Chicken Caesar salad flatbread

Have you ever loved a dish so much that you see it everywhere you go?  I don't mean spot it literally, like on a menu, but envision the possibilities of where it could be.

Thus is the Caesar salad for Matt and me.  We love Caesar salads and try 'em everywhere we go.  We've had classic versions, kale versions, dressing-made-tableside versions, and rare but so delicious whole anchovy-topped versions.  In other words, Caesar salads for miles.

...and therein lies the problem.  The more you're exposed to something, the easier it is for you to spot a good version and a not so good version.  Inadvertently, you become a snob regarding a food you once loved so much.

Fast Friday: Turkey applejack toasties

What do you do when you can't make up your mind?  Don't! 

(Bet you weren't expecting that.)

Sometimes -- okay, often -- I can't decide what I want to eat.  It's usually because I've had too much time to think about the upcoming meal and have roughly 9,322 ideas bouncing around my brain as to what I could make.  With that many ideas, there are bound to be nearly as many (differing) themes.

Cheesy and warm, like a... grilled cheese.

With some spice!  Yeah, spicy would be great.  Not too much, but just enough to make my tongue tingle with a little heat.

Chicken, blueberry and brie grilled sandwich

Raise your hand if you miss picking out a first day of school outfit.

Me, me, meeeee.

Around here, it's back to school for most students.  That means more than the onset of college football season (hooray!) and longer lines during lunchtime at Panera (I'm looking at you, hungry Pitt students).  It also means Matt resumes his long work days.

Since he teaches during the day and coaches in the evening, it's often after 8 o'clock when he walks in the door.  Despite packing snacks for him to eat on his way from school to the pool, he's usually famished by the time he gets home.

Turkey, onion & pesto panini

Somewhere in the middle of top notch chicken dinners and an infinite number of kale salads, I lost sight of one of the most satisfying meals ever: the sandwich.

Normally, a sandwich is the last thing on my mind when it comes to dinner.  Grander visions of soups, roasts, and casseroles monopolize my thoughts instead.  Something that'll stick to my ribs, you know?

Dinner's gotta be ultra hearty to stand up to our my raging post-workout metabolism, not to mention the "I'm so hungry I swear I haven't eaten for days" mentality.  And though it's certainly delicious, a quintessential PB&J that comes to mind isn't going to cut it.

(To be clear, I'm not discounting peanut butter.  Within 30 seconds of walking in the door, famished, I've usually made my way to the kitchen and helped myself to a spoonful of the stuff.  Peanut butter = essential to life!)

Caprese quinoa-stuffed tomatoes

Did anyone else feel like getting out of bed and ready for work today was like climbing Mt. Everest?  I swear I even heard squeaking sounds while rubbing my eyes when I first woke up.  Whew.  I think that's a sign of a good, nay, great holiday weekend.  I won't say that I hope you're struggling, too, but I do hope you had a delightful 4th of July!

After nearly a week of fun and frolicking around the city (fireworks, baseball and soccer games, and visitors galore!), we totally crashed on Sunday evening.  And this isn't the kind of "crashing" that movies and TV shows make look so glamorous.  You know the scene: husband and wife, clad in designer pajamas, hair perfectly disheveled, cuddling on the couch watching a movie and having intelligent conversation about recent events.

Curried chicken salad

Good morning!  I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend.  I want to wish a belated happy Mother's Day to all the deserving ladies out there!  My very own mom and dad visited Pittsburgh yesterday for a lunch that my sister and I hosted at our apartment.  We included some of her favorite recipes, one of which I plan to share with you this week.  It was a relaxing afternoon spent with the people I love most -- doesn't get much better than that!

Speaking of ladies, it's fitting that Mother's Day should lead off what I've determined will be Chick Week around these parts.  Chicken, to be exact :) 

A few months ago, I read an article proclaiming chicken to be the most popular animal protein in America.  That didn't come as any surprise since I know we are a chicken-loving household.  We also eat a fair amount of fish, pork products, and ground beef, but chicken takes the cake.  (That sounds weird, but you know what I mean, right?)

Fast Friday: Kale salad

I think it's high time for some real talk, wouldn't you say?  Fridays tend to seem like the perfect time for it.  Heading into the weekend, we should shed ourselves of any worry and guilt and get ready to enjoy the next two days... possibly rife with guilty pleasures :)  Sounds like a fantastic plan to me!

This real talk isn't exactly heavy stuff, but it has been weighing on me for the last week, so here goes.  I've realized that over the past few years, I've painted myself as some kind of salad hater.  Sure, I'll occasionally post recipes for a creamy BLTA salad or a kickin' beef taco salad, but those recipes are months and months apart from one another.

Roughly once a month, I'll pack a salad for lunch: spinach, a chopped chicken breast, some black beans, and a little salsa is my pathetic go-to concoction.  My coworkers will see me retrieving it from the refrigerator and immediately chuckle while muttering something like, "Uh oh, Katy packed a salad.  You know what this means."  It means that I will grumble before and after every bite and wind up feeling incredibly unsatisfied when I'm finished.

