I could not decide what I wanted to eat. Pasta sounded tasty and we certainly have a lot of it, but the hot weather made me wary of a belly full of spaghetti. A salad was the perfect choice, minus the lack of lettuce in my fridge. Kath’s soba noodle dinner of a few days ago stuck out in my mind and I headed to the market for supplies (plus a few random groceries).

Greens ‘N Things

From left:

• Stonyfield yogurts (my beloved Chobani is no longer on sale for 99 cents and I’d have to start selling my belongings to pay the normal price.)
• Plain yogurt
• Soy milk (for green monsters!)
• Spinach
• Spring greens
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Bok choy
• Frozen edamame (I picked up the last two items at the Asian market. Bok choy was half the price compared to the supermarket — woohoo!)

I started the meal by chopping bok choy, mushrooms, and broccoli, and cooking linguine. Buckwheat noodles or whole wheat spaghetti would have been heartier, but we have white flour pasta and I’m not made of gold (see “can’t afford Chobani”).   

For dressing I whipped up some of my favorite peanut sauce.

I originally couldn’t remember where I had found this awesome recipe but I knew I had written about it on the blog. Quick search of my old posts lead me to this post. Thanks, blog!

After the pasta cooked I let it cool and steamed the vegetables.

Assemble and enjoy!

The meal could have used more sauce in my opinion. But I also just tried to lick a freckle off my arm because it appeared to be peanut sauce. So perhaps I’m biased.

Otis Redding came on the radio while I was cooking — perfect music for a warm and sticky evening. I will leave you with this:

With the Boyfriend, of course.

Here is my advice for men who are looking to plan a great date and score some major bonus points with the little lady: plan a date around her interests. It’s incredibly flattering to know that you’re paying attention and it guarantees she will have a good time. And unless you’re dating, I don’t know, Lady Gaga or some other wackadoo, chances are she likes some pretty cool stuff and you’ll both end up enjoying yourselves.

Personally, my interests include wine and old movies. The Boyfriend planned accordingly.

We started the evening at the Palace theater in Albany to see a screening of To Kill A Mockingbird. I love watching old movies at the Palace. It’s this grand old theater and I imagine this is what it was like to go to the movie theater when the movies first started. It’s just such a fun, classy atmosphere. I also have to give major props to the ticket people. Upon arriving we discovered the “cash only” rule and could only scrounge eight bucks between the two of us, which left us each a dollar short for a ticket. The ticket people took pity on us and charged us the senior ticket price of four dollars each, thus scoring some major karma for themselves.

I read the book in high school but never got around to seeing the movie. However, I loved the story, wanted to be Scout, and I have a secret crush on Gregory Peck, so the film was on my must-see list. The movie was incredible. The Boyfriend seemed to enjoy it, too, and I always give props to people who are open to watching old black and white movies. I was raised on Bringing Up Baby and Notorious, but I realize this is unusual. There was no Quentin Tarrantino or Michael Bay in the 40s or 50s.

When we were in college a friend of mine had the idea to re-read all the books they forced him to read in high school. While you’ll never get me near Lord of the Flies again and though I’ll be good without re-reading Ellen Foster, generally this turned out to be a good idea. To Kill A Mockingbird was one of the books he read for a second time and he quite enjoyed it. In truth high schoolers are way too busy freaking out about EVERYTHING to bother with understanding books anyway. Not that I blame them; I was the same way. But nowadays, rather than bemoaning the fact that I’m a nerd, I accept it. Nerds read books. Point me to the nearest copy of Harper Lee’s classic.

As we were walking out of the theater, The Boyfriend turned to me and said, “I imagine you exactly like Scout when you were little.” Scrappy and opinionated? I’d say he might be onto something…

The second half of the date centered around another interest of mine: booze. We went to the Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark, which I have been dying to get to. Without knowing it, we picked the perfect date spot! The Wine Bar is located in a warm and romantic brick-covered basement, accented with fireplaces, candles, and local artwork.

They also have a little something called Wine After Work (yes, please).

“You Know You Need It!!”

Since we went on a Monday night, we enjoyed $5 glasses of wine. I tried a Vouvray which is now a new favorite of mine.

A little sweet, but quite crisp and incredibly fresh. The Boyfriend ordered a glass of Chardonnay, but we both agreed that my wine choice was the winner of the evening. We weren’t planning on eating, but before I knew it I found myself ordering butternut squash ravioli with pancetta. I mean, come on.

The Boyfriend got a stew with chicken confit, bacon, sausage, and white beans, all with a side of garlic crostini. This was absolutely incredible.

As soon as the server set down the bowl he said, “Baby, you better take a picture FAST because this isn’t gonna last long!”

They also brought us a carafe of water right away, which is awesome since I drink water like a beast when I go out to eat. I definitely judge a restaurant by how much water they give you.

