simple

i made a simple and healthy meal with some leftovers. 3-bean salad over spring greens and marinated grilled chicken.

the 3-bean salad was made the day prior and is very simple.
.1 can each of chick peas, black beans, and red kidney beans (drained and slightly rinsed)
.1/3lb of thinly sliced prosciutto
.about 6 good leaves of fresh basil
.2 lemons
.1 pepper
.1/2 red onion
.1cup shredded Parmesan cheese

drain/rinse the beans and add to a bowl. finely chop onion, pepper, basil and add to beans. roll each slice of prosciutto and slice horizontally, some will stay rolled some won't. it all depends on preference, basically chop how you want to chop! drizzle olive oil around the bowl, you don't want too much oil so go light. it's easier to add more than it is to take it out. juice 2 lemons over everything, toss in cheese and mix. i like to use a bowl or big container with a lid so i can really shake it up. considering i am a klutz i always tend to make a mess when trying to toss a salad in an open bowl.

for the grilled chicken it's also pretty easy and i used some of the same ingredients as the 3-bean salad i had left over.
.1/2 cup Soy sauce
.6 good leaves of fresh basil
.3 cloves of garlic
.1 lemon
.olive and a touch of sesame oil
.2 chicken breasts

add soy sauce, less than 1/4cup of olive oil and less than 1/4cup of sesame oil to a bowl. finely chop basil and garlic and add to the liquid, then add juice of one lemon to the mixture. gently stir and add chicken. if the mixture is in a large container take a fork and top the chicken with the basil and garlic that's in the mixture. keep it in the fridge for 30minutes then toss it on a grill. unfortunately i do not have a space for a real grill, so i use a George Foreman which works but naturally i prefer a real grill. i assure you it will taste even better coming off a real grill.

finally take those leftover beans and spoon them out onto lettuce and add a bit more lemon juice and you have a great salad to go with your chicken.

as always i encourage you to try new things add to my recipes or take away and have fun with it!

enjoy,
.g

Lettuce Wraps

i found an in-expensive, easy, fast, and tasty dinner. i wasn't inspired by anything in particular, i had a few items already in the fridge and decided on spicy soy/garlic/ginger lettuce wraps.

.1lb of ground turkey (use any meat you'd like)
.fresh ginger (i cut a piece that's the same in length as my finger tip to first knuckle)
.fresh garlic (2 big cloves)
.soy sauce (1/4cup)
.rice vinegar (1/4cup)
.sesame oil/olive oil
.1tsp sugar
.1tsp corn starch
.peanuts, cashews, and/or toasted sesame seeds
.romaine lettuce

it may look like a lot of ingredients but it's not overwhelming.

1. finely chop ginger and garlic and toss into a hot sautee pan, medium-low heat with a little olive and sesame oil. let it cook for a minute or 2
2. add ground turkey to the pan with ginger and garlic, turn heat to low and let it cook turning it white/gray.
3. while turkey is cooking, mix soy, rice vinegar, and a touch of sesame oil. put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
4. add sugar and corn starch to the liquid and stir, making sure there are no clumps of corn starch.
5. when the turkey is cooked add the soy mixture and stir, let it sit for a few minutes and thicken (i found adding corn starch to any asian dish makes it seem a bit more authentic)
6. chop pieces of the romaine so they can hold meat, essentially a lettuce taco shell.
7. chop peanuts, cashews, or toasted sesame seeds. (leave the sesame seeds whole)

at the end, put the meat into a serving bowl, spoon into your lettuce wrap top with your preferred nuts and enjoy. (for an extra kick i add Sriracha chili sauce)

i hope you try it out and add your own flavor to it. maybe some chopped green onion or a chili pepper to simmer with the ginger and garlic.

stuck in a rut

morning, afternoon, evening everyone!

i've been stuck in a cooking rut for a while which is the reason for the lack of posts, i do apologize. I have been making the same few dishes through out the week. they are all very tasty, healthy and affordable meals that i am proud to introduce to my diet. a few items i have been keeping stocked in my fridge are brussels sprouts, kale, and sweet potatoes. although i love these foods i haven't really made a change and i am getting tired of them and my lack of creativity.

in an effort to get out of my rut i bought some fresh ahi tuna steaks. i pan-seared them and served it over a light salad with carrots, cucumber and cashews with a homemade ginger/soy vinaigrette. although this meal was delicious and nutritious it hurt my wallet, the fresh seafood was expensive so it's not something i can do often.

in the coming days, weeks, months i am going to put a real effort into becoming more creative on a budget while staying healthy and sharing with anyone who is willing to listen. i hate ruts and and am forcing myself out of this one, i hope you stay tuned to what's to come.

.grant

it's fall, i'm makin' butternut squash...

blackened sea scallops, mashed butternut squash and asparagus

i am always influenced by what is in season. i had to get some butternut squash and figure out a new way to do it. so i figured, when usually prepared it's sweet why not pair with something a with a hint of heat. i decided to go with blackened sea scallops over the squash then add some asparagus, because i love it!

try your own different combination and enjoy!

.grant

Blackened Sea Scallops:
.rinse and dry scallops
.lightly coat with your choice of blackening seasoning
.heat skillet with olive oil to medium/high heat
.sear scallops 2minutes on each side

Butternut Squash:
.skin, discard seeds, cube the squash
.bring pot of water to boil with olive oil, pinch of salt, and tablespoon of cinnamon
.add squash, and let cook around 20 minutes, it's ready when you can take a piece out and it is easily ... squashed!
.drain water, add 2 tbsp of butter, 1tbsp nutmeg, 2tbsp brown sugar, and salt to taste and SQUASH THE SQUASH!

Asparagus:
.olive oil in pan bring up to low/medium heat
.add minced garlic
.add asparagus, sautee until cooked

SweetPotato/BlackBean Tacos:

i have not posted anything food related yet. but here it is, the first of many to come. this is a quick dinner i made with a few things i had and it turned out great. any ideas to make it better are always appreciated!

Sweet Potato/Black Bean Tacos:

thinly slice one sweet potato into strips then throw 'em in a pot of boiling water for a couple minutes. toss onto a baking sheet and bake at 400F until lightly browned.

while the potato is baking, heat a sautee pan with a little oil(barely enough to coat the pan). while heating chop an onion and garlic toss in the pan and let brown (not burn).

bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a second(or the same pot). add 1 cup of rice (brown or white) reduce heat and cover stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

drain one can of black beans but make sure to keep some of the liquid. add beans to the pan mix up and then add the liquid. simmer and add cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. simmer until the potatoes are done.

at the end, microwave corn tortillas for 30-45 seconds. i love hot sauce and added it to every taco. we didn't have much here so we didn't use usual taco add-ons (i.e. salsa, cheese, or sour cream)



enjoy,
.grant

this is it....

read the welcome below!

.grant

welcome!

the purpose of this new blog is to share with you my love of food! i have been working in restaurants for the past 7 years and am still grabbing hours at a private social club here in Providence.

i absolutely LOVE to cook, eat, and drink. this blog is a way for me to share one of my passions with everyone that's not close enough to taste. i plan on sharing recipes for food and drink, tips, my methods, places to eat/drink, and stories of food in the past.

i am not trained in any way, my method is trial and error. i get inspired by everything from weather, season, timing, what's on sale, what i have in the fridge, or if i just have an epiphany. one thing that drives me most is sharing and learning. i encourage you to ask me questions, give me feedback, ALL input is appreciated.

i hope you take some of the things i share home and try them yourself. until my first real post, have a great day friends!

enjoy.
.grant