food planning

Recently I was chatting with some friends about how little time I have to cook lately with my crazy study schedule and just life in general getting in the way. I still love to cook (mostly to eat), but I am just not feeling it lately.

But every weekend I try to do some ahead-of-time preparation for the next week or two of cooking and eating and these are definitely strategies I plan to continue using, especially when I move to DC where we will both have real jobs and less time to spend in the kitchen. None of this is earth-shattering, but maybe you’ll learn a fun new tip and maybe you’ll have suggestions for me?

Sharing is caring, folks.

I hate grocery shopping. HATE IT. So I tend to do one “big” shop every other week and occasionally run to the store mid-week to grab something I’m out of or something I’m craving. I tend to plan out 1 or 2 main “dishes” to make that week and put the ingredients on my shopping list. And I always make sure to stock up on some basics for my fridge and pantry:

• Milk (I’m into unsweetened almond milk these days)
• Eggs & egg whites
• Plain yogurt
• Lean protein in the freezer
• Brown rice
• Pasta
• Frozen vegetables (for when you run out of fresh ones!)
• Bread
• Ketchup (necessary)

With the above ingredients, I can always manage to throw together some kind of a meal with the other ingredients I have. Even if it is boring, I make an effort to use the food I have purchased.

As soon as I get home from the grocery store I launch into Crazy Organizer Meredith and my Type A personality really comes out. For example, if I bought chicken breasts, I will open the package, re-package each breast individually, label, and freeze them. I un-bag my produce and put it away in the fruit basket or vegetable drawer. I buy a lot in bulk (dried beans, rice, nuts) and try to keep them organized by transferring them into tupperware or old glass jars that I wash and reuse (pickle jars and pasta sauce jars work best because they’re big!). It takes 10-15 minutes and the organization is totally worth it.

After all the organization of the fridge and pantry, I start some basic prep. If I am planning on a chicken dish, I’ll start to marinade it. I’ll soak some dried beans so I can boil them up later. I’ll hard boil several eggs to keep in the fridge. I’ll throw some rice in my rice cooker to keep on hand during the week.

When it comes to actually cooking, I like to make meals that are easily transported in a lunchbox to school or easily reheated for quick dinners. Some of my favorite dishes to have on hand are turkey burgers, channa masala, pasta salad, grilled chicken to throw in salads, and pizza dough to keep in the freezer.

I tend to make one dish on Saturday or Sunday and then make another, easier one mid-week. Also, remembering to pull things out of the freezer is now a habit for me. I scan it a few times a week. Do I have chili or cooked turkey burgers in there? Pizza dough? I just pull them out in the mornings and by the time dinner rolls around, they’re easily reheated. If you package individual servings before freezing, it makes it much easier to just pull a hunk o’ lasagna out and enjoy it.

Do you do meal planning or do you just fly by the seat of your pants? 

tamale bake

The other day, while gazing blissfully into the abyss that is my pantry, I noticed the sad little bag of masa harina (MAH-sah ah-REE-na) sitting on my baking shelf. Masa harina is the powdered corn that is used in such delightful things as corn tortillas and my tamales. In fact, the last time I even used the masa was for my tamales!

I hate wasting food so I started thinking of things I could do with it. Eventually I came up with a tamale bake that is kind of like a version of Mexican lasagna (which I also haven’t made in a year! whoops!) but has delicious masa crust.

Masa harina is very readily available these days. Check near the flour in your “baking needs” aisle, and if you can’t find it there, see if your store has an “ethnic” or “Latino” section. Please don’t use corn meal or a corn bread mix, they aren’t the same thing.

My favorite thing about recipes like this is how variable they are — you can add chicken, pork, or tofu and you can pick your very favorite salsa, mild or hot! I like cilantro and I like spice, so I ended up getting a hot cilantro salsa that rocked my world. I also added additional spice on top of all that. What is up with me and spicy foods lately? I am my mother’s antithesis.

So give masa harina a chance and make this great vegetarian dish soon. But perhaps not for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, as cheese + beans does not equal romance.

Tamale Bake (serves 4)
1 cup masa harina
1/2 cup water
1/2 T chili powder
2 cups cooked black beans (drained!)
2 T lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup salsa of your choosing
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
sour cream or Greek yogurt for topping (optional)
Heat your oven to 425*. In a small mixing bowl, combine the masa harina, water, and chili powder. Mix with your hands for best results. When you can incorporate all of the masa into a ball, place in the center of an 8×8 (square) baking dish. Press down and into the corners, creating an even, flat crust. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes to set it. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 350*. In another mixing bowl, combine the black beans, cayenne (optional), salt, and lime juice. Once mixed, spread on top of the tamale crust that has just come out of the oven. Top the black beans with a layer of salsa and finish with cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is nice and melted. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt!

taboule turkey burgers

I love taboule! Anyone else? If you don’t know what it is, it is basically a very herbacious (just made that up) mixture of parsley, garlic, lemon juice, bulgar wheat, tomato, and magic.

Do you spell it “tabouli” or “taboule”? Or even “tabouleh”? I don’t know which to use! I bought my mix in bulk so that is unhelpful as it has neither a name nor instructions on how to prepare it.

Instead of making it to eat as a dip, I opted to make just a little bit of it to mix into some ground turkey. Turkey breast is, let’s face it, kind of flavorless on its own. But something as flavorful as taboule really punched it up.

If you’ve never had taboule/i/eh, I recommend you go to your local Mediterranean restaurant which likely has it on the appetizer menu. It is great with crackers or pita, and I really like to mix a heaping spoonful into my salads to give them extra flavor. You can also buy it in its prepared form or in dried mixes where you simply add some amount of water, olive oil, lemon juice, and diced tomato and mix to make good things happen. The mixes are widely available, check the part of your grocery store with boxed rice dishes and couscous!

Unrelated side note: do not slice your finger open with an apple slicer while these burgers cook. No bueno. But the Dora the Explorer band-aid is a-okay.

Taboule Turkey Burgers (makes 4 or 5 patties)
2 T dried taboule mix
1 T olive oil
1 T water
1/2 cup diced tomato (remove the seeds if you prefer)
1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey breast
1 egg white
salt & pepper to taste
In a small mixing bowl, combine the dried taboule mix with water and olive oil. Allow to sit for a few minutes while the bulgar wheat soaks up the liquid. Dice your tomato and stir it into the taboule mix. It is important to taste this mixture and possibly add salt and pepper — my mix wasn’t very salty so I added a healthy pinch of both salt and pepper! In a large mixing bowl combine the ground turkey breast, egg white, taboule, and (optional) salt and pepper. Mix well but don’t over mix. Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 equal parts and gently form into patties. You can cook them in a pan or bake them (like I did) at 375* for 25 minutes. They will be juicy and perfectly cooked! Remove them from the baking sheet immediately so any excess fat doesn’t re-coagulate on them. Serve on a bun with plenty of ketchup

what I’m into lately

So lately I’ve been into pizza. Like, really into it.

I’ve been making up my pizza dough and dividing it up into portions (personal pizzas, strombolis, and pizzas for 2). Once the dough is ready, it is so easy and simple to throw together a pizza for a quick dinner. Keep some sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings on hand and voilà — pizza!

This has been my favorite combination so far: fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian sausage! The sun-dried tomatoes burned a bit, but it made them crispy and delicious. So yummy! I’m also partial to onions and goat cheese.

Pizza is great at all times of the year, but I find I want it most during the early summer because of all the fresh herbs and toppings. There is never a bad time for pizza, y’all! What are some of your favorite pizza toppings?

it must be the change in seasons

I’ve headed to San Antonio for Spring Break with… Mama!!! I’m meeting her out there for 3 days of Tex Mex and remembering the Alamo. Then we’re headed to Fredericksburg in the heart of Hill Country for wine tasting, German food, and a quaint b&b for another 3 days. Be sure to check in for snaps of our adventures along the way. But in the mean time, please enjoy a simple, light, Tex Mex-inspired, vegetarian dish to try this weekend!

Spring makes me want to eat more vegetables. While I still love me some good, old-fashioned comfort food, the change from winter to spring makes me want to take long walks, shop at farmer’s markets, and eat food that comes in pretty colors.

