8.30.2011

Put A Lid On It!



No, we did not get into an argument while cooking and tell each other to "Put A Lid On It"! SB has been listening almost exclusively to the bluesy/jazzy/swing band Squirrel Nut Zippers lately, and their song "Put A Lid On It" is one of their most popular tunes. If you are not familiar with the band, do yourself a favor and check them out.


While listening to fun music and chatting about our weeks , we put together a beautiful and tasty meal. During a trip to Roanoke earlier this year, we bought a couple of adorable little casserole dishes. We found a great first recipe to cook in these....Chicken Tagine. Tagine is a sweetly spiced dish that incorporates Moroccan flavors. Dried figs and apricots, golden raisins, honey and almonds were mixed with chicken and onions to create this delicious dish. All the ingredients are sauteed until golden, and then transferred to the smaller dishes to finish cooking in the oven.


To accentuate, but not overpower, the tangine, we picked side dishes that were simple yet flavorful. We made zucchini boats stuffed with pearl couscous, and an elegant cucumber salad with Greek yogurt and dill. Adding a piece of pita bread and a glass of crisp white wine to round out the meal, everything came together beautifully.



8.12.2011

Summer Fun and Great Food! (and Hedgehogs)



After many weeks of traveling and conflicting schedules, we were finally able to get together for a night of fun and delicious food! SH has been to Chicago (fun) and New Hampshire (work), and SB has been to Nashville (fun). We celebrated our reunion with a meal that was spicy, simple, and tasty!


For our appetizer, we made Mussels with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Garlic (top photo). We got the mussels from a local seafood distributor (www.indigofarmsseafood.com), and they were beautiful and healthy--not a dud in the bunch! We cooked the mussels in white wine, and topped them with a spicy tomato, herb, and garlic sauce. Served with french bread and cold beer, this appetizer would be hard to beat!



Our entree this week was Grilled Polenta with Spicy Steak. SH made homemade polenta rounds, and these were grilled for a short amount of time to give them a smoky flavor. The rounds were topped with grilled flank steak that had been rubbed with cumin and chili powder, cilantro, feta cheese, and homemade salsa. The combination of these foods was a treat for the taste buds--spicy, slightly smokey, and absolutely delicious!




To finish the evening, we found a couple hedgehog cupcakes that had been separated from their herd. These adorable banana cupcakes were hard to eat because they were so charming, but they were tasty!