My blurry Valentine

With its intimate layout, the Wine Bar is decidedly ideal for couples, but I foresee a girls night out with my lady friends there soon. You can’t beat the $20 bottle Wine After Work deal, and the food is good, too. The glasses of wine are plentiful and the hassle of the workweek seem far away.

It was heavenly to slurp soup, sip wine, and chat with my love. I spied a little on the only other couple in the dining room who were clearly on a second date. They knew each other, but they were asking basic questions: Where are you from, What’s your family like, What do you do for a living? I was suddenly very thankful to be sitting across from someone who has known me for years, someone who has seen me cry and makes me laugh, someone who cheered me on at my college graduation and knows my friends. Someone my mother likes. Someone with whom I have a song and a dog and a common obsession with Criminal Minds.

First dates are nice. Anniversaries are pleasant. But a random Monday night out with your sweetheart is something to cherish.

Instead of eating old Larabars for lunch everyday this week (as appealing as THAT sounds), I forced myself to get a little creative and scrounged around for the makings of a pasta salad. I ended up with half a box of orzo, a can of tuna, and clementines. I was trying to recreate this salad my aunt makes that has orzo, chicken, mandarin oranges, celery, and a dressing with mayo, dry mustard, and white pepper. Unfortunately, I did not have chicken, celery, oranges, or mayo. So… pretty much the only thing that links these two dishes is orzo. Think of this Easy Orzo and Tuna Salad as an homage.

I started by cooking the orzo and tossing in the tuna and clementine. Tasty, but it lacked a little crunch, so these guys got chopped and added:

I also added a sad half of an avocado that was losing life in the fridge. It added some creaminess that replaced the missing mayo.

For the vinaigrette, I just winged it since I was missing the key ingredients. Check out the recipe!

I ate a nice bowl for lunch this afternoon:

I wanted to put it over some spring mix, but to my dismay the remains of the bag was past its prime. (We are FAIL on the vegetable front over here.) I still think this is a good way to get a little more filling fiber into this lunch.

The salad is very light. At first I feared it was too light, but I think I am still caught in the doldrums of heavy winter stews and sauces. Each bite is quite refreshing and keeps you guessing: you’ve got a little heft from the tuna, a nice citrus spritz from the clementines, carrot-y crunch, and creamy avocado. The recipe makes a nice batch to last you through the week.

Penguin Tupperware: for use all year round! Let’s hope this sunny weather keeps away any real penguins, though!

The Boyfriend and I decided to spend Valentine’s Day in instead of going out to dinner. We’re a low-key couple, what can I say. I’d much prefer catching up with my love over a glass of wine while I cook dinner instead of throwing on a dress and heels and spending money at a restaurant. I much prefer restaurants on random nights, not busy holidays.

We took care of a cat and its house over the weekend and we decided to cook dinner there, since it would be free from roommates and pets (no offense to either). It was kind of hard to leave these two guys:

For our Valentine’s Day dinner I decided to cook us something I have never made before:

I found a recipe in the Bon Appetit cookbook that turned out to be delicious. And fast!

1. Over medium heat, cook the zest from one lemon in 1 cup dry white wine. Add scallops and cook until opaque, 1-2 minutes on each side.

2. Remove scallops and set aside in a bowl. Turn up the heat on the wine and cook down the liquid, about 6 minutes.

3. Return heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 3 more tablespoons of butter, one at a time, whisking until the sauce comes together.

4. Add the scallops and their juices back into the pan and cook them until hot, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. While the scallops cook, boil a large handful of angel hair pasta.

5. Toss the pasta with a tablespoon of butter once cooked. Put a serving on each plate and top with the scallops and sauce.

While I cooked we sipped wine, nibbled edamame, and listened to some tunes, including our song.

By the way, cookbooks are a great way to keep laptops safe from spills on the counter.

Dinner was simple and small, but it packed a delicious punch.

It was a good day.

Yes, please! On top of that, The Boyfriend showed me these portobello mushroom caps and informed me that one night this week he is making mushroom burgers with Swiss.

  

Yes, PLEASE! It was such a pleasant treat for a Monday night.

Don’t get me wrong, the Roomies do their fair share of cooking, but a lot of times it’s me throwing stuff together in the kitchen. Part of this is so I have something to write about on the blog. Part of this is because I love preparing food and spending some quiet moments in the kitchen after a day is therapeutic for me. But mostly it’s because I am a control freak who loves lists and plans.

I just ate two portions of The Roommate’s mac and cheese, so I have to go have a lie-down and digest. Stuffed as I may be, what a great way to start my week!