I saw these pretty little things at Whole Foods and I knew exactly what I had to do to them. I had to gut them and stuff them for some delicious stuffed peppers.

Stuffed peppers are such a simple dish to make and you can make them as healthy (or not) as you want them to be! My friend Mary is giving up meat for Lent, so I came up with this vegetarian recipe with her in mind (and for my vegan readers, you can eliminate or substitute the cheese for vegan cheese!)

When you slice off the top of the peppers to remove the seeds, be sure to remove all the seeds — they give a really unpleasant, bitter taste to any dish!

I accidentally bought the tomato paste with roasted garlic and my life has been forever changed. Make this mistake.

Stuffed Peppers (serves 1-2)
2 whole bell peppers (red and orange are my favorites!)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed
1 wedge Laughing Cow Chipotle cheese (trust me)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
Slice the top of the bell peppers off and remove the seeds. Keep the tops of the peppers for later. In a mixing bowl, combine tomato paste, rice, corn, beans, spices, and the wedge of Laughing Cow cheese.  When thoroughly mixed, put half of the mixture into one of the emptied peppers. Repeat to fill the other pepper. Replace the tops of the peppers, to keep the stuffing moist, and place on a baking dish. Bake the peppers at 400* for 20 minutes and enjoy!

I can’t be trusted around olives

It is true. I cannot be trusted around olives. I love them all so much. In fact, I do embarrassing things like stick them on my (sausage) fingers in public. You can’t take me anywhere.

This was a lot easier when I was 10.

I think it is the salty, briny taste of the olives that get me. Green, black, kalamata… I have yet to meet an olive I don’t like. And what, my friends, goes perfectly with olives? Goat cheese.

And then I got the idea to put the olives and goat cheese in a burger and the world exploded.

I will also show you how to make these fabulous buns, but that is for another post.

Black Olive & Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, olives, goat cheese, the beaten egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands, trying not to over-mix but being sure to distribute the egg, olives, and cheese evenly. Break into 4 equal parts and gently roll into balls then flatten, setting aside. Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet to high heat with cooking spray until hot (test by splashing a bit of water off your fingers into the skillet — it should sizzle when ready). Turn heat down to medium-high and place the burger patties in the skillet with space between. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes. Use a meat thermometer if you’re worried about them not being done enough after 20 minutes (use the guidelines for poultry — 170* means done!)

can Ramen noodles be fancy?

Yes, America. Those $0.15 noodles can indeed be turned into something fancy with the help of just a few other ingredients.

I’ve been eating this salad for years now and I love it. It is crispy, tangy, colorful, and quite delicious. It takes a few seconds to throw together and can be eaten immediately or kept in the fridge and nibbled at over a few days. And you don’t even have to boil the noodles!

I love to pack this in lunches or take to potlucks. I bet it would be divine as a side dish to some Asian-glazed salmon or spare ribs….

Oh Lord, now I’m drooling. And going to the grocery store.

Oriental Noodle Salad (serves 6-8)
1 (12 oz) bag rainbow slaw (mix of cabbage, carrot, and broccoli slaw)
1 package Ramen noodles, pork flavored (or vegetarian!)
2/3 cup roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Remove the flavor packet from the Ramen noodle package and set aside. Crunch dry noodles up into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine the crushed, dried Ramen noodles with the slaw and pumpkin seeds. In a measuring cup, combine olive oil, vinegar, and the flavor packet from the Ramen noodles. Stir well. Pour about half of the oil and vinegar mixture over the slaw mixture and stir. Add the rest of the dressing to taste (you don’t want it too soggy — I used about 3/4 of the dressing). Toss well and serve.

stress induced pizza

As some of you may have heard, there was a shooting on campus here at the University of Texas, where I am currently a graduate student. Thankfully, I am safe and was off campus. In fact, Tuesdays I don’t have class and I was headed to the gym. While waiting at my bus stop and silently complaining about the fact that my bus was 20 minutes late, I got a call from my gym buddy that there had been a shooting and that bus service was frozen. I was supposed to be there already, but I hit snooze a few too many times. Good thing I was lazy, right?! I would have been very, very close to where all the action was.

