l. a. z. y. she ain't got no alibi

I've really been a slug lately.  Between my husband's illness, the usual chaos at work, and the family nonsense?  Compounding that with financial stress is simply just too much.  My bike is lonely, I didn't get to run the Cupcake Classic by the deadline, and I'm just pouty all around.

I've also not really cooked anything creative lately.  Mostly, I've eaten unimaginative things.  But I've still managed to put a little flair with them.

Start with this:  I like a good steak.  I prefer strip most of the time, but will eat filet or ribeye if I'm going out someplace.  I always like a starch (potato) with it, and usually mushrooms too.  And of course, there's always steak butter, y'all.

Anyhow, here's some side-dish love for ya.  I'll kick myself in the ass and make something worth writing / reading about soon.

Mushrooms:

Grab some white mushrooms or baby bellas (whatever's on sale works).  Slice them up into about 1/4" to 1/2" slices.  They don't have to be pretty or perfect.  Throw them into a bowl, and toss them with just enough EVOO to coat them.  Not too much!  Then, dump in some red wine, about 1/2 cup (4 ounces, or a bit more than half of one of the little trial size bottles).  It doesn't have to be special wine ... T-Box or the $1 Trial Sizes will be just fine.  Smoosh up a few cloves of garlic, and slice up a little bit of onion if that moves you.  And then - let them sit for at least a half hour.  Every few minutes, toss them around to be sure they're still coated.  The 'shrooms and onion will soak up some of the wine, but there will still be a little puddle at the bottom.

When you're ready to saute, throw about a tablespoon of the previously mentioned / prepared steak butter y'all into the pan, melt it (but don't let it caramelize), and then dump the whole bowl in - extra wine and all.  Simmer the mixture to reduce the red wine down, and serve on the side with your steaks.  These usually cause my youngest to say "ewww gross" (she hates mushrooms), and everyone else to say "gimme hers if she doesn't want them".

Twice-Baked Potatoes:

These are super-easy to make.  Grab some white potatoes (Yukon Golds are too soft), wash 'em, stab 'em with a fork, and bake them for about an hour at 425.  When they're done, slice them in half lengthwise, scoop out the guts using a tablespoon, and throw the potato insides into a mixing bowl (I use my kitchenaid).  Add an appropriate amount of butter y'all (the steak version works here too), and some shredded cheddar cheese (start with a cup, and increase until you reach an adequate amount of cheesyosity).  Add in just enough milk to make them smooth.  Whip the hell out of the potatoes - NO LUMPS.  Use your spoon to put the whipped potatoes back into the peels, and throw them back into the oven for about 15 or 20 minutes - the tops will start to brown just a bit.  Take them back out, top them with bacon bits and a bit more shredded cheese (if you like), and put them under the broiler to get all deliciously crispy.  Serve with sour cream.  And wine.

here fishy fishy

We've been on a carnivorous tear lately.  Steak, burgers, brats ... you name it, we eat it.  However, we need to back off of that a bit.

Tonight's dinner was salmon.  My husband, in all of his infinite wisdom, said it was the best dinner he's ever had.  I don't know about that, but here's what we had.

Salmon - I prefer wild-caught.  Farm-raised has a host of concerns, including a sometimes-odd taste.  So, I pay a little extra for wild-caught salmon.  I grilled salmon steaks on my trusty gas grill until a meat thermometer measured 145 in the thickest part of the meat.  Right before they were done, I brushed them with a bit of butter that I prepared with two cloves of garlic (pressed), two wedges of lemon squeezed in, some dill, and some ground pepper. 

Twice-baked potatoes - Again, I'm Irish.  Mmmmm taters.  Anyhow, I baked some regular old potatoes until they were almost done.  I cut them in half, scooped out the guts, and put them in a bowl.  I added a few handfuls of Triple Cheddar Cheese, a splash of milk, and a tablespoon of butter y'all.  I took the mixer to them until they were smooth, and then spooned it back into the potato skins.  I then baked them at 425 for about 15 or 20 minutes until the mashed potatoes were fluffy, and then finished them under the broiler to make them crispy.  I served these with some sour cream and bacon bits.

Overall, it was a good dinner.  As we get further in to fall and winter, I'll miss using my grill.  Ah, who am I kidding?  I'll just open the garage door and cook inside.

potayto, pohtahto

Being of the Irish persuasion, I love me some potatoes.  I don't know that I've ever met a potato I didn't like.

However, I also am empirically lazy.  This doesn't really jive with the whole concept of peeling and cooking potatoes.

So, what's a lazy girl to do?

Make my now-infamous Lazy Girl Potatoes.

Here's what you do:

Get yourself some small potatoes. I've recently discovered the super-awesome Klondike Gourmet brand (look at the pretty colors!) ... I got them at Giant Eagle.  If you can't find any cool tiny taters, slice up some new potatoes into quarters.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Throw the raw potatoes into a bowl.  Add the following ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO
4-5 cloves of garlic, put through the press
a bit of sea salt and ground black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary leaves (discard the stalks).  If you need to use dried, cut back to about 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Toss the potatoes in the oil and spices.  Make sure that you get a good coating on everything. This is important, because there's nothing suckier than dry potatoes.  Plus, the EVOO will make the skins deliciously crispy.

Once everything is all mixed up, dump the mess into a 13x9 pan.  Throw it in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Stir to ensure a nice even coating of the sludge.  Bake until the potatoes are done ... they should be soft, but still firm.  Mooshy potatoes are disgusting, don't you agree?

Once you get them out of the oven, spoon them into a serving bowl.  Dot with some butter y'all (I use about 3/4 of a tablespoon), and drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.  Toss the potatoes once again to ensure a nice even coating.  Serve hot, and watch your children try to strangle each other for the last of the little joyful spuds.

My family gave this five "I will cut you" threats out of five.