Sometimes on the weekends, I love to spend a few hours in the kitchen making things for the upcoming week. I'll make a pot of soup, roast some vegetables, or grill a few chicken breasts. It makes dinner so much easier after a long day at work. Some people think it's crazy, but I actually find it relaxing. It gives me a sense of control over at least one small corner of my life. It's extra nice to pull out a container of already prepared food only in need of heating and adding a little extra something to make a hearty meal.
I roasted some vegetables tossed with olive oil, a few herbs and sea salt...aren't they beautiful?
And this was delicious...cut a fresh head of cabbage into wedges, careful to slice so that the core keeps the leaves connected, Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with a bit of sugar, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it is fabulous. The sugar carmelizes the edges of the cabbage and the sugar and salt combination is a wonderful contrast for the taste buds. I put it in a container and then re-heated as a side dish. I think it actually gets even better over a couple of days.
After a recent visit to my friends, Kate and Chris, I have now become obsessed with apple tarts. I have never been much of a cooked apple fan, but Chris' apple tart made me a believer. I used Ina Garten's recipe from Food Network (Apple Tart). I've made three now and each was fabulous. Don't be intimidated, it is easier than it looks and the ingredients are simple. I hunted down the apple brandy called for in the recipe, but I'm sure it would still be good without it. It's a bit expensive and you only need a few tablespoons, so skip it if you wish to.
And lastly, homemade croutons. They're the easiest thing to make and taste wonderful. Plus, they feel "green" because you are using up stale bread that might overwise just end up thrown away. I gather up and save stale bread in a ziplock bag for weeks until I have enough to make a big batch of croutons. Here's an official recipe from King Arthur Flour (Herbes de Provence Croutons). Once made, I store them in a ziplock bag in the frigerator, they'll stay nice for a couple of weeks. They are so delicious, you can eat them as a snack! You can also use stale bread cubes to make stuffing.
I'm hungry all of a sudden, off to the kitchen! Enjoy!
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