Tag Archive: Dinner

How To Cook Nachos At Home

Written on May 6, 2014 by in Entree, Miscellaneous, Side Dish

How To Cook Nachos At Home

Happy seis de Mayo!

Nachos are my favorite bad food. You can get them anywhere(and I have), especially anywhere worth going. After a few drinks there’s nothing else I’d rather have–not even Reese’s cup brownies.

Making them at home, though, has never been as simple as it out to be. You can’t put them in the microwave or the chips get soggy. I’ve literally set a pan on fire in the oven not understanding how a burner works. Bad bad bad.

Skillet Nachos

These are the most satisfying nachos I’ve made at home. They’re warm and melty on top while the chips stay hot and crisp–not soggy. It’s easy to make and you can eat it from the pan so you don’t have to dirty dishes. What could be better?

Skillet Nachos

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

  • 1-2 Tablespoons oil
  • 4 handfuls of tortilla chips
  • 1/2 cup refried beans
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese*
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup guacamole

*Make sure to use a cheese that melts well since you don’t want this on the burner for too long. Avoid processed shredded cheeses with lots of added ingredients and stabilizers.

Method:

  1. Rub a pan with a cover with oil to make sure the tortillas won’t stick or burn.
  2. Add the chips into the pan. Add the beans and cheese around on top evenly.
  3. Turn the burner onto a medium heat and cover immediately with a pan cover.
  4. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese has melted and remove from the burner immediately.
  5. Add the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and enjoy.
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Healthy Black Bean Quesadilla

Written on October 24, 2013 by in Breakfast, Entree

October 13th 003

The saddest thing about moving to a new city besides leaving behind friends and family is always leaving behind good restaurants. There are always a few dished you just can’t find anywhere else and you don’t know what to do about it.

Last time I was in Providence I had huevos rancheros with a black bean quesadilla, ancho-chili sauce and home fries for brunch. It was delicious and something I probably won’t find anytime soon, so this has been the closest I’ve come to tasting it again. If you’re staying in on a weekend morning and need something to hit the spot this might be as good as you’ll get without ordering takeout.

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This recipe for quesadillas is a little different from what you’d normally get since it uses corn tortillas instead of flour ones keeping it gluten-free. The ingredients are also a little healthier than others; for a more traditional recipe use twice as much cheese and half as much beans.

Black Bean Corn Quesadilla

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 serving):

  • 2 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese
  • Salsa
  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole

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Method:

  1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
  2. Warm the tortillas in the frying pan in a little oil to keep them from sticking.
  3. Move the tortillas to a plate.
  4. Heat the black beans in the pan with a little oil to take out some of the moisture. Season them with salt or spices if desired.
  5. Add the cheese in with the black beans and keep moving them to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
  6. When the cheese starts melting, move the black beans onto one of the tortillas. Place the other one on top.
  7. Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and any other toppings you’d like.
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Italian White Bean Salad

Written on August 8, 2013 by in Entree

Italian White Bean Salad Yield

This is one of my favorite things I’ve eaten this Summer, which is saying a lot since I love sweets and it’s a savory recipe. It’s just the prefect, refreshing thing to throw together and put on a plate and enjoy without ever turning on the oven.

The ingredients here are really simple: White beans, sundried tomatoes, onions, basil, dressing and seasoning. That’s all you need! Don’t let the raw onions scare you; soaking them in a little cold water first takes out the bite in their flavor but leaves them cool and crunchy. You might want to freshen your breath afterwards with a homemade peppermint patty.

Italian White Bean Salad Ingredients

Like all recipes, make sure to season these to taste. If the beans you used were cooked in salt, make sure to use less to keep the flavor light and fresh.

Italian White Bean Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

  • 2 cans white beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Italian White Bean Salad Mixing

Method:

  1. Let the onions soak in cold water for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water from the onions and lightly pat them dry.
  2. Toss all of the ingredients except for the salt together in a large bowl.
  3. Taste the beans and season with the salt as necessary.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Italian White Bean Salad

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How To Make Perfect Home Fries

Written on July 19, 2013 by in Side Dish

How To Make Perfect Home Fries

Well cooked home fries are one of my favorite foods. I always look for them on a menu when I’m out to eat(clearly I only choose very classy places that would serve home fries at 6pm); they beat plain old french fries any day.

Years of cooking these spuds have taught me that home fries are all about two things: Seasoning and cooking time. Salt, herbs, and onions all make for a really taste treat once the flavors are absorbed into the home fries. You also can’t rush perfection. The best way to get a golden, crispy outside and a soft starchy inside is to cook these low and slow, giving each side a chance to sizzle on the bottom of the pan.

