Using What You've Got

On Thursday I went to the grocery with a few of what I like to call "the essentials" on my list. These included basic things like eggs, plain yogurt, milk, butter (hey this girl likes to bake), and bananas. However in true Sarah fashion I ended up with more in my cart then I had originally planned. When I was passing the avocado and corn I grabbed a few of each and told myself I would concoct an idea on what to use them for later.

Well today's lunch was the product of my brain trying to plan a cohesive meal using corn, avocado, and anything else I already had on hand. What did I come up with...

Wheat berries with Avocado, Corn, and Grape Tomatoes
Serves 1
Ingredients
1/3 c. dried wheat berries
1/2 avocado, skin removed and diced
1/2 lime
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
5 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Hot Sauce (I used a habanero hot sauce that my sister and brother-in-law brought back from Belize)
Optional: Sour Cream

The line up:



1) Boil water in a medium size saucepan and add 1 t. kosher salt when water has started to boil. Then add wheat berries. Cook for ~20 minutes over medium heat. When these have finished cooking, drain.

2) In a skillet heat 2 t. extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Then add the corn kernels, 1/4 t. salt, and 1/8 t. black pepper. Cook for 3 more minutes and then add the wheat berries back in.

3) After another two minutes add the tomatoes, stir, and remove from heat. Pour in a bowl, add juice from 1/2 a fresh lime, the diced avocado, and as much hot sauce as you desire. Then if your feeling really adventurous add some sour cream for good measure.



It was delicious and just reinforces the notion that on a whim food purchases are not always a bad thing.

Love Buzz

That is the name of my coffee

And it makes me smile

New Gadget

When I was home last week spending some time with my parents my mom surprised me with a new little kitchen gadget she found on sale.



What could it be? A mango splitter you see.


I wish there was some way to capture my excitement the first time I used it. It really makes things so easy.


Look how pretty!

Birthday Baking

Two of my friends have birthdays today so I spent the afternoon baking away and had entirely too much fun doing so (all while listening to the Coyote Ugly Soundtrack).

I made the same Coconut Cupcakes I made last week. This recipe was requested by the birthday girl so I happily obliged.

In keeping with the coconut theme I made Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars as well.



Lastly I made brownies. Not just any brownies, Katharine Hepburn's Brownies to be exact. This recipe is supposedly from her family.



I must say that birthday baking was a hit. Being the cook I tasted a little of each of them. You know just to make sure everything was edible :)

The verdict:

1) The coconut cupcakes were just as delicious as I remember from last week. I cannot say enough how easy they are to make.

2) Being an oatmeal-a-holic I loved the oatmeal raspberry coconut bars. They are buttery and fruity all at the same time. I think the toasted coconut really makes a difference.

3) Aw, the brownies. Let me just say I have never tasted a brownie quite like this before. I felt like I went to chocolate heaven with just one bite.

Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella

When I opened my refrigerator this evening I saw in a little glass bowl some leftover smoked mozzarella cheese just waiting to be used. My first thought was to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich but I decided that would be a last resort. Instead, I pulled out my new favorite cookbook and looked in the index for recipes using smoked mozzarella. As expected Gourmet delivered and within an hour I had a yummy dish.

Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella

Breakfast for Dinner

The meal on the agenda for tonight was strawberry-raspberry pancakes. Besides cutting some of the fruit and then eating it I did little to contribute to dinner. Luckily my friend had it perfectly under control. We came to the unanimous decision that pancakes for dinner really hit the spot.



What we used:
pancake mix (we just followed the instructions on the back of the box)
an egg
whole milk
canola oil
fresh strawberries and raspberries

My toppings included:
agave nectar
leftover strawberries and raspberries
powdered sugar

Never underestimate the power of delicious pancakes.

Saul Good

Today was a good day for the following reasons:

1) I only had to be at school for a little over 3 hours for my elective class. Not only was that a much shorter day at school than I am used to, but I really enjoyed the topic. I did not look at my watch once which is rather unheard of for me.
2) The sun was shining and I got a good sweat session in at the arboretum.
3) I went to perhaps my favorite restaurant in Lexington.

If you live in Lexington than I highly recommend you give Saul Good a try. It has delicious food and wonderful service. Tonight was half price pizza starting at 5pm so I was there by like 5:05. They have such wonderful varieties of pizza but I stuck with the veggie tonight because thats what I was craving.


Luckily I still have half left for later in the week :)

Oh and besides yummy pizza Saul Good also has some knock-your-socks off desserts. Well maybe I should say dessert. You see the first time I got dessert I ordered the Kahlua cupcake and since then I cannot seem to order anything else. It is just that good.



I have a method to eating this cupcake. First I eat the solid chocolate handle, then I eat the coffee beans, then all of the whipped cream on top, and finally proceed to embark on the chocolate goodness. Did I mention there are chocolate chips baked inside as well? Anyways, I have leftovers of this as well that safely made it into the freezer to be pulled out another day.

However the top thing that made the day so good was getting to share wonderful food and conversation with one of my best friends.

Panzanella

I love bread. There is no question. So you can imagine my delight when a couple of years ago I came across a dish known as Panzanella or tomato and bread salad. I was quite intrigued and once I read the ingredients I was completely sold. It is a favorite of mine and the fresh ingredients just scream summer. Plus it requires no stove or oven, which if you live in a very humid area like myself, can be a lifesaver when its 90+ degrees outside. Oh and its super quick to make working perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

I got my ingredients at the Farmers' Market and pulled out my new favorite cookbook:



Panzanella

My modifications included:

- I followed the cookbook recipe and included some minced garlic into the dressing. For some reason garlic is not listed in the recipe posted online.
-I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar for two reasons: 1) I was out of red wine vinegar and 2) I really like balsamic vinegar
-I added ~1/2 lb. smoked mozzarella cheese to the mixture and salt and pepper




I am already looking forward to my leftovers.