knew how to juggle and I peel them and eat them like candy if I ate an entire bowl of candy in one sitting.

Two Hundred and Forty-Four

Saturday, February 12

Banana bread.

This recipe from Jen Glen, via my joyous aunt. I had always used my grandmother's banana bread recipe, which is certainly one to hold on to, but this was a nice change of pace...and some of the best banana bread I've ever had. I took Aunt Joy's suggestion of sprinkling sliced almonds on top before baking and didn't regret it for a second.

Thanks, ladies. :)

Two Hundred and Forty-Three

Friday, February 11

Kung Pao chicken.

Most of you probably know by now that Chinese is my favorite food in the whole world. I love everything about this: the tiny chunks of chicken, the sweet and tangy glaze with the punch of heat, the crunchy peanuts, the soft rice...the drool collecting on my desk...

Two Hundred and Forty-Two

Thursday, February 10

Beef fajitas.

Sauteed strips of beef and onions & bell peppers with cumin and chili powder; packed into a flour tortilla with avocado, tomato, lettuce, cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce...I could eat this every day. Possibly for every meal.

Two Hundred and Forty-One

Wednesday, February 9

Pasta salad.

Rotini, chopped chicken, green bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, crumbled feta and a quick garlic vinaigrette. I love this kind of dish, so quick and light but so so delish.

Two Hundred and Forty

Tuesday, February 8

Pad See Ew.

My moms is a genius, sooo yeaaaah. Thai rice noodles, broccoli, chicken, soy sauce, and other stuff that makes this amazing...makes this amazing.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Monday, February 7

Tom Kha Gai.

Creamy, spicy, chickeny, carroty...Thai perfection. Thanks for scooping out all my mushrooms, Mom!

Served with spring rolls.

Poorly captured by my phone.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Eight

Sunday, February 6

Creamy tomato curry.

Tomato curry with chicken chunks on a bed of rice, oh man. Served with hot buttered garlic naan, oh man. And also tossed salad with a creamy tzatziki dressing, oh man.

Oh man.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven

Saturday, February 5

Wings.

Hot wings, courtesy of Mom; served with Ranch. French fried-but-actually-baked potatoes, courtesy of me. An assortment of fresh veggies. Such a good dinner...

Two Hundred and Thirty-Six

Friday, February 4

Coney Island.

Hot dog + chili + cole slaw = what dreams are made of.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Five

Thursday, February 3

Pumpkin custard.

My favorite custard recipe, altered slightly with the addition of canned pumpkin and some appropriate spices (cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc.) and topped with crushed gingersnaps. It was a big hit...and the versatility made me love my favorite custard recipe even more.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Four

Wednesday, February 2

Chocolate chip blondies.

Thank you, simplyrecipes.com for yet another gem. These can be thrown together in the time it takes my oven to preheat, which makes them slightly dangerous...but I figure, brown sugar and chocolate chips are better for you than white sugar and brownies, right? No? They're both good for you? Oh, okay.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Three

Tuesday, February 1

Hummus.

I don't know how I did it, but I got this to taste like authentic Middle Eastern hummus that was too legit to quit. Canned garbanzo beans w/ tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, and my not-so-secret weapon: cumin. Topped with paprika and served with pita, tzatziki and chicken.

Two Hundred and Thirty-Two

Monday, January 31

"Stuffed" French toast.

Inspired by a Bobby Flay throwdown. Whole wheat bread, dipped in a vanilla custard then encrusted with corn flakes and fried. Spread with sweetened cream cheese and filled with strawberries. Topped with powdered sugar. Not so sweet that it can't be called breakfast, but not so savory that you can't justify putting sugar on it. Mmmm.

Two Hundred and Thirty-One

Sunday, January 30

Beef goulash and dumplings.

Man oh man. Janice Walsh introduced me to simplyrecipes.com which has some of the best recipes I've ever seen. Several of my January/February dishes were taken from that site. This is a rich, hearty beef dish with light, creamy dumplings. Loved it. This was delicious. Janice is awesome.

Two Hundred and Thirty

Saturday, January 29

Tomatillo chicken chili verde.

This dish was so fantastic. A base of broiled tomatillos, blended with jalapeno, garlic and salt; then boiled in a dutch oven with chicken broth; then add chicken breast chunks. Served with pepper jack quesadillas. So much yum.

Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine

Friday, January 28

Whopper.

Dad bought burgers for Mike and me after he and Mr Keegan were hard at work outside...that's really what I look for in good landscapers: people who aren't afraid to reward those who do nothing to help.

Also, [casual remark about how I'm a month and a half behind in my posting]. Oops.