Cheesy cauliflower soup with grilled cheese croutons

I like hockey.  I mean, I really really like hockey.  I like it so much that I look at the Penguins' game schedule before making plans to do anything other than watching hockey.  It's really a wonder that I still have any friends.

Okay, let me backpedal just a bit: I love hockey.

I love the fast-paced rushes back and forth across the ice.  I love the jarring hits.  I love the rivalries.  I love the finesse needed to handle a puck through the offensive zone, past defenders, and lift it slightly to score a top shelf goal.  And, good gracious, I love watching a player mouth something slightly obscene during a goal celebration with teammates!

But, as with any kind of love comes just a little bit of the opposite.  It drives me crazy when the players play hot potato with the puck on a power play rather than shooting.  I'm ready to tear out my hair when the Pens are defending a 3-on-5 short-handed situation because players took ill-advised penalties at terrible times.  And, my gosh, I absolutely can't stand the Flyers.

Avocado, black bean & sweet potato wraps

Celebrate!  That word means different things to different people.  To me, it means going out for a fancy dinner or indulging in a dessert of epic proportions.  When Matt found out that he passed his physics PRAXIS II exam (he is now certified to teach physics in high school) a few weeks ago, I immediately said, "We should celebrate!

"Where do you want to go?   What do you want for dinner?  It's your choice, dear!"
"Hot dogs," said Matt.
"Uh, what?"
"I want hot dogs.  With guacamole.  Guac dogs."

Because that's what Matt wanted, I made him hot dogs with homemade guacamole.  Because that's, apparently, how he wanted to celebrate his good news.

(For the record, Matt always wants hot dogs.  I think if his mother prepared a platter of them in lieu of a Thanksgiving turkey, he'd be the happiest man alive.)

I know some people say that spouses become like one another, but I don't think hot dogs will ever entice me quite like they do Matt.  I pick burgers over hot dogs at cookouts.  My ballpark snack of choice is Dip 'n Dots.  And my favorite fair food is most certainly fried Oreos.  The only hot dog that does it for me is the one dipped in corn batter and fried that I have every summer at Kennywood.

Strawberry & chicken spinach salad

Raise your hand if your eyes are sometimes bigger than your stomach.

[raises hand]

Next, raise your hand if your eyes are sometimes bigger than your stomach, your husband's stomach, and your refrigerator.

[raises hand again]

And that's exactly what happened this past weekend when Matt and I handpicked strawberries went to Costco.  Strawberries were at the top of our list (hint: always take a list!) and, wouldn't you know, there were free samples of 'em... the sweetest strawberries we've had yet this season!  At that moment, we convinced ourselves that we absolutely could tackle four pounds of berries... right?

Bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado salad

I've noticed that Matt and I have been dining out much more often lately, namely on the weekends.  Maybe it's because, at the end of a long work week, we want a little time out of the apartment to enjoy each other's company and take a break from cooking.  Remember our Friday pizza tradition?  It's gotten a facelift in recent weeks.

This is how it goes down: On my walk home from the gym, I'll notice how pleasant it is outside -- birds chirping, a light breeze, and so much sun that a mental note of "find your sunglasses" gets posted in the forefront of my mind.  As soon as I get home, stomach growling, I'll test the dinner waters with Matt.

me: "So, what do you want to do for dinner?"
Matt: "Doesn't matter to me.  What do you have planned?"
me: "Well, nothing, really."
Matt: "Oh, I can find something to eat then.  Don't worry about it."
me: "Yeah, or... I was thinking we could go stroll for food since it's so nice outside."
Matt: "Yep, we're doing that.  You put the idea in my head.  Let's go."

An hour later, we're perched on a bench in the park, he with McDonald's or Szechuan Express, and her with sushi or Panera.  Two hours later, we're home, on the couch watching some bad Friday TV, and regretting said dinners juuuuuuust a bit. 

We finally got to the bottom of our complex of craving restaurant food on Fridays.  It's because I've used up all of the new and exciting dinner recipes earlier in the week, and Friday's menu is usually something a little less exciting like a piece of roasted salmon and vegetables or chicken tenders and broccoli.  Delicious but hardly a celebratory beginning-of-the-weekend kind of meal.

Last week we played food psychologists and nipped that burgeoning complex of ours right in the bud with a yummy and wallet-friendly Friday night dinner that was anything but boring: BLTA salads!

Mushroom, spinach & cheddar quiche

Because it's so unbelievably easy to make.

Because the ingredients can be whatever you desire (or already have).

Because it's equally delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Because I can never get enough quiche in my life.

Because I've converted my friends and coworkers into quiche connoisseurs.  (Say that five times fast.)

You should totally make a quiche.  Come on, you can do it!

Need another reason?

It's the first thing I ever taught Matt to cook.  And look how that turned out.

Because you can wrangle yourself a husband (or wife).

Because quiches are magical.

One year ago: Proscuitto wrapped chicken with roasted green beans

Mushroom Spinach and Cheddar Quiche

(adapted from my basic quiche recipe)

9" pie crust, homemade or store-bought

10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced onion

2 cups fresh baby spinