Shout-Out to Andrew

Andrew survived the first trimester!  This post is an ode to my patient, kind, & nurturing husband.

What he has pleasantly tolerated during the first 3 months of my pregnancy...

Listening to complaints about bodily changes/nausea/fatigue
Cutting down on his beer intake
Increasing his chore list
Missing his new favorite vegetable, Brussels sprouts (makes me gag!)
Learning all about female reproductive anatomy & physiology
Watching me vomit on the side of the street
Cleaning up Smokey's vomit (which if I would have...would have made me vomit)

Thank you for being you, Andrew!

Grilling Season

 In Texas, grilling season starts around February.  We have been consistently grilling 1-2 times per week since then, and the more we use our Weber, the more we like it!  Recently, Andrew grilled me some tofu which actually wasn't too shabby since I spiced it up in some marinade before throwing it over the flames. 

Grilled tofu caprese sandwich

Our favorite recipe from Weber's Way To Grill (highly recommend it - awesome pictures & instructions) is for Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Quesadillas.  The guacamole at the end is very simple & delish!

Serves: 4-6
Prep: 30 minutes
Grilling Time: 10-13 minutes

Rub:
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, about 4 oz each
2 zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 ears corn, husked
10 flour tortillas
4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
2 teaspoons fresh oregano

1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt/pepper
olive oil

1.) Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat
2.) In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Lightly brush or spray the chicken, zucchini, and corn with oil. Season the chicken with the rub.

3.) Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chicken and vegetables over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, the zucchini is barely tender, and the corn kernels are golden brown in spots, turning the chicken once and the vegetables occasionally. The chicken will take 8-10 minutes and the vegetables will take 6-8 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool.

4.) Cut the chicken and zucchini into 1/4 inch chunks. Cut the kernels from the cobs. In a large bowl combine the zucchini and corn with the oregano, garlic, and lime juice, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. 

5.) Lay the tortillas in a single layer on a work surface. Evenly divide the chicken and vegetable mixture, and then the cheese, over half of each tortilla. Fold the empty half of each tortilla over the filling, creating a half circle, and press down firmly.

6.) Grill the quesadillas over direct medium heat, with the lid open, for 2-3 minutes, turning once. Transfer the quesadillas from the grill to a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve warm with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.   

 Guacamole:

2 medium Haas avocados, diced

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Mash together all ingredients in a small bowl.



Next grilling adventure - grilled pizza!

 

I'm Pregnant

I'm Pregnant!  (That's actually the name of the first pregnancy book I bought - cheesey yes, but I do like the book).  Andrew and I are excited to announce that we are expecting a little one the beginning of November!  We are overjoyed to welcome this blessing into our lives and ask for your thoughts prayers as my pregnancy continues.  Any advice on raising a kid is greatly appreciated too :) 

I am 14 weeks along and I think that peeking into the second trimester, my nausea is getting better.  Why they call it "morning sickness," I do not know, because I am definitely nauseous all day.  I have also been quite fatigued, but I have continued to train for a sprint triathlon (Cap Tex Tri) which will be on Memorial Day here in the ATX.  

Food Aversions
-coffee
 -chocolate
 -hummus

Food Cravings
-PIZZA!
-tortillas (and pretty much anything else made of white flour)
-pickles
-cookies

So weird what these crazy hormones do to your body.  My doctor recommended vitamin B6 to curb the nausea, and Andrew promptly asked if there was any vitamin to curb the mood swings :P 

Dining Area Spruce Up

I made new cushions for our dining area!

 

The old ones were literally sew on.  This means that after the old family lived here and after Smokey has pooped, peed, and vomited on them, they've never truly been washed (sorry if you've ever sat here before; we did spray them and hose them off though ;)).  

 

Tip: my nearby JoAnn's did not have enough of the fabric that I wanted.  I ended up calling a JoAnn's in Iowa (cheap sales tax) who had the correct amount of fabric.  They shipped me the fabric and I still got to use my half-off coupon, so it ended up being cheaper than buying the fabric from MY JoAnn's!  The new ones Velcro on so they can be thrown in the washer!  And OH so stylin'.

I Scream...

...for ICE CREAM!!!  Andrew got me (and himself, ahem) the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for Christmas.  Let's just say that this attachment is much easier to use than the pasta maker :P

So far we've made

Chocolate Peanut Butter (chocolate ice cream base with peanut butter swirl)

French Vanilla (made with Mexican Vanilla :) )

Sweet Cream with Thin Mints (my favorite so far!)

Coffee (do not consume past 9pm like I did)

I'm looking forward to making beer sorbet soon also.  If I'm eating this much ice cream in the winter, we might have a problem once the weather warms up.

Just pour in the batter

Let it churn for about 15 minutes

Add a mix-in the final 2 minutes

See how it's frozen up against the side?

So smooth and creamy!

New Year's with Andrew & Bob

After Christmas, the countdown til I start my NEW JOB began - 1 week!  This week, of course, flew by.  Andrew and I had a relatively quiet New Year's celebration - just us and Bob.  Bob Schneider, that is.  He is one of my favorite musicians of all time!  We rang in the new year dining on filets that Andrew cooked on his new grill, and then off to downtown Austin for the concert (wore my Christmas present from Andrew :)).

Quiet Company opened for Bob Schneider - they were so good that I bought their album the next day (my favorite song so far - Are You a Mirror? ).  Come to find out, I went to high school with the drummer!  Bob was his usual entertaining self and we danced the New Year in to "Tarantula"!

Best of January Recipes!

If I write about nothing else it for the month of January, it MUST be these 2 easy and delicious recipes!  We will definitely have them again, especially if we have company or a dinner party!

Skillet Chicken Vesuvio (from America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2011)
4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt & Pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
10 small red potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken brother
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas (4 ounces), thawed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully lay the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 5 minutes. Flip the breasts and continue to cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange the potatoes evenly in the pan, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, oregano, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and wine to the pot, scrape up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer.

Nestle the chicken breasts into the potatoes. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a platter and tent loosely with foil.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and potatoes, and serve.

Serves 4 (or 2 Andrew's and a Becky)

 

 

 

Dry-Spiced Grilled Fish (Indian Cooking Without Fat by Mridula Baljekar)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic

1 teaspoon of grated ginger

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 salmon steaks

1 1/2 teaspoons ground & roasted coriander

1 tablespoon very finely chopped cilantro leaves

Mix the lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chili powder & salt.

Lay the salmon steaks on a large plant ofr dish and gently rub the seasoning mixture into them.  cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high and line a grill pan with foil.  Brush the foil lightly withlil and arrange the prepared fish on the foil

Cook the fish about 5 inches away from the heat source for 3-4 minutes

Meanwhile, mix the oil, ground coriander, and fresh cilantro together.   Turn the fish over taking care not to break the steaks.  Divide the coriander mixture equally among the steaks, spreading it gently to cover them completely.

Grill the salmon for an additional 2-3 minutes, then serve immediately.