Archive for the ‘Diced and Slices’ Category

Over Easy Cafe

June 21, 2010

Over Easy Cafe, Ravenswood, My Heart Behaves, Chicago

We stopped at Over Easy Cafe on Damen in Ravenswood in Chicago before we saw our future apartment. Yes, you just read that right: we are moving to Chicago in August! This is a very exciting time for us.

I didn’t want to make it official (but kind of hinted) until I had informed the essentials: parents, friends and employers. But now the cat is 100% out of the bag and I’m sharing it with the world. (Technically, I suppose this blog is read around the world, right?) More details to follow and some major “before” pictures of our new adobe to be posted later.

Over Easy Cafe, Ravenswood, My Heart Behaves, Chicago

Over Easy Cafe, Ravenswood, My Heart Behaves, Chicago

Over Easy Cafe, Ravenswood, My Heart Behaves, Chicago

But back to Over Easy … This little diner is major on the fabulous factor. I imagine Dan and I will spend many a morning here since it’s just a few short blocks away, too. If the decor and charm aren’t enough to lure you in, the food is AMAZING. And I speak from experience: breakfast foods are my all time fav., so I consider myself a bit of an expert.

Over Easy Cafe, Ravenswood, My Heart Behaves, Chicago

Sadly, I didn’t photograph my plate, as it was a modest meal of two eggs over easy and toast. I kept it pretty simple that day since we were doing quite a bit of walking, looking at many rental locals and all. But this was Dan’s over the top “Sassy Eggs.” Could the name be more appropriate?

Seriously, brinner any day of the week for me.

(Some photos were provided by Flickr members, linked accordingly.)

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Posted in Chicago, Diced and Slices, Travels | 3 Comments »

Cinco de Mayo Sabor

May 5, 2010

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I cooked up some inspired grub tonight: a sweet potatoes/black beans/corn veggie mix with some delish organic chicken taquitos.

Seriously, at 270 calories for per pair, they are reasonably healthy and taste just scrumptious. Really, I can’t sound more like a commercial for PJ’s and you can grab them at Newflower Market here in East Dallas. Gluten free, to boot! (Recipe below.)


The charming embroidered tea towel was a present from boyfriend’s mother. It’s so sweet and lady-like.

Cinco de Mayo Sabor
Veggie Mix
1 or 2 small sweet potatoes, cut in cubes
1 can black beans
1 package of frozen corn
Half an onion, diced
Pressed garlic
1 Red bell pepper, cut in strips
Garlic powder, chipotle peppers, cilantro, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
PJ’s Organic Chicken Taquitos
Avocado, sour cream are optional
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Boil sweet potatoes, until almost cooked through. Drain and chop. Preheat oven and drop in the taquitos to bake, following the instructions. Heat pan, while mixing extra virgin olive oil and spices together. Combine all veggies with oil mixture, cooking on medium-high until potatoes are creamy in texture. Slice avocado, add leftover pressed garlic, cilantro and lemon to taste. Make a gorgeous plate and feast!

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Death by chocolate?

February 8, 2010


Well be still my heart (literally) as I walked past a grouping of anatomically correct chocolate hearts. It turns out these organs, and other surprising shapes, are hand-crafted by Chocolate by Mueller, a very quirky little shop in the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

The old-fashioned chocolatiers have created anything and everything a tad on the eccentric side.

And I was immediately. in. love.


Chocolate lungs! My favorite.


Chocolate mice!


Chocolate noses!


Chocolate teeth!


And finally a chocolate legal set … I promised the boyfriend I would present him with this silliness once he’s graduated from law school.

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They also sold a variety of other candied goods from: (you guessed it) chocolate covered pretzels, truffles (my weakness!) and lollipops the size of my backseat.

(Loved the packaging on these …)

Happy early Valentines, y’all! Perhaps this will give you a few ideas of what I’d like what your love would like. The best part? It’s all available to order online. Click on Fun and Weird Chocolate Molds for the good stuff!

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King Ranch Casserole

January 11, 2010

With our mini-arctic blast here in Dallas comes all the good eats, such as these go-to staple foods: ice cream (so, so good when it’s freezing outside), my famous chili and the King Ranch Casserole.

