One Pot Wonder: Chicken and Rice With Green Olives and Tomatoes

When you are your own dishwasher, every dirty plate, skillet and kitchen utensil can set you off (at least that's my experience).  There are times when I feel that I spend more energy and minutes rinsing, soaping, rinsing and drying than I do cooking.  For those times, there is a miracle solution - one pot meal wonders.  And this is exactly it!  One pot Chicken & Rice with Green Olives and Tomatoes.

Playing With Food: Happy Face Breakfast

Whether you are cooking for kids, adults, or adult kids, making your food fun is a fantastic challenge!  The other morning, making breakfast for myself and another kid-at-heart adult, I put together a happy face.  This couldn't be easier.  

On the plate, arranged in the smiley face shape are: two sunny side up eggs (eyes), black bean and chocolate chili, sliced avocados (lips/mouth), and toasted whole grain black bread (hair).  Later on, I added a dash of hot sauce to each of the yolks (but I was too hungry to take a picture).  This was a relatively healthy, definitely delicious, and a fun breakfast to eat.


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Vegetable Cabbage Soup with Jalapeno Chile and Lime

If bosrcht had a cousin, this cabbage soup would be it. The soup basically has all the elements of bosrcht minus the beets, so think of it as a paler, more innocent cousin.  Or perhaps it just doesn't blush as much.

The soup was a regular staple of my childhood.  The simplicity of potatoes, cabbage, and carrots combined together in a delicate melody.  The soup was garnished with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped parsley or dill.

This time, when making the soup, I decided to give it a bit of a punch with the addition of jalapeno pepper, fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.  Last minute, I added broccoli florets for color and extra nutrients.

If you are not concerned with making this a vegetarian recipe, feel free to use homemade chicken broth.  This is a lovely bowl of goodness to keep you warm on a cold day.  Enjoy!

Sandwich of the Week: Burger with Swiss Cheese, Caramelized Onions and Horseradish Mayonnaise

Dinner time!  Tonight, I'm cooking for one.  Stocking up for the Seattle snowstorm earlier in the day, I picked up  ground beef to make a pot of chili.  When it came time to make dinner, the ground beef was still sitting wrapped up, in the refrigerator, untouched.  There was no time to make chili, yet I still had to eat.  Why not make a burger?  I call this creation a Sandwich Burger, because instead of a traditional burger bun, I used two slices of whole grain bread.  Sliced in half, I ate the burger just like I would a sandwich.  A bag of chips would've been a nice addition, but I settled for a glass of tomato juice.  Enjoy!  Make this for yourself, but the recipe multiplies simply enough to make for the whole family.

Craving more burger ideas?  Be sure to check out these posts.

Dining out in Portugal: Culinary Adventures in Lisbon

It's snowing today in Seattle and I'm reminiscing over sunny and slightly warmer days in Lisbon, Portugal.  One of the joys of travels is discovering new culture, and one of the most delicious ways of doing it is through food!  I wanted to share photos and thoughts of my culinary adventures in Portugal with you, dear snackers!

Portugal is famous for its seafood (proximity to the source) and Vinho Verde (fresh, slightly effervescent wine made from "green grapes").  Our first meal in Lisbon was at a local restaurant, Restaurante Rio Coura, bustling with jovial chatter of the locals, clinking of glasses,and swishy sounds of paper table cloths turned over to greet new guests.

Project "You Buy, You Cook" ~ Morning Breakfast Scrabmle

The tables are turned and I am changing the rules of the "You Buy, I Cook" project.  In this installment, we will be doing things a little bit differently.  I decided to put the artist to work in my kitchen this morning, encouraging him to make breakfast from the groceries he brought over last week.

I must admit, not putting in my 2 or 4 cents and staying out of the kitchen while he cooked was challenging, to say the least.  But, I am happy to report that the kitchen didn't burn down, the food turned out delicious and healthy, and there was not too much to clean up.

Not Your Average Market - Photo Adventures from Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, Spain

In Seattle, we are spoiled by having Pike Place Market right in our backyard, so to speak.  Years ago, I worked within a 2-minute walk from the market and made it my daily lunch destination.  I love taking out-of-town friends to the market to share with them the bounty of the Northwest.  Regardless of the time of the year, you can always be sure to find the freshest and most delicious offerings there.

My love affair with markets must have started in my early childhood.  I remember my grandmother taking my sister and me to the main market in Moscow, Russia where we walked through the aisles and were greeted by old, wrinkly ladies selling sunflower seeds, fat juicy pickles, and my favorite - pickled garlic.

Project "You Buy, I Cook" ~ Tortilla Española: The Spanish Omelet

On the heels of our European adventures, the artist showed up at my door with two bags of groceries.  Among other goodies inside, I found a bag of potatoes, a carton of eggs, and an onion.

These three ingredients led themselves perfectly to the re-creation of a true standby at any of Spain's tapas bars - Tortilla Española.  At first glance, the name of the dish might be misleading, making you think of a staple in Mexican cuisine - the tortilla - made out of either corn or wheat flour, used for tacos, enchiladas, etc.

The Spanish version of the tortilla is a different animal, altogether.  It is an omelet, of sorts, made with thinly sliced or cubed potatoes.  Served either warm or at room temperature, it is accompanied by aioli, a mixture of olive-oil based mayonnaise and lots of garlic.

Happy New Year ~ Ringing in the 2012 in style, in Barcelona, Spain

This year, I found myself ringing in the New Year in Barcelona, Spain, with the artist and his family.  We joined the masses of Spaniards at one of the city's squares, by the water, with a bottle of champagne and a stack of plastic glasses.