I didn't exactly phone it in tonight...

It's mid-week....should be a Wicked Wednesday, but I was late coming home and I had a jar of Vindaloo sauce from Whole Foods that I wanted to give a try. I also had chicken thighs, peas, and rice that I could use. Thus, I quickly browned a pound of chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch pieces), tossed in the vindaloo sauce and peas -- let it simmer for about 15 minutes while I cooked the rice. On a scale of 1-10, it was a 5 and a lot better than fast food!

(I do really like Whole Foods...but I like Wegmans more! I think Wegmans is more of a reality check than Whole Foods. Also in Columbus, Whole Foods is in a REALLY inconvenient location for me, so I don't go very often. If I have time, I venture out to Whole Foods on the weekend...restrain myself and use the trip as "food for thought". A lot of their pre-made choices could be easily replicated and for a lot less!)

My essentials....

My fantastic SIL tipped me off to this stuff and it has saved me many mornings when my last suit etc. was too wrinkled to be worn into the corporate tower. (It is probably more critical in the summer, as it does a great job on my husband's cotton shirts.) This morning the jersey knit shell I was going to wear was looking pretty wrinkled...sprayed the Downey Wrinkle Releaser, jumped in the shower and then I was good to go.

Easy Weeknight Pasta

Dinner tonight needed to be super easy...I worked late and I had defrosted a pound of ground beef that needed to be utilized. I didn't want to do just pasta and sauce, so I got a little creative.




Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch oregano, thyme or whatever else you think sounds good
1 lb ground beef
1 24oz. jar pasta sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Splash of wine ...maybe
Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft.
Add carrots, beef and spices -- saute until beef is cooked through. Drain fat if necessary.
Add jar of sauce.
Cook, covered over a med heat for about 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta. Top with freshly grated parmesan....a staple in my house and a few chiffonades of basil. (I have been barely keeping a little plant alive over my sink this winter. I just love the smell of chopped fresh basil!)

Note: When I do my weekly grocery shopping, I always buy a pound of ground round and replenish if out of sauce, carrots, onions, garlic, or celery.

A Superbowl dinner...

In honor of my late great Aunt Helen -- a sophisticated and well-educated woman of her time, I didn't do the typical superbowl food...wings, chips, burgers etc. Tonights dinner was filet, ore-ida crispers...yes, and a mixed beet and goat cheese salad. The salad was my favorite. I used Gordon's Vinaigrette, along with goat cheese crumbles, and then yellow and red beets.

Ingredients:
4 –6 medium-size Red and Yellow Beets, rinsed skin on
3 cups mixed salad greens
4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup Gordon's Vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 350°F. Loosely wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Roast until tender, about 1 hour. Remove foil and cool completely. Peel and julienne and then chill. (I used a papertowl and the skins came off easily.)
Sprinkle goat cheese and beets over greens. Combine all of the greens in a mixing bowl, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and lightly toss. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Blueberry French Toast

This French Toast ~ bread pudding is super easy to assemble and since I don't always plan ahead..it wasn't an issue that I hadn't done it the night before. You can use any kind of white bread you like — sandwich bread or a baguette. I had a loaf of whole wheat. (This is an adaptation from Gourmet Magazine.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, plus additional for serving

4 cups 1-inch cubes of bread with crusts ( about a 3/4 loaf)

1 pint fresh blueberries -- you could also use raspberries, strawberries, probably apples

4 large eggs

3 cups milk - whole is best, but 2% will also work...not so sure about skim

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tbsp. melted butter
Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Lightly butter or spray 9- by 13-inch baking dish or something similar.

Pour in maple syrup; scatter bread cubes and berries in dish.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, lemon zest, and salt; pour mixture and melted butter over bread cubes.

Bake toast until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool 5 minutes, then serve warm with maple syrup.

StrengthsFinder

"To build strengths, you must first discover your greatest talents." The book goes on to encourage you to make an "investment" in those strengths to get the most from them.

This book is a fun and insightful way to find out more about yourself. And, it's an easy application in the workplace. I also encouraged Awesome Jen who is looking for a new career to take the assessment as she proceeds through her "adventure".

It's about $11. You get a code in the book and then go online to do the assessment. In return, you receive a relatively detailed report. I must admit someone guessed what my most primary strength would be and they were correct. My Top 5 were:

Woo
Communication
Strategic
Relator
Achiever

Black Bean Chili and Corn Cakes

It's a cold and icy night in Ohio. So, it's perfect for something spicy and warm.


Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 squirt tomato paste in a tube
2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onions and garlic in oil until onions turn clear, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and black beans and reduce the heat to medium low. Add spices and stir to combine well.
Cover and allow to simmer at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Corn Cakes
1 tube of polenta (usually in the dairy section or near the slice and bake cookies:)
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
Slice polenta into 1/2 slices, dust with flour. Fry polenta in olive oil on medium high heat for about 4 minutes per side until heated through.
Top polenta with black bean chili, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheddar, guacamole and fresh chopped cilantro.

Guacamole - the quick way
2 ripe avocados
a couple slices of red onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp. of fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (may need a little more)
little black pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Cut avocados in half. Remove pit. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, lime, chili powder, salt and pepper and mash some more.