In fact, all the action was in front of my academic building, just a few feet across the street from the library where everything went down. All the pictures of tanks in front of my office building were unnerving…

(source)

Being from Virginia, shootings hit a little close to home since half of my high school attended Virginia Tech and the news anchors were constantly bringing up that incident today. That, the fact that life in general stresses me out sometimes, and the resulting lack of productivity brought me to calm my nerves the best way I know how: cooking.

I had made some homemade pizza dough the other night and it was about time to take it out of the freezer!

The other night I made my own recipe for pizza dough and it was quite successful. I used a combination of Internet research and the recipe I’ve made with my Aunt Josette (the chef) to create mine. What makes mine different is the use of brown sugar instead of plain white sugar. This really brings out the kind of salty sweet taste I love, very subtly, and since I use my homemade pasta sauce that is sans sugar, it is just the amount of sweetness needed from pizza.

Meredith’s Pizza Dough (makes 1 large crust or 2 medium)
1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
2 T brown sugar
2 T sea salt
3 cups + extra for dusting/kneading all purpose flour
olive oil
In a mixing bowl, combine warm water, brown sugar, and yeast. Make sure to add the sugar here because it feeds the yeast and helps it bloom! After 5-10 minutes, the yeast should be bubbly and foamy and fully prepped. Add the salt and flour and mix thoroughly. Dust a bread board or the counter with flour and knead the dough thoroughly. In the mixing bowl from earlier, pour in some olive oil and put the dough back in the bowl, rolling it around so it is fully coated with the olive oil. Cover it with a dry towel and let it rise. It should take about an hour to rise and the tell-tale sign of perfectly risen dough is sticking 2 fingers in the middle, about a 1/2 inch deep — if the indentations stay, the dough is ready! Roll it out again on a floured board or divide into 2 balls and freeze. The dough will stay good up for about 2-3 weeks in the freezer. If you choose to use a ball of frozen dough, spray a bowl with olive oil spray and let the dough thaw (2-3 hours) in the bowl before prepping your pizza! I recommend putting your baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven to get hot while the oven preheats and then you should drizzle the sheet with a bit of olive oil. Roll out your dough as much as you can, transfer it to the baking sheet, press it out a little more to form the crust, and quickly top with whatever toppings you like. Having the sheet/stone hot before helps the bottom crisp up and cook more evenly! I also drizzle or spray olive oil on the cheese before putting it in the oven because it helps it crisp up and be bubbly and brown Bake 12-15 minutes at 500* and enjoy!

The best thing about homemade pizza? You control how healthy it is! I use lots of veggies and put the cheese on top in a very thin layer so you get just enough, but not too much! This crust was perfect and crispy, but still soft and delicious! Mmmm!

big sky adventures

It is official: I’m in love with Texas. I know I’ve said “Austin” before, but now it has branched out to the whole state. I’m sure this is a huge overstatement, but I don’t care. I had a magical day.

The day started by a roadtrip to the original Salt Lick , a famous barbecue joint in Driftwood, TX (the original location). I’d seen it on the Food Network and the commercials on TV here would make even a vegetarian salivate. I went with my usual companion, Mary, and we both loved our sliced beef sandwiches and sauce dripping down our arms.

And after our delicious meal, we were on our way out the door when I smiled politely at a cute waiter and asked if I could snap a picture of the world famous meat pit. It is amazing what a smile and a pair of boots gets you around here, because he let me go into the kitchen and go behind the pit for a great picture!

After traipsing around and taking pictures, we took our bbq food babies back on the road and headed further west into Texas Hill Country. On the agenda? WINE!

Our first stop was at Texas Hills Vineyards in Johnson City. They had an adorable cute dog in the tasting room and you knew the wine was made on sight — you could smell the fermenting in the next room (reminding me fondly of my aunt and uncle’s champagne storehouse in France). There we did a 5 wine tasting where we picked the wines, sticking mostly to reds. They have an award winning 2005 Syrah that I highly recommend!

Next up was my favorite, William Chris Vineyards in Hye where we were greeted by the cutest sign ever!