Go grab your best Le Creuset, ladies and gents, because we’re cookin’ up a Texas tradition today. Oh! And because I simply must cook to some decent tunes, may I highly recommend some Arcade Fire to keep things spicy? Yes, please.

Geeky Side Note: The Target by my home finally got a teeny-tiny grocery store (yays!!!), so most of what went into this dish was the Archer Farms brand. Gotta love a good knock-off.

Ingredients
• 4-5 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1 can Rotel
• Frozen and pre-sliced red peppers/green peppers/onion mix
• Handful of frozen corn
• Spices to taste, including: black pepper, minced onion, paprika, jalapeno pepper, garlic and onion powder
• White corn tortillas
• 3 cups mixed cheeses, including: cheddar, monterrey jack and queso blanco
• EVVO

Directions
Using a stock pot, boil chicken breasts in 1 can chicken broth and 2 cans water. Make sure chicken is submerged. Once cooked, shred to the consistency of your liking.

Mix together remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, minus tortillas and 1 cup of cheese mixture.

Line casserole dish in a bit of EVVO, including sides. Spread a layer of chicken on the bottom, then a layer of your soup mixture. Strip tortillas in slices and place one layer on top. Repeat these layered steps, ending in the remaining cup of cheese. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Nest, cover dish in foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, as to not over-cook cheese on top. Viola!

Kristina’s Tips: Ouch! I completely forgot to add the Rotel, yet the KRC was still quite yummy. Also, I would recommend adding a dash of cilantro for garnish, which I also forgot. Sheesh …

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Future confectioner?

December 23, 2009

Um, not likely!

But I did attempt to make the cake pops inspired by Bakerella this past weekend for a couple of holiday parties.

I’d say they are pretty labor intensive for a novice such as myself, but overall once you get the hang of it, it goes by really quickly. (I won’t even attempt to show you the first few I made. It was an embarrassment of sorts, to say the least.)

My take on candy-making? Read my suggestions below.

I used white cake mix and made cream cheese frosting from scratch. The combo was okay, but I will make them with chocolate cake next time. I had it my head that using chocolate cake AND the chocolate bark would be overwhelmingly, well, chocolate. But upon reflection, I don’t think it would be.

After you have mixed the cake and icing together, freeze your balls! I had left my out and they were not hard enough once I stuck them in the hot chocolate bark. Just pop them back in for as long as needed before you start the dipping process.

Speaking of the ole bark, I had never worked with it before before so I was not sure what to expect. The original plan was to buy white chocolate bark and use food coloring to make them red or green.

Once I added the color though, it turned the bark into a weird and unusable texture. Was this just me?! I still don’t know. I quickly realized I had to go with Plan B … the green and red sprinkles I randomly had in my pantry.

Also, everyone’s suggestions leaned towards microwaving a few pieces at a time, to prevent the bark from cooling too quickly. I stuck mine in for a couple of minutes, only to have them burn so badly my smoke alarm went off! I ended up using a double boiler, the old school way.

To give the pops their shape, I punched holes in an egg crate to allow them to chill as the bark dried.

In the end, they were a total hit. But be prepared! Once you make them, everyone will absolutely love them and quickly ask demand you make more … like my boss when he requested I bring more the following day and place some neatly on his desk before he arrives. I wouldn’t wait on that order …

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Posted in Diced and Slices | 4 Comments »

Just chill.

October 7, 2009

Yowza! It was in the 60s today. No, not the decade, the temperature. It might actually be the beginnings of Fall in Big D. (I’ve been eagerly waiting since last May, quite frankly.)

What do I do when it gets the least bit cool outside? I make chili. Really, is there a better way to warm yourself up? Growing up, my Mom made chili all winter long, along with some other amazing stews that never taste as good when I make them. But the chili? Yeah, I’ve got that down solid.

chili

So if you’re like me, and feeling a little breezy, here’s a great recipe to follow. But before hand, you must do a bit of prep.

1. Open your back door and let the cool air fill your kitchen.
2. Light some candles. A little ambiance never hurt anyone.
3. Turn the iTunes on. Now play some Bowie. Come on, it’ll be fun, I swear. Go for the Greatest Hits if it makes ya feel better.
4. Start cookin’. We’re hungry already!

