Eats around here have been blessedly simple. I’m learning that for food to be good it doesn’t need to be complicated, new, intense or full of ingredients. It can be classic, heart-warming and…not to beat a dead horse…simple.

Allrecipes (and no, I’m not getting paid for this) has helped a ton in this regard. I’ve used the site for years and years, but now with cheap as an imperative it’s easy to click on there, browse recipes, read reviews and have consistently good meals. Some of the recipes I use as a “base” recipe and add on as I see fit (or as other reviewers suggest), and some I follow to the T. So far, I’ve not been steered wrong, though I’m sure the day is coming.

Last weekend we had Fluffy Pancakes. I…was….STUNNED. This is the quintessential pancake recipe. Better than IHOP. Better than any downhome diner ever. Move aside Bisquick.

Topped with butter and maple syrup, served up with a glass of milk. Heaven.

However, most mornings this week have started with a Green-Monster-in-a-Bowl:

Spinach, Banana, Frozen Mango and Berries, Almond Milk, Protein Powder

Because I can eat (and desire!) greens again!!!!

Some lunches have been American classics:

Pacific Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sammich

Monday night it was our turn to bring dessert for our small group. In the spirit of things (Taco Soup) I made Tres Leches. If you’re not familiar with Tres Leches–become familiar! It’s basically a sponge cake, soaked with three milks (or two milks and a syrup) and  then topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit. The ‘brown stuff’ on top of mine is traditional Dulce de Leche (Argentine), caramelized sweetened condensed milk. In Mexican tradition they use Cajeta, which is caramelized goat’s milk.

Did we take a bite? Yes. Yes, we did.

Dulce de Leche. The best Argentine export, along with Manu Ginoboli, yerba mate and empanadas.

On Monday we had Mandy’s Taco Soup, which is one of Jonathan’s favorite meals. It combines all of his desired elements: it’s wet, mushy and has potential for the copious use of toppings–especially cilantro. So he requested that I make Tortilla Soup on Tuesday, which I did. I found this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup I.

Tortilla Soup with Cilantro, Cheese, Chips, Sour Cream and Lime Juice

Drooling, even now, and even though I had leftovers for lunch.

I don’t know what’s on the menu tonight—probably ‘fix your own’, and if so I’m craving an omelette. Mmm…

Healthy Tasty Sloppy Joes

1 onion, diced

1/2 lb. bison

1 can red beans

1 box frozen pureed winter squash, heated (I used Cascadian Farms)

1/4 c. BBQ sauce

Whole Wheat Buns

Directions

1. Drizzle canola/olive oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté for about a minute.

2. Add bison, cook through. Drain any fat. Salt and Pepper at this stage.

3. Add beans and squash, heat through. Stir in BBQ sauce.

I served it with Easy Coleslaw.

If you’ve followed this blog or my previous one (The Fat Pants Diet) then you know that while I love my mayonnaise based salads and spreads, I hate how caloric they are for no real taste benefit. No one needs a cup of mayo when 1 tbsp. will do! Coleslaw is the perfect example of one of those salads. Here’s my toss together version of ‘slaw.

1 heaping ‘dinner’ spoonful of mayo

1 glug (about 1/4 c.) of apple cider vinegar

~1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, smooshed in my hands to release fragrance and flavor

1 ‘dinner’ spoonful of sugar/agave nectar/honey/whatever floats your boat

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix together the mayo, vinegar, caraway seeds and sugar until blended.

2. Add cabbage and toss.

3. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Jonathan and I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner! Lots of veggies and flavor.

———

THREE BIG NEWS ITEMS!

1. I have three more yoga weekends until I am a certified yoga professional–200 hours with the Yoga Alliance. I can’t believe it…test weekend, practicum weekend and then graduation! I can’t believe that I’ve been doing this since May. It seems absolutly surreal…

2. I am participating in NaNoWriMo–National Novel Writers Month: 30 Days and Nights of Literary Abandon. That means by 11/30 I will have written (hopefully) 50,000 words. I’m aiming to finish my first novel. I get giddy thinking about it. Word count? 2,356. I’ll keep you posted.

3. I’m starting training this week for the Austin Half-Marathon on February 14. It’s another thing I can’t believe…I never imagined I’d attempt another one, but I thought about it last night and it felt right. I knew it was time to try again.