We enjoyed a delicious wine tasting of 3 wines: 2 reds and a dessert white. I was absolutely smitten with the Enchanté, their blend of a merlot, malbec, and a cabernet franc. It was divine! I’m not a merlot fan, but even their merlot was amazing (and Mary liked it a lot, too!) The William of William Chris chatted with us as we tasted and he was so laid back and nice. The whole environment of the tasting was very relaxed and casual, but you still knew the product you were tasting was of great quality (all natural!) and elegant. Even with Bill’s dirt smudged boots and blue bandana, you knew it was a great wine. Perhaps that added to the character of the place?

Our next (and last) stop was Woodrose Winery in Stonewall. The tasting was in a giant dance hall with some love music, compliments of a guitar-strummin’ cowboy. Mary and I had decided on this winery because of a recommendation from a nice couple we met at the first wine tasting, and we ran into them again at Woodrose! They joined our table and let us know that our tasting was on the house because they’re members of the wine club there… also meaning we got a few extra pours, a free cheese plate, and excellent company! We sat there for a good hour and a half, maybe even two hours, and enjoyed great conversation with fun people. I even have slightly modified career aspirations because of our conversations with this couple! The whites were terrible, but the red wines made up for it and we certainly had a lovely time.

We rolled ourselves out of wine country around 5pm and headed back to Austin. Between the wine, the people, the boots, the big blue sky, and the sense that I truly belong in Texas, I’m sold on this place. Does it get any better than this? Today was a perfect Saturday for adventures in Big Sky Country.

inspired baking

Lately, I’ve been inspired to try new things. I think it might be the atmosphere of having just moved to a new state and virtually starting a new life. Or possibly it is all the big blue sky and fresh air I’m breathing in down here deep in the heart of Texas. Either way, I’m definitely okay with all the inspiration!

Based on the great support I got from everyone when I wrote this post, I went forth and prospered by eating meat. I was inspired by your support and wise words — thank you! I won’t get into this again, but final words: I am not denying my body a food it wants and am going to find a healthy, ethical, and environmentally balanced way to incorporate meat in my diet on occasion. So of course I was inspired to start with barbecue brisket. I had to do it.

Got me some famous Texas bbq!

After the barbecue escapades at the famous Austin institution, The Green Mesquite, my friend Mary and I proceeded to galavant all over Austin looking for cowgirl boots. And boy did I find a pair! I decided to be responsible and go back for them when I get my first paycheck for being a TA, so in less than a month they will be mine!

Then this morning, to celebrate Labor Day, my friend Andy joined Mary and I for a tubing adventure on the San Marcos River. I felt inspired to get back in touch with nature. I haven’t been on the water in a while! It was so peaceful out on the water, helped along by the beers we brought along in our floating bag, and the weather was hot and blue skied until the very end when it started to rain.

My feet + Mary

After a lunch at a river-side pub and a sleepy drive home, I showered off the mud and took a lovely nap. Upon waking I started to hatch my next inspired, money-saving plan.

Bread. Yes, I am baking bread. I used up my last slice today and I started thinking that a decent loaf of wheat bread at the grocery store runs about $3.50 or more. There has to be a cheaper way! So Mary and I went to Whole Foods and bought the necessary supplies I was lacking.

I could have sworn I had packed a loaf pan when I moved, but sadly I seem to have been mistaken. But I wouldn’t let that stop me! I was inspired by my Aunt Joelle who made bread on a sheet pan every day while I visited my family in France (part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4). She made amazing bread without a loaf pan, so why can’t I?

Before: a lump of sticky dough.

While the bread baked, Mary helped me load all the ingredients onto the Sense to Save Recipe Cost Calculator and it turns out my entire loaf costs $1.67 and I have plenty of supplies for more. I love this! I’m so glad inspiration struck me to save a little money! The baking supplies were an “investment” up front but they’ll last a while and I can feel good about the bread knowing it has wholesome, whole ingredients in it.

After: wholesome carby goodness!!

I’m definitely going to be looking up more bread recipes online, but I used this simple one and I think I’ll be keeping it around!