Artichokes with Sausage and Lemon

There's no denying my love of the following things: artichokes, sausage, and Tyler Florence. Unfortunately, I had a mediocre experience with all three the other night. 

I've had my eye on this recipe for Artichokes with Pork Sausage, Lemon and Sage for awhile now and I figured now would be the time to test it out since artichokes are in season! I made a couple minor modifications that I didn't think would make much of a difference and I just wasn't that impressed by the final product. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't horrible...it just wasn't as good as I had thought it would be. I ate dinner and all I could think was meh...all that work for this?

Seriously, the only recipes I follow all the way through are in all of Tyler Florence's cookbooks. He has never steered me wrong and the photos/descriptions are always pretty close to the real thing. That is why I was so shocked. Sadface.

Here are the modifications I made. Maybe I'll give this another go with no modifications. Agh. Still can't get over how blah this meal was.

My modifications:

Sausage - I used two turkey brats because I couldn't find a plain pork sausage and I was in a turkey sausage mood. I know pork is pork and it always lends more flavor to a dish than turkey, but I don't know how much saving the pork sausage would have done to the dish. Maybe a spicy pork sausage?

Onion - I didn't have a shallot on hand and I didn't have anything milder than an onion. I minced it up super tiny.

Potato - I had a handful of fingerlings leftover so I thought I'd throw them into the dish. They were pretty small so I figured they would cook fairly fast.

Bake - So the original recipe doesn't call for baking, but I wanted the tots to cook and soak up the flavor.  I browned the sausage instead of cooking it all the way through and placed it in the dish with all the ingredients. Baked it covered for 15-20 minutes and dinner was done.

March ingredients used: artichokes, herbs, lemons, onions, potatoes

This was also my first time cooking with whole artichokes. What an experience. It's a whole lot of effort and dinero for a whole lot of nothing. I have a new appreciation for prepared artichokes. 

I learned how to prepare them by watching a bunch of videos online and stuck with the original recipe for steaming. Exciting.

As those steamed, I enjoyed a glass of the wine I used to steam them.

O hello sauvignon blanc, long time no sip!

Stephen Vincent 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Fantastic! Crisp, not too acidic and slightly fruity. I thought I tasted a hint of nectarine, but whenever I say that the tasting notes always say melon. Apparently my tastebuds confuse melon with nectarines. I picked this bottle up at Whole Foods mostly because it was the most reasonably priced bottle. What a pleasant surprise. At $12.99, this is definitely going on my list of bargain bottles! 

Red red wine

Sometimes red wine makes me think of UB40. You know, for no particular reason.

(source)

I picked up a bottle of red (sometimes Billy Joel runs through my head as well) while running errands and planned on enjoying a glass or two with dinner. I can't really say I enjoyed it.

Chateau de Gaudou 2008 Cahors

Blend: 80% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 5% Tannat

The first sip felt a little slimy. Do you know what I mean when I say slimy? It's like it's too soft on the palate and just didn't have enough tannins. Then, after I let it sit for a little while, it tasted too acidic. It was weird and not for me. I was pretty disappointed since the last bottle of Cahors I had was pretty freaking good...now if only I can remember the name of it!

Now, I can't just leave you guys hanging with a bad wine experience! Here's a wine I tasted at dinner while cousin was in town.

Arrels Grenache 2004
Slightly acidic and pretty tannic at first. I sampled this as part of a 3 wine flight and found that the first wine was too acidic and the third wine was too tannic. This one was perfectly in between! Looking back at all the blends I love, they all use a little bit of Grenache...maybe I was just meant to enjoy this wine :) I'l post more information as I find it.

Have you sampled any must-try reds lately?

Reading is fun.

And tasty!

Since I wasn't hosting a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner this year, I totally jumped at the opportunity to host and cook a feast for book club last night!

This month's book selection...

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Apparently I'm not really into reading fiction...I realized this as I searched and searched for a potential book. A friend suggested Shanghai Girls since it also took place (for a little bit at least) in San Francisco. So fitting!

It took awhile to get into the book, but once I got past the first few chapters, I found myself completely engrossed. In fact, I actually gasped on the bus while reading and almost got misty at one point!

Overall, I thought it was an entertaining read. I even found myself really hating one of the characters - she was incredibly annoying and frustrating. I'd recommend it for a long plane ride.

My imagination went wild with appetizer possibilities! There have been a couple things floating around in my head and this was the perfect opportunity to test them out.

Menu:

Edamame Miso Crostini w/Shiitake Mushrooms

Pulled Chicken Adobo over Coconut Rice Patties

Chicken Banh Mi

Tofu Banh Mi

Bulgogi Sliders with Kimchee Mayo and Cucumber Apple Salad

Zesty Baked Crab Rangoon

These were supplemented with some wine, cheese, and sweet treats from guests, of course.

