I really enjoy cooking. Not baking – cooking. There is nothing more satisfying than trying a new recipe and proclaiming it a success! Now don’t get me confused with a foodie – because I definitely do not qualify. I doubt my pallet is very refined and I certainly don’t make complex or complicated meals. I shy away from pretentious ingredients and have been accused of under-salting my food. Nonetheless, I do enjoy it and I think I’m getting better at it! I thought I’d share a few of my favorite cookbooks, food blogs and magazine subscriptions. Do you have any favorites you want to share?

Cookbooks

Everyday Cooking: Great Food Fast (Martha Stewart) – I love this cookbook because I’ve never been disappointed. The photos are great (a photo for every recipe), the directions are simple and the food is delicious. It’s also nice because the recipes require little time – perfect for weeknight dinners. My favorite thing about the book is that it’s organized by season – which is brilliant for those of us who like to use in-season produce.

Barefoot Contessa  (Ina Garten) – I have three of her cookbooks (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Back to Basics and At Home)and I love perusing them and selecting my next triumph. The photos are gorgeous. The only issue with these cookbooks is that the Contessa’s recipes are really fatty and rich. Cooking too much out of these cookbooks will make you gain weight – fast.

The Food You Crave (Ellie Krieger) – This cookbook is the opposite of the Barefoot Contessa books. This book has very few photos and focuses on healthy eating. Living up to the name, Ellie showcases recipes that you love – but she focuses on maximum flavor with limited calories/fat. I’ve been impressed with these recipes, although I wish there were more pics!

Magazines

Fine Cooking – http://www.finecooking.com/

Cuisine at Home – http://www.cuisineathome.com/ (Thanks Kristina!)

Food Blogs

Smitten Kitchen – http://smittenkitchen.com/

101 Cookbooks  - http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Here are pics from dinner the other night – lamb shanks – nummers!

The other day I was in the dentist office waiting to get my teeth cleaned. Waiting, waiting, waiting. I picked up a magazine (called Real Food) and started browsing the recipes.  It had at least 6 soup recipes I wanted to make – but one in particular: the smoky chicken, tomato, brown rice and corn soup. The photo was amazing; it was the perfect fall soup. Hearty, warm, cozy. I wanted the magazine. I NEEDED the magazine. And more importantly I needed the soup. I quickly assessed my options. I could either take the whole magazine or rip the page out, but I had to decide quickly. The rip approach would draw too much attention, so I opted for the entire mag. I very stealthily turned my shoulder and slipped the magazine into my purse. And then I looked up. The receptionist was staring right at me. CAUGHT! She saw the entire thing. And then she turned away and we both pretended like it didn’t happen. Talk about awkward.

During the fall season, Derek and I try to make a soup every week. I made this for our fall soup kick-off and I’m happy to announce that it was worth it. The soup was really good. I thought I’d share the recipe w/ my notes. It’s easy, it’s warm, it’s fall in a bowl.

Smoky chicken, tomato, brown rice and corn soup

Use cooked chicken leftover from a rotisserie chicken for this quick, easy and substantial soup.

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (28oz) peeled plum tomatoes with juices

3-4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup leftover brown rice, bulgur, quinoa or other grain

2 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño, or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup plain low-fat yogurt

·         Heat the oil in a large, broad soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the paprika and cumin.

·         Puree the tomatoes in a food processor. Add the chicken and pulse once or twice or until chopped into small pieces. Add to the pot with the sautéed onion and spices. Add 3 cups of the broth and heat to simmering. Stir in the rice, corn, half of the cilantro leaves, olives, and jalapeño. Heat stirring over low heat. Add the remaining cup of broth to the soup if desired.

·         When the soup is hot remove from heat and add lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a spoonful of yogurt in the center of each bowl. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro over the top, dividing evenly.

Kindra’s Notes: I used barley instead of brown rice – it was great! I added a teaspoon cayenne pepper. I didn’t have canned plum tomatoes, so I just used canned diced tomatoes – it was great and I didn’t puree anything. Next time, I won’t use kalamata olives and I’ll double the recipe so we have more leftovers.

I am sad to announce that I lost my title as guac-ess. The queen of green. The goddess of guac. It’s sad but true. This weekend, I was defeated by Andre at the annual guac-off. It was sad, but alas, the torch (or pit as the case may be), must be handed over. Actually, I fully supported his victory. As soon as I tasted it, I knew his was the winner. I’m not sure that I agreed with the runner up –WAY too much lime, cilantro and corn…not enough avocado for my liking. But Andre’s guac was right on the money. Nice work man. It’s not every year you get to be the winner of the guac-off!  Enjoy it.

Is it weird I’m considering being a vegetarian for few months because I’m bored?  Some people turn vegetarian because they have health concerns or feel a moral obligation, but not me. I’m just bored and I feel like it would be a fun challenge. It would force me to become more creative with my cooking and try new recipes!  I don’t want to do it forever – just for a month or two (it would be too hard over the holidays and I think my family would probably disown me). Just something I’m thinking about – I’ll let you know what I decide.

Does anyone out there in the blogosphere have a good hummus recipe? I have tried several recipes and can’t find one that I like. Help!

My entire life I have hated Brussels sprouts – hated them. Even as an adult I have tried them several times hoping to change my mind. No luck, until two weeks ago. One evening I came home from the gym to find Derek cooking something up. It smelled so good my mouth immediately started watering! I was promptly disappointed to find out he was cooking Brussels sprouts. Ew.  But they smelled so good I had to try one. To my surprise THEY WERE DELICIOUS! Honestly, it shocked the heck out of me! We’ve had them twice since then and are planning on making them again this week.

If you hate Brussels sprouts, try this. Cut them in half and remove any loose leaves. Melt butter in a sauté pan; add Brussels sprouts flat side down. Cook for roughly 5 minutes on medium heat.  Brussels sprouts should be just barely tender at this point and slightly browned on the flat side.  Drizzle butter, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper over top. Sauté for another 5-10 minutes on medium heat allowing them to caramelize. Don’t flip.  Do not let them get mushy. Sprouts should be golden brown and caramelized on flat side. Enjoy!

We had a delicious dinner last night at Stacy and Andre’s – I mean it was REALLY tasty. Derek and I were still talking about it this morning when we woke up. Pork Tenderloin, Risotto with Truffle Oil and Caprese-like Salad. Inspired by “Sunday Nite Dinners”, the four of us have decided to start “Wednesday Nite Dinners” to help get us through the long, rainy Seattle fall/winter. We haven’t decided if we’ll do it every week, or every-other week. I DO know that we’ve got some good meals ahead of us.

A friend shared this blog with me yesterday; it’s called Sunday Nite Dinners. I love the concept, I love the photos, I love the recipes – I love the blog. Sunday night dinners are the best.

Thanks Kristina!

It’s a guac-off! This weekend was the first annual guac-off. I think the name is pretty self explanatory, but if you haven’t already deduced it, a guac-off is a guacamole contest. The best tasting guac wins – and I won! See a few pics below. There were six contenders and six judges. Andre came in 2^nd and 3^rd place went to Gary Buckner! What was first prize you ask? What else but a $20 gift card for Taco del Mar – SCORE!

Last weekend, Derek and I learned how to pickle. Our friend’s mother is an expert canner, and she was nice enough to show us the ropes. It was fun! Now we have 12 giant jars of pickles waiting to be eaten. Apparently they have to sit for 30 days before we can break into them – 23 days and counting!