So that’s it! Whew. I’m excited…I just wish I had pictures. Tomorrow is cleaning day so hopefully I’ll find it…Felix the Cat has a shifty look in her eyes…I wonder if she took it…

Here’s what I did:

4 Hard Boiled Eggs

Grated carrot and minced celery for crunch

Curry powder, paprika, ground mustard, horseradish, light mayo

1. Dice  hard boiled eggs

2. Grate 1/2 carrot and mince 1/2 celery stalk

3. Add seasonings. 1/2 teaspoon curry (for sweetness), 1/2 teaspoon paprika (for smokiness), 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add mayonnaise. TIP!: for calorie cutting mayonnaise based salads add 1 tablespoon at a time. The recipe I looked at called for ONE CUP of mayonnaise. That’s almost 1600 calories! I used 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise—about 90 calories. Heee-uge difference.

5. Stir together with a fork, mashing the egg to create a creamier consistency.

6. Voila! Add horseradish if you wish.

Yum-o!

Stonehenge...?

Okay, so actually it’s “Stonehenge II”, outside of Hunt, Texas.

I don't think it's 102 degrees in England...

We had a fun weekend! We went to Mo Ranch, a campground on the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country. Very beautiful. We hung out with the families, both sides, hiked, swam and ate.  All of the things a good camping trip should be

Yesterday was spent recouping—I literally washed, dried and folded 6 loads of laundry—but because the produce has been so incredible lately I had to get in the kitchen. I made buffalo meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad and peach cobbler.

Bison/buffalo meatloaf

I really love to use bison instead of beef. The flavor is better (sweet and rich) and so is the nutrition profile—mostly because bison is grass fed, and the bison available around here comes from a local rancher.  This meatloaf had 1 pound of bison, diced tomatoes, onion, mustard powder, minced garlic, applesauce, egg, bacon (with the fat trimmed off) and dried multi-grain bread.

The wine of the evening was amazing.  Bogle Phantom, vintage 2005.  It’s a blend of Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Mouverdre.  It took a few minutes to open up but once it did–wham! The smells were leather, berry/jam, a bit of molasses and floral—rose or gardenia, maybe? Something really heady.  The taste corroborated with the smells: berry, sweet but tannic, oaky and big.  The wine went very well with the meatloaf.  Yay for impulsive buying at Whole Foods!

Bogle Phantom 2005

For dessert:

Pièce de Résistance: Peach and Berry Cobbler

On the way home from Hunt we passed through Fredericksburg, i.e. Peach capital of Texas…and of course we had to get some peaches. So, come Monday I have about 6 pounds of peaches in my fridge and what is a good Southern girl to do?

…Make cobbler. Of course.

Here’s the recipe:

Meagan’s Peach and Berry Cobbler

8-12 peaches

1 pint blackberries

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. maple syrup (the real stuff—not corn syrup based)

2 tbsp. lemon juice or white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (or more, if you like)

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Dash of salt

——

Quick topping:

6-8 premade biscuits (buy fresh from a bakery or make your own)

6 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. brown sugar

3 tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

——-

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Rince, peel and slice peaches into a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Rinse blackberries and add to dish.

3. Add brown sugar, syrup, lemon juice and spices. Stir together and bake for 10 minutes.

4. While filling is baking, crumble biscuits into a bowl. Add melted butter, sugars and cinnamon. Stir together until mixed well.

5. Once filling is out of oven, add spoonfuls of topping to cover. Bake and additional 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Enjoy with vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream. I recommend Haagen Daz Five Vanilla, Brown Sugar or Ginger.

That’s all folks! Enjoy your Tuesday (and the peach cobbler )

Today I made lunch out of Making the Cut. I wanted to get a feel for the recipes in the book.  I’ve made recipes through my fair share of diet books—South Beach, Atkins, The Mediterranean Diet—you name it.  All I can say is: how many different ways can you cook a chicken breast? Ick.

Making the Cut is a bit different. Sure, there are the go-to chicken recipes, but also lamb, beef, bean and pasta. Plenty of veggies throughout. It’s also portends to an  international flare: there are “Moroccan”, “Peruvian” and  “Pacific Rim” dishes. Interesting.

For the first recipe I tried something that, if I didn’t like it, I could easily fix: Bean Salad with Artichokes

Verdict?

Aesthetically pleasing? Check. The colors in the salad were really beautiful. Reds, greens and creams.

Taste? Umm….YES. Frankly, I was kind of surprised. The dressing was a balsamic/lemon/feta with herbs and…wow. I chilled the salad for 2 hours, but I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow.  The salad tasted sweet, tangy and savory, and there were chewy, crunch and smooth textures. Win-win-win…(the Office, anyone?)

The plan for the rest of the day: watch Barefoot Contessa (the woman is truly inspirational), Yoga flash cards, yoga, running, weight lifting, Whole Foods…ah, another typical Tuesday.  An the best thing? Our first disc of season 4 of Weeds is arriving tonight…excited? Yes.