Edamame Miso Crostini w/Shiitake Mushrooms

1 package frozen, shelled edamame, defrosted

1 tsp white miso paste

1 tsp chili garlic paste

2 tbsp garbanzo beans

1 tsp sesame oil

1 c shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sherry

salt

pepper

Puree first five ingredients together with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms and garlic powder until mushrooms start to soften, stirring frequently. Add sherry and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread edamame mixture over toasted bread and top with some of the mushroom mixture. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

Verdict: Not my favorite. Not at all. I didn't realize that this would end up with a really funky texture. It looked like Play-Doh...or maybe wasabi. So weird. I also wanted a smoother texture spread. Not a fan.

Pulled Chicken Adobo

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

4 tbsp cider vinegar

salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp coconut milk

2 bay leaves, broken in half

1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp coconut milk

1/4 c chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1/2 - 1 c chicken broth

Combine first ten ingredients in a shallow dish and let chicken marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes on each side.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place chicken in pan, shaking off excess marinade. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Pour in marinade, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, coconut milk and chicken broth. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Let chicken sit until cool enough to pull apart. Shred chicken and set aside.

Remove bay leaves and any fatty chicken bits from the saute pan and melt butter over medium low heat, scraping up any brown bits. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Continue whisking as you add soy sauce and vinegar. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until a thinner sauce is formed.

Strain out large bits and stir 1/4 c of sauce into shredded chicken.

Coconut Rice Patties

2 c short grain white rice

1/3 c coconut milk

2/3 c water

1 tsp salt

Place ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Allow rice to sit until cool enough to handle.

Wet hands and gently form small patties and place on a baking sheet. If you have a hard time forming the patties, gently press the rice into a mini muffin tin.

Heat oven to 350 and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Verdict: The adobo turned out DEEELICIOUS! The rice patties, however, ended up a little too crunchy since I left them in the oven for too long. Oops. Flavor was still good though...I'd even eat them as not patties ;p

Bulgogi Sliders

1 lb sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 c dark soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp sriracha

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sugar

Combine ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Strain liquid and place half of the beef in a food processor. Pulse until smaller bits form, but not until pasty. Place in bowl and repeat with the remaining beef. Form patties and grill to your liking.

Kimchee Mayo

1/4 c mayonnaise

2 tbsp kimchee, minced

1/4 tsp sriracha

Mix ingredients together and let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Cucumber Apple Salad

1 /2 c seedless cucumber, finely diced

3 tbsp apple, finely diced

2 tbsp scallion, minced

salt

pepper

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp sugar

Combine ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour.

Zesty Baked Crab Rangoon

1 package wonton wrappers

1 egg

4 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz crab meat

1 tbsp scallion, minced

1/4 tsp Maggi seasoning or Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp lemon zest

splash soy sauce

squirt sriracha

salt

pepper

Combine cream cheese, crab, scallion, Maggi or Worcestershire, lemon zest, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

Lay out wrappers and place a teaspoon of the crab mixture in the center. Swipe egg on two sides of the square wrapper, fold over to make a triangle and pinch sides to seal. Fold corners in to meet each other and seal with egg.

Bake for 5-7 minutes on one side, flip and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

MUCH better than my first attempt.

Also, courtesy of Saigon Sandwich (my fave)...

Chicken Banh Mi and Tofu Banh Mi. It was my first time trying these flavors and I think I might stick with my standard roast pork. Ta da.

Have you read anything fun lately?

Love.

A long time ago, long before I discovered running, I had another obsession love.

I was never a great tennis player, but I enjoyed playing and that's what matters the most, right? The sound of a new can of tennis balls being opened, hearing the ball as it hits the sweet spot of my racquet, watching as a ball zips just past the top of the net...LOVE.

Jamie was so kind to bring my trusty racquet when he flew out here over Labor Day and I finally busted it out this weekend. This racquet and I go way back. 15 years ago (15?! For real?!) my mom let me take tennis lessons and I was hooked. My racquet has been with me since day one and has seen me through some pretty sweet shots as well as some teen angsty/un-sportsmanshipy moments. Note that the picture cuts of the top of the frame...many a paint chip was left on high school tennis courts. Sorry buddy, I won't beat you up anymore.