]]> http://notesonapage.com/2010/01/give-peas-a-chance/feed/ 0 http://notesonapage.com/2010/01/quick-quinoa-salad/ http://notesonapage.com/2010/01/quick-quinoa-salad/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:04:30 +0000 Page http://notesonapage.com/?p=1419 Do you find that you munch while you’re cooking dinner and by the time you sit down to eat, you’re full? This is the story of my life. Last week Julie made a smart suggestion on her blog: whip up something else while dinners cooks and you’ll be less likely to graze.

The other night we pulled out frozen lasagna from the freezer (care of the Boyfriend’s thoughtful mother) and roasted some chopped carrots with rosemary olive oil my own mother gave me for Christmas. (Dinner was a family affair — thanks, moms!) It was a simple dinner that called for a lot of oven time. To occupy myself I made a quinoa salad that I’ve had on the brain for a while.

• 1 c. quinoa, cooked
• 1/2 pepper, diced
• 1/2 c. cheese, diced (Cheddar is okay; Feta is betta)
• Olives (any variety), sliced
• a drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the quinoa. Turn down to a simmer and cook quinoa for 12-15 minutes. The quinoa will completely absorb the water when it is done cooking.

Add the quinoa and the other ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

I think capers or pigeon peas would have been such a good addition to this! The salad was tasty but there could have been more flavor. Next time I make this I think I’m going to go all out and buy feta and roast some red peppers, too! Yum!

The most important thing about this salad was the hearty and healthy quinoa. Quinoa is very fast to make, which is a huge plus in my opinion. And I love having a large grainy salad to portion out for lunch throughout the week. Zesty Cook seems to agree: check out his tasty-looking pasta salad from today’s post.

But before I get to tonight’s dish, can I go on a cheese tangent? While picking up some extra sharp Cheddar at the store, I saw Price Chopper is having a 2 for $4 sale with Cabot cheeses. And imagine my delight when I saw this tucked away:

I pulled out Old Faithful and that block of cheese was reduced to shreds in the pulse of a finger.

I made minor adjustments to Smitten Kitchen’s recipe:

Homey Macaroni and Cottage Cheese

(Homey? Cottage? See what I did there??)

• 1 c. low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 8 oz. block Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 c. 1% milk
• Pinch paprika
• Pinch dry mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb. multi-colored vegetable pasta, uncooked
• 1 cup chopped broccoli

My pasta came from this box:

This dish is so easy to assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and shred cheese.

2. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper, and blend. Slowly pour in the milk while blending the cottage cheese mixture.

3. In a large bowl combine all but 1/4 c. shredded cheese, cottage cheese and milk mixture, and the pasta.   Once combined, pour into a greased baking dish.

4. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove, sprinkle the remaining Cheddar over the pasta, cover, and bake again for another 30 minutes.

Ta da!

The only hard part is waiting for this to bake.

The two of us spent about a week with his family between Christmas and New Years.  On Monday we planned a date day in Manhattan which commenced with a very necessary trip to Rockefeller Center so I could pretend to be Liz Lemon.

30 Rock is my absolute favorite show. I have been telling people since season 1 to watch and, thank goodness, they are starting to listen to my good advice.

The tree was pretty cool, I guess.  The Boyfriend finally dragged me away from the 30 Rock sign for a festive couples shot in front of the tree.

Next we scooted over to MOMA.  Did you know that if you are (or, cough, were) a SUNY student, you can get into MOMA and other NYC museums for free?? Just show your student ID card at information.  It’s pretty sweet.

We wanted to see the Tim Burton exhibit there, but it was sold out for the day.  Boo! So instead we strolled the floors.  And then made some art of our own using my camera, a MOMA window, and city lights:

We had plans to see Avatar in 3-D after the MOMA trip.  Before the movie we stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant near Union Square.

We were hungry so we started with garlic bread and salads.

I ordered the arugula salad as I have been craving arugula since Mom’s Christmas dinner.  The thing is, I sort of expected there might be more to the “Arugula Salad” than just lettuce.  I was wrong in my assumptions.  The salad was okay, but that was it.  I did eat it all, though, because I do love me some leafy greens.

While we waited for dinner I played with the settings on my camera and had a photoshoot with my wine glass.

I’m such a little kid.  I need something to keep my wandering mind busy when I’m sitting still.

Dinner arrived on huge platters and there was much rejoicing.  The Boyfriend got chicken parmesan and it was amazing.

I had one of the specials which was chicken with mushrooms, artichokes, red peppers, and olives with a marsala wine sauce.

Plus a side of pasta.  This is my favorite part about Italian restaurants.

Two clean plates and one stop at a bar for martinis later, we headed over to the theater for Avatar. The animation in that movie was insane! Your brain gets tricked into forgetting that you’re not watching live action for most of the movie. Plus you get these sweet 3-D glasses.

New fashion trend for 2010? I think so.

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