Dinner and a Movie!

Sorry I haven't posted in the past couple of days. It's been a bit busy around here, but I'm back now and will be until next Friday when I leave for the west coast for my family reunion (I'll try to at least post some photos of my family while I'm gone).

Tonight, I had a Greek night. It was my first foray into Greek food, if you don't count the Greek salads I've had (which I don't since I didn't make them, natch). Since I went Greek, I had to go with a Greek movie. I realize it's not actually Greek, but it's still a great movie. Can you guess what it is? Yeah, My Big Fat Greek Wedding starring Nia Vardalos. I don't know what it is about this movie, but I love it. Every time it comes on TV, I watch it. I just can't help myself. When it showed up the $5 bin at Wal-Mart, I jumped at the chance to own it. One of my favorite scenes is near the beginning when a 6-year old Toula brings her lunch to school. "What's that?" the little blond girl asks snidely. " Moussakas," little Toula answers. "Moose caca?!??" And so begins the movie.

When my husband was sent to Greece, he came across an awesome cookbook that he sent me. I hadn't had the opportunity to use it until last weekend when I saw it sitting on my cookbook shelf, beckoning me. When I opened it and came across the recipe for moussakas, I was transported back to my favorite scene from the movie and knew I had to at least attempt to make it. I had every intention of making baklava to go with it, but dinner took longer than I expected to make. I promise to make some later and post it. So for you, dear reader, please enjoy my "moose caca."

Moussakas
Recipe from Cretan Cuisine (I couldn't find it on Amazon, but trust me, this one has some fun recipes

2 lbs eggplants, sliced
2 lbs potatoes, sliced
2 cups olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 cup red wine ( I used Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 onion, finely diced
2-3 tomatoes, diced (it actually called for it being grated, but how do you grate a tomato?)
Becahmel sauce (recipe can be found here; I was having a hard time following the recipe in the book which was on a different page with a completely different recipe, the whole book was a bit confusing to be honest)
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using the olive oil, fry the eggplant and potatoes and allow to drain for 2-3 hours (I did not let mine drain for that long because it would have been past midnight before I got to have dinner; I also fried them until they got browned a little).
2. In a medium-sized pan, saute the onions in the leftover olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the red wine and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes.
3. In a 9x13 pan, place a layer of potatoes. Place a layer of eggplant then add some of the meat mixture. Continue to layer until all of the ingredients are gone or until the pan is full. Top with the bechamel sauce and cheddar cheese.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the sauce becomes slightly brown and the cheese has broiled.

Dinner and a Movie!

Dinner and a movie got off to a horrible start tonight. I was cooking away in my kitchen, water almost boiling, my hands full of pasta ready to be thrown into said boiling water. Then...the power blows. The lights shut off, the TV is off, air condition has stopped blowing cold air. But the worst part? I have an electric stove...

So there I am, dinner almost ready to be served, and I can't cook my frickin pasta. I sit down int he living room with my sister and start reading a book sure the power is going to come back on. An hour goes by and nothing. By almost 7:30 we gave up and went to TGIFriday's for dinner. Then we ended up at a friend's house for an hour or two. When we finally came home, the power was back. Granted, it had only been back for an hour and a half, but it was back. I finished making dinner and put it away in the fridge for lunch tomorrow (and by lunch, I mean breakfast because I don't think I'll be able to avoid the temptation past then).

For dinner I made a Cajun chicken pasta. It's the only thing I'll eat at Red Lobster (no seafood, remember?). I had been craving this as I wandered the aisles at the grocery store and even splurged on some bakery-fresh garlic bread. This would be great with a nice salad and a glass of wine (perhaps a fruity rose to offset the spice or even a nice red to add to it). As for the movie, I never got around to watching anything (I barely got this finished before needing to go to sleep). I promise, next week I'll try to not have a power outage. Enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

recipe by me

1 lb chicken tenders

3 Tbl Cajun seasoning, divided

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbl butter

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (I used a blend of parm, romano, and asiago)

1/2 tomato, diced

3 scallions, sliced

1 lb pasta (the amount depends on if you like a lot of sauce or a little; also, I used spaghetti because I forgot to pick up some fettuccine, but feel free to use some farfalle or even some penne)

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Use 2 Tbl of the Cajun seasoning to coat the chicken strips (you may use more or less depending on how spicy you'd like it). In a medium-sized pan, saute the chicken until cooked through.
2. In a large pot, boil water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and place back in pot. Add chicken.
3. In a medium pot, place heavy cream and butter. Heat to a boil and lower temperature to medium. Add the Cajun seasoning and the shredded cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly until completely melted. After all of the cheese has been added, add tomatoes and scallions and cook until completely heated through. Add sauce to the pasta and chicken and stir until evenly coated.