Selin and I met up late Sunday to work up a little bit of an appetite before we started on this week's mystery box dinner. It's been awhile since I last hit a ball around and boy was it frustrating trying to get back into things. I also started feeling really old. I used to be able to run and dive for shots like no one's business...now, not so much ;)

After about a half hour of hitting, we headed back to check out the contents of this week's mystery box and plan dinner. It was like a mini Iron Chef episode haha. In this week's box: Genovese basil, Fino Verde Basil, peppers, cherry tomatoes, Early Girl tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, kale, dates and wax beans.

We brainstormed for a bit and settled on making a Kabocha Squash and Kale Risotto with a Beet and Fennel Salad. Best part about this dinner...shopping list only had 5 items on it. FIVE! And that included wine.

Kabocha Squash and Kale Risotto

1.5 c arborio rice

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 c kale, chopped

1/2 kabocha squash, chopped

1/2 onion, minced

6 c chicken broth, warmed

1/4 c parmesan, shredded

salt

pepper

Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute onion for 1 minute. Add squash and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale and cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute, making sure all grains are coated. Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring frequently. Pour in 1 cup of broth and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue until all 6 cups of broth are used.

Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir in parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Beet and Fennel Salad

3-4 beets, roasted and sliced

1 bulb fennel, shaved

handful wax beans, blanched and sliced

white balsamic vinegar

sheep's milk feta

Combine in a bowl and serve chilled.

Fabulous Sunday night dinner!

I woke up this morning with a very strange urge to bust out the tennis racquet again. Since I knew it would be too hot to run (and by too hot, I mean like barely 80 degrees. I'm a baby.) I packed my racquet and clothes for a post-work workout. I took note of the ball wall yesterday and was determined to put in at least 30 minutes of hitting and running time.

Um, I was surprisingly sweaty and it felt SOOO good. It's been a long time since I've done a non-running sweat sesh! To close out the evening, I hiked up my hills instead of bussing home and watched as the sun set on this wonderfully clear evening!

Tonight's dinner was an experiment with quinoa pasta. Eh.

Quinoa Pasta Salad

1 package quinoa pasta shells, cooked

1/2 english cucumber, sliced into discs and quartered

2 Early Girl tomatoes, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

8 peppadew peppers, chopped

2 links chicken sausage, cooked, sliced into discs and halved

3 tbsp basil, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp champagne vinegar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.5 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

Whisk basil, garlic, vinegars, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and slowly pour in dressing to coat everything. Chill for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I was disappointed with this quinoa pasta thing. I love quinoa. I love corn. Both are in these little gluten free nuggets! I think they have a weird texture that I'm just not feeling. I paid close attention to them so they wouldn't overcook (the package says in big bold letters 'DO NOT OVERCOOK') and I think they're still too hard. They're funky. Blech.

I'd totally sub in regular pasta or even brown rice pasta next time because the rest of this salad ROCKS. The garlic and basil dressing AND the piquant peppadews were AWESOME. Yuuummy.

Burn out and stock pot

I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I was too burnt out to get my run done this weekend. I had an AMAZING run on Tuesday (I can't remember if I mentioned it already). I was feeling particularly speedy and the weather was nice and crisp. I whipped out a mildly hilly 4.36 miles in 37 minutes. Jeebus! 8:38 pace! It felt awesome! So why o why was I too tired to get more than 4.5 done this weekend?? UGH.

Maybe it's this random cough I've had since Thursday. Or maybe it was the discovery of this tasty treat...

(source)

O yeah, that was dessert on Friday.

Or maybe it was the introduction of something new?

Allow me to introduce you to my gummy vitamins. Yep. GUMMY. Vitamins were discussed for some reason during our last book club meeting and I mentioned that no matter what brand and no matter how much food I eat beforehand, I always feel pukey. Apparently I wasn't the only one! Someone suggested I give gummy vitamins a try, so I picked up a bottle this week. So far, so good!

Or maybe it's just burn out. It might be burn out. I really feel like I need to get this 20 in, but maybe my body just doesn't want it to happen. I'm fairly comfortable at this point going into Chicago with a few 16-18 milers under my belt. I mean, I maxed out at 18 last year before MCM because of my achilles and I was fine. I know I'm capable of doing the distance...maybe I just need time to clear the head and legs. We'll see how this week goes...

More running fails, means more kitchen successes. This evening, I experimented with fideos...well, I made my version of the dish. Far from the traditional version, but tasty.

I grabbed some items from the cabinet along with more mystery box items and got to work.

Kitchen Cabinet Fideos

2 c cut spaghetti

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

3 tbsp adobo sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes in chiles

1 bay leaf

juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tbsp white wine

salt

pepper

handful cilantro, chopped

2 1/2 c chicken broth

3 small carrots, sliced

1 pepper, diced

Heat olive oil in a stock pot and saute onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add spaghetti and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in wine for 1 minute, then add adobo sauce, stirring to coat.