Rachel Ray’s Ridiculously Easy Vegetarian Chili
(Except I added a meat and three types of beans, so don’t hate me please, Ray Ray.)

Ingredients
• Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• Two 28-ounce cans hominy, rinsed
• Three 15-ounce cans of beans, rinsed. I prefer pinto, kidney and red.
• One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• Two small zucchinis, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• One onion, chopped
• Three tablespoons chili powder
• One teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
In an 8-quart stock pot, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the chili has thickened, about 35 minutes.

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Posted in Diced and Slices | 3 Comments »

Cupcakes

September 24, 2009

I made cupcakes from scratch last week. That’s a big deal for me, as I’ve never really made anything from scratch before. I guess you could say I enjoy a good “box cake.” But lately I’ve been following Bakerella‘s blog and it has totally inspired me to get off my store-bought bum and make something!

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I have stocked my pantry with the essentials and can now whip up anything I’m in the mood for, like these super sweet cake pops.

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How completely yummy do these treats look?! I’m warning you though, once you visit her blog, you will feel the need to bake and bake and bake.

(Photo via Bakerella.)

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Whoever invented this was a genius.

June 1, 2009

Several friends and I celebrated a faux Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican feast over at Tara and Kyle’s this weekend. I brought the guacamole, a staple for any and all things Mexican, and a little something called the Cheesecake Sopapilla.

I’m a cheesecake fanatic and cinnamon toast enthusiast. I admit it. So when I tried a bite from coworker a few months back, I knew my world had changed. It’s sinfully delish and I thought I’d share the recipe. I tried my hardest to make it as low fat as possible, and I swear, you can’t taste the difference.

Put it on a cute platter, take it to a friend and enjoy!

cheesecake sopapillas

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 (8 ounce) packages fat free cream cheese
• 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated low fat crescent dinner rolls
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
• 1/2 cup Land O’Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil (or any kind of margarine or butter) melted
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Using a 9 x 13 baking pan, unroll one package of refrigerated crescent rolls and line the bottom of the pan.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and extract with a mixer, until creamy.
3. Spread over the crescent rolls.
4. Unroll the other can of crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture.
5. Pour melted butter over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Posted in Diced and Slices | 3 Comments »

Let them eat {crab} cake!

January 8, 2009

I’m not one to cook often. I’m simply not good at it and what I do cook, I tend to make over and over and over again. But because of this fact, I’ve fine-tuned what I prepare and it can come out pretty good … um, most of the time.

I decided despite the fact that I’m solo, it is not going to stop me from making dinner for myself anymore. It tends to be healthier, tastier and less expensive than rocking the prepared foods from the Chef’s Case at Central Market. One of many resolutions, I planned to branch out this year and learn the art of the kitchen, trying my hand at more gourmet meals, rather than instant rice from an Uncle Ben’s box and baked chicken. (Seriously, I’ve probably made this dish hundreds or times.)

However, I whipped up a Kristina Klassic, despite all my grand ideas and thoughts, this evening. An oldie, but a goodie!

Crab Cakes
1 lb. crab meat
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. mayonnaise
Lemon Pepper and Parsley, to taste

Combine crab meat, egg, mayo and spices. Mix half cup of bread crumbs, then form five to six cakes. Cover each side with remaining bread crumbs and chill for 15 minutes, until hard. Heat a small amount of heart-healthy veggie oil in pan and place cakes in pan, flipping once after seven minutes or until brown. They are the best! I always combine mine with Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild, made with chicken stock.

Humble beginnings.

Humble beginnings.

The crab, after adding the egg, mayo, lemon pepper and parsley.

The crab, after adding the egg, mayo, lemon pepper and parsley.

The cakes, before being chilled.

The cakes, chilled.

Before the flip!

Before the flip!

After the flip!

After the flip!

crab cakes before they hit my tummy.

Simple and scrumptious: crab cakes before they hit my tummy.

PS: I apologize for my very blurry photography skillzzzz. I tend to just grab my iPhone to snap pics, but it’s not exactly known for having an awesome camera. I’ve decided to go back to my Kodak, after cringing at all of the fuzzies!

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