P.S. Aunt Laura, thank you so much for the funny present (best "I Love You Day" present ever!). He sure is one fat bast...er...man. I have no idea why you would see that and think of me and Uncle Robert. Surely it had nothing to do with us watching that movie every day that summer I stayed with you. He's got a special place on my desk at work (I actually can't wait for Monday now). I love you!!!

Dinner and a Movie!

So I failed this Friday. I was supposed to go over to my friend's house and make meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I was even going to make a super yummy pie. Then we got side tracked and ended up not even eating at her house (we did watch a movie, but that's because her little boy insists on watching dinosaurs and obots...that's Transformers to the rest of us, and yes, he does call them obots). I promise that tomorrow and Sunday you'll have two awesome recipes to drool over (my mom's birthday cake and some yummy lasagna). Please accept my apology.

Dinner and a Movie!

Bienvenue a Tulsa! I decided to take Sabine's advice and watch Amelie (better known as Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain ). And to make the night even better, I decided to have a French feast. Boef Bourguignon, a baguette with butter, and a glass of wine. What could be better?

My day had started off decently. I actually got to learn something new at work which is always great, and the day went by pretty quickly. When I texted my friend to see if he was still coming over for dinner, my day started to go downhill. Daniel wasn't going to be coming over to enjoy my very first Friday Dinner and a Movie night which meant I was going to be alone. Normally I don't have a problem spending a quiet Friday night alone, but for whatever reason, I was bummed. I decided right then that Amelie would be my ticket back to happy town (this is the movie that started my love of garden gnomes).

For those who've never seen the movie, it's a great little film with an almost fairytale like quality. I don't know how to describe it. It just has that je ne sais quoi that makes it so special (it really is one of my all-time faves).

Considering how many ingredients the recipe I followed seemed to require, it really is simple. You even get to use fire! Any recipe that lets me flambe something is okay in my book. I got the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's Barefoot in Paris. It's a great cookbook with some fun recipes. I had considered introducing France to Ireland by adding potatoes, but I think I did the right thing by staying true to the recipe (although I did omit the mushrooms).

When all was said and done, my mood was definitely lifted. I feel better, and my belly is full of yummy food. The only thing that could make this better is if I could have shared it with you, dear readers. I hope that if you do decide to try out the recipe, you'll think of me. Enjoy!

Boef Bourguignon
Recipe by Ina Garten, adapted by me

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir (I actually buy the cheapest bottle I can find; it still tastes good)
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
3. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
4. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork (just an FYI, I didn't cook mine in the oven because it was too hot and it still came out great on the stove top).
5. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions.
6. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve with buttered bread and a salad if desired.

P.S. Have you checked out Sabine's blog and Etsy shop yet? Trust me when I say it's worth it (I own several things from her shop now, and they are all fabulous)! You can get to her blog here and her shop here.

Something Fun

I was doing my normal routine of blog surfing, trying to wake up, when I had a fun idea. What if every Friday I have dinner and a movie? Now, the post won't be posted until after dinner has been eaten and the movie watched, but at least it's something to look forward to each week and I'm guaranteed to have something interesting to post about. I'll probably stick to movies that I love beyond measure, but I'm not opposed to watching something new. I'm also going to try and keep the dinner appropriately themed so that the meal goes along with what I'm watching.

I'd like some suggestions if you don't mind. Perhaps you could suggest a movie, maybe your favorite one. Or maybe you've got a favorite wine you'd like me to try. I'd even be happy if you just told me that you look forward to Friday.

This might change up a bit though. I might try posting on Wednesday on what I plan to watch and what dinner I'm thinking of making. Then you could do the same thing at your home on Friday. It would be like having dinner and a movie together! I haven't really thought the whole thing out just yet. Let me know what you think!