A Teriyaki Snack

Overall I liked this recipe but had some issues with the preparation. I did not like boiling the edamame at all. It was hard to heat all the pods evenly and I felt that some were burning on the bottom. I would recommend steaming the edamame and then throwing it in a pan with the sauce. The flavor was sweet and a nice change from naked edamame with a sprinkling of salt but I think I liked the salted edamame better. The sauce makes your fingers all sticky so be prepared for a mess!

Garlic Teriyaki Edamame

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 package frozen edamame in the pod
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Bring the water and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the edamame, and cook until the edamame are hot, and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. 

2. Reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened and coats the edamame, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

The Cloud

Things I take seriously:

1. My kitchen

2. Rabid Raccoons

3. My bed, also known as The Cloud

In high school I had a nightmare that someone broke in through my bedroom window and stole my comforter. I was chasing them through the woods when I woke up in terror. Dad and the Dork made fun of me for months.

Lost in The Cloud

We've recently had some serious up grades to The Cloud: a new pillow top mattress pad, new linens, the fluffiest down comforter ever, and today....my new LL Bean flannel sheets! Mr. Lawyer had an old set of flannel sheets but they were beginning to look super scuzzy. I estimate them to be around 6 years old (beginning of law school) so I decided to get myself a little wedding present. The new flannel sheets are so soft and cozy! I might die. And I'm totally not turning the heat on this winter.

Look at how inviting that is!

 Look at how fluffy and cozy!

The upgrades are Mandark approved.

 The two new flannel designs with the old. I went with the slate over collegiate blue. I'm currently thinking about a grey bedroom and the slate blue went well with that.

I don't think I'll be able to get out of The Cloud for work tomorrow.

The Sauce is Boss

I saw this recipe for bbq stuffed sweet potatoes and was intrigued. It was a fun combination but THE SAUCE IS BOSS!! The last time I made my crock pot ribs they were delicious. Of course I made them with Dinosaur BBQ sauce so that explains a lot. This time all I had was Sweet Baby Rays which I love dipping stuff in but the flavor didn't hold up well in the crock pot. Sad story. It was kind of boring.

BBQ Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
Pulled pork from your favorite recipe
Extra sauce for drizzling
Directions:
1. Roast the sweet potatoes at 400 for one hour.
2. Slice the sweet potato and top with desired amount of pulled pork. Drizzle with extra sauce and enjoy!

Enjoy Every Moment

Today is our one month anniversary! On our one month anniversary it snowed (1st of the season!) and I received my new insurance card. The first snow and special dates should always be celebrated with something warm and wonderful....like hot tea and breakfast for dinner! And big kid insurance cards should be celebrated with something healthy...like turkey bacon!

Fluffy French Toast

(allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 thick slices bread (We used leftover Challah)
Directions:
1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.

3. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

An Almost Disaster Dinner Party

Last night Brad & Christine came over for a little dinner party. I made one of Mr. Lawyer's springtime favorites: Spicy Sausage & Pepper Pasta in a Tomato-Wine Sauce.

Two hours before they came over my kitchen looked like this:

It's a little tricky maneuvering around a new hot water tank that's blocking your fridge.

 And my bathroom was a hot disaster and a half.

Nothing like coming home and finding a soaking wet hallway carpet.

Thank goodness our maintenance staff is top notched and easily bribed with baked goods. They replaced the tank and cleaned everything up lickety split so I didn't have to cancel.

Now for a close up of the table settings!

Scarlett & Turquoise

 Juniper & Tangerine

 Cinnabar & Peacock

 Plum & Sunflower

Challah Bread

I was a little concerned about my lack of braiding skills but this Challah Bread came out pretty well! It looked spectacular and tasted pretty good for my first attempt. I smeared some peach butter on a few slices and it was delicious. I'm seeing some french toast and turkey bacon for dinner tomorrow night!

Challah

(from Quick Breads, Soups, and Strews)

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons warm water
1 package quick-rising yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons light oil
1/2 cup warm water
For egg wash:
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or mixer.
2. In a smal bowl combine the 2 tablespoons of water with the yeast, stirring until it dissolves. Let sit 2 minutes.
3. Blend the eggs and oil together in a 2nd small bowl.
4. Add the yeast water to the dry ingredients and then the egg mixture.
5. While mixing, add 1/2 cup water. Let knead for 30 seconds. If dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of water. If the dough it too wet, add a tablespoon of flour until it makes a soft dough.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes. Round into a ball and place in a warm bowl coated with vegetable spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel. Let proof until doubles, about 45 minutes.
7. Punch the dough down and divide into four equal portions. Roll into strips 12 inches long. Then braid them into the desired shape. Place the braid on a baking sheet covered with vegetable spray. Cover and let double, about 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the braid thoroughly with the egg wash. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Fresh out of the oven!