Pour in diced tomatoes and cook for 1 minute before adding carrots and peppers.

Add broth, bay leaf, lime juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in cilantro and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve immediately.

I thought it was pretty tasty for a random attempt. I'd like it to have a richer/deeper flavor...beyond just tomato. I think maybe some smoky chili powder? Some cheese? Cocoa? Hm.

WTF!

Am I suffering from runner burnout? Ugh. SO frustrated right now.

I attempted an 8 miler today since the weather decided to return to normal and failed miserably. WHY O WHY?? It's like everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong...

1. Even though it was no longer running shorts weather, I put on the shorts I laid out for yesterday's effort (that didn't happen because it was way too hot). I forgot to rock the Body Glide and I wore the looser pair of my favorite shorts. ANNOYING. Bunching, riding up, ARGH. I had to adjust every 2 minutes!
2. Apparently I need a haircut because even the tightest ponytail holder won't hold my heavy hair up. On top of having to adjust my shorts, my hair was constantly loose and coming undone. Had to fix it at every stoplight.
3. Dropped iPhone twice while fixing situation #2.

I don't know...maybe it was just one of those days. My stride felt off, my shoes didn't feel right, terrible. I ended up just running 3 miles and walking the rest of the way home. As usual I got bored and charged up a couple hills at the end. Ech. Disappointed. Big time.

Running fail, kitchen success.

Perhaps I was a little too ambitious in thinking I'd be able to rock a 16 miler this weekend after being sick all week. Yah? Yah.

Yesterday's mid-day run felt good since I was itching to get the legs moving (I had a serious case of runner envy this week), but apparently my body had another idea. I made it about 30 minutes before the coughing kicked in so I decided to walk up some hills the rest of the way home. I took a little side trip to snap some photos at the Palace of Fine Arts

Can we say obsessed with Hipstamatic? Ha.

Of course I got impatient with the whole walking thing and ended up running halfway up hills and walking to the top. Not a bad workout after all! What are your thoughts on walking? Do you get impatient too or am I crazy??

I decided to give 16 another try this morning and mapped a pretty sweet route. Unfortunately, this time around the coughing cooperated, but I was just feeling too tired to even make it through a run/walk. FAILURE. I power walked home and planned on stopping at the farmers market except I forgot my debit card. Sad. Looks like produce at the grocery store instead :\

I'm seriously bummed about missing the farmers market...I tasted some grape tomatoes I bought at Safeway and they are totally not the same. I miss my farmers market tomatoes :( MUST go next Sunday!

After a quick stop at the apartment, I headed out on a walk to meet a friend in Union Square. I opted for a fairly hilly and long route to make up for my failed runs and to enjoy the beautiful weather. I love that it's gorgeous and sunny on weekends...totally makes up for the cloudy and cold weekdays :) Naturally, I snapped a photo

Once I got back, I realized I might have a bit of a shoe problem...

O yes, count 'em up...3 pairs of identical sneaks. Haha. Hey, just because two of them aren't good for running anymore, doesn't mean I can't walk in them! Since my most recent pair are still ok for short runs, I took them out yesterday. The oldest pair gets demoted to walking. Ta Daa.

I rocked out in the kitchen to a fun cooking soundtrack as I whipped up an early dinner of Tilapia with Orzo Salad and Brussels Sprouts.

I know, I need to start using regular sized plates so my food doesn't fall off. It'll happen...someday.

Sunday Cooking Funlist

Little Secrets - Passion Pit

Alright - Jamiroquai

Rise - Samantha James

Lucky Star - Madonna

Paper Romance - Groove Armada

Yes, I was a very happy camper in the kitchen. I'm sure my across the street neighbors enjoyed the dancing. HA.

Recipe time!

Orzo Salad

1/2 lb orzo, cooked and drained

1/2 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1/3 c fat free feta, crumbled

1/3 c corn

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 onion, minced

1/4 c mustard vinaigrette (see below)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. Onion can be substituted with shallot or scallions.

Mustard Vinaigrette

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp tarragon

1 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

salt & pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together.

Spicy Brussels Sprouts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chili garlic paste

sprinkle garlic powder

1 c frozen brussels sprouts

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add frozen brussels sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic powder and chili garlic paste, stir and cover for 1 minute. Uncover and cook for another 2 minutes.

Quickie Pan Seared Tilapia

1 tilapia fillet

garlic powder

olive oil

lemon juice

mirin

salt

pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shallow dish and let tilapia marinate for 5 minutes. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. *I used mirin only because I didn't have any white wine and it seemed like a good idea. Not bad.