How To Make Perfect Home Fries Cooking

You’ll definitely want to double or even triple the recipe if you’re cooking for a crowd because these’ll fly off the plate. Season them to taste as always; you can add any number of herbs and spices to make them spicy, garlicky, or even slightly sweet.

How To Make Perfect Home Fries

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 par-cooked medium Russet potatoes*
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped onion
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Couple sprigs of rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

*I usually bake mine for 40 minutes, let them cool, and then keep them in the refrigerator to have on hand whenever I want to make these. You can also par-cook them in the microwave or by boiling them as long as they’re firm enough to slice when done.

How To Make Perfect Home Fries Potatoes

Method:

  1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add in the onions and sauté them until they become translucent.
  2. Dice the potatoes into small bites, about 1/2-inch squares. Leave the skins on for a rustic look and texture.
  3. Add the potatoes into the pan with the onions along with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and salt.
  4. Cook on medium heat, tossing the pan every couple of minutes to flip the potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes until most of the sides look browned and crispy and the oil has been soaked up.
  5. Finish by seasoning with pepper.
  6. Serve hot.

How To Make Perfect Home Fries Overhead 

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Easy Broccoli Frittata

Written on July 12, 2013 by in Breakfast, Entree

Easy Broccoli Frittata

On an average day I eat more eggs than anybody I know. I wish they were always this intricately flavored and delicious but more often than not they’re just scrambled. But once in a while—once in a while it’s refreshing to put time and thought into the simple egg and make something with a little more wow-factor for yourself or others.

The broccoli and herbs help to flavor the eggs and give a bit of texture, since frittatas don’t have a crust like quiches to give them a little crunch. This recipe is called easy because you can put it in the oven and forget about it until dinner. You can also make it at night and have it reheated the next morning for breakfast. It’s just easy and easy to love.

Easy Broccoli Frittata Overhead

I didn’t add any cheese to mine but it would definitely boost the flavor. If you’re thinking about it, I’d recommend 4oz of a sharp cheddar grated finely and added into the batter before baking. Otherwise if you’re making this for a crowd you can leave the cheese out and have some freshly grated cheese to serve on the side.

Easy Broccoli Frittata

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4-6 servings):

  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli
  • 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon milk(eyeball it)
  • 1 Tablespoon herb mix(use whichever’s your favorite)
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt(reduce if using cheese)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder(optional)
  • 4oz sharp cheddar(optional)
  • Butter for greasing

Easy Broccoli Frittata Potatoes

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Crack all of the eggs into a large bowl making sure not to get any shells into the batter.
  3. Add in the milk, herbs, seasonings and cheese if using and whisk until the eggs are a pale yellow.
  4. Grease an 8-inch baking pan on the bottom and around the sides.
  5. Pour the egg batter into the baking pan.
  6. Add the steamed broccoli evenly around the pan and gently press it into the batter with a fork to cover the tops of the florets.
  7. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the sides turn golden brown and the center is firm. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Easy Broccoli Frittata Serving

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The Providence Plate Lickers Club’s First Outing

Written on April 22, 2011 by in Restaurant Review

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My favorite thing about Rhode Island is that it’s small. Like, super small. And the people are terrific, too. Setting up a local blogger’s dinner was a no brainer and after talking the talk for a while Erin, Becky, Lauren and I finally all got together at Garden Grille. I met Erin the week before my marathon for coffee, and Becky at the Healthy Living Summit and in DC for the National Marathon. Lauren and I had never met despite running the same half marathon and full marathon and living 2 miles from each other. Crazy, huh? Like I said, super small. image

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I ordered the cauliflower steak mostly because I wanted to see what the heck it was. This actually turned out to be really good! I was sure that that garlic white bean puree was actual potatoes. Even after eating it I wasn’t sure exactly everything in there, which I like because if I knew exactly how to make it I wouldn’t want to order it again.

After dinner we went right next door to Wildflour to have dessert and talk more. Fact: It’s impossible to say no to a trip to Wildflour.

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This time I tried the vegan/gluten-free pound cake that was staring me down. Normally I’m not a huge fan of cakey desserts but this one was just moist enough; the chocolate frosting didn’t even seem necessary(though it definitely didn’t hurt). Plus, ordering THE dessert twice in one week would have felt like overkill.

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It’s always nice meeting other bloggers, especially when it’s to eat and not run. Can’t wait to do it again!

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