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

Have you ever had a recipe immediately capture your interest? This pie recipe called to me as soon as I saw it. The color was gorgeous and I've always wanted to cook with fresh cranberries. I'd never made a chiffon or worked with gelatin before. I needed to make it immediately. So I did.

 It was a bit messy and labor intensive but it has such a fun flavor and texture. 

It looked like I murdered someone in my kitchen....

 My day's work in the kitchen! Pie and Bread.

 I like making pies because you can make them look pretty in no time at all. After decorating three cupcakes I get bored. My perfectionism and cake frosting don't get along that well. But pies, pies are where it's at right now.

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

(from Saveur Magazine)

Ingredients:
Dough for 1 pie
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1⅔ cups sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cranberry juice
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 tbsp. cranberry liqueur
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
1 egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Bake dough according to directions.
2. Bring 1½ cups cranberries, ½ cup sugar, plus cranberry juice and salt to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and soften, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender with cranberry liqueur and lemon juice; purée until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids; chill.
3. Combine gelatin and 3 tbsp. ice-cold water in a bowl; let sit to soften gelatin, about 5 minutes. Beat ⅓ cup sugar with egg yolk and milk in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thick, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin and cranberry mixtures until smooth. Transfer custard to a bowl and place a layer of plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming; chill until just beginning to set at edges, about 30 minutes.
4. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir ¼ of the whites into chilled custard; using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites to combine. Pour filling over dough; using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer. Chill, uncovered, until set, about 1 hour.
5. Spread ⅓ cup sugar on a plate. Boil remaining ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining cranberries. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to plate; roll in sugar and scatter over top of pie. Whip cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form; using a spoon, dollop cream in center of pie.

A Lawyer-Chef

Leftover collard greens topped with a fried egg.

Someone is getting creative in the kitchen.

Fried Fish & Greens

Mr. Lawyer was making some moves in the kitchen tonight so I just sat back and enjoyed the view. He was recently in New Orleans for business and brought back some "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Fish Fry mix. While in Reading Terminal we picked up some catfish and a lovely bunch of collard greens. They had mountains of collard greens! Our Southern inspired dinner was delicious. The cornmeal in the seasoning mix added a nice slightly crunchy texture to the catfish. The greens came out surprisingly well! It was also the first time we fried something in our new cast iron pan....I was prepared for disaster.

 No fire yet, just crispy catfish tenders.

 A stockpot full of greens before they cooked down.

Mr. Lawyer even had a say about the Fiesta colors! He chose Scarlett and Lapis because he didn't want his food the same color as the plate. I'll make a Fiesta fan out of him yet....

Spicy Collard Greens

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon (we used 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat instead)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2. Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

Seafood Bisque

In addition to our First Thanksgiving Mixed Grill we had some wonderful Blaak Cheese from Beekman 1802. It's made close to where I grew up, yay local Upstate NY goodies!

 We also made some delicious seafood bisque. Ours came out very thick because the Mother Unit had a ton of seafood. I think we did a half pound (or was it a pound?!) each of shrimp, lobster, and crabmeat. It was amazing and even better the next day. I also sliced my finger open in this endeavor but then you should never take a girl to a winery and then give her a knife to start de-shelling seafood. Those lobsters were nasty I tell you! Their defeat tasted delicious.

mmmm so creamy and yummy.

Seafood Bisque

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound of shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat (or lobster!)
1 tablespoon shallot or 2 tablespoons onions, chopped
10 tablespoons sherry
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour
1.5 cups milk
Seasoned bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. In a heavy skillet melt 4 tablespoons of butter and saute the shrimp, scallops, crabmeat, and shallot/onion for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of sherry and season with salt/pepper.
2. In another saucepan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and slowly stir in the flour. Cook several minutes over low heat. Add the milk and remaining 4 tablespoons of sherry, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth.
3. Combine the sauce and seafood in a buttered one quart casserole dish. Cover the top with seasoned bread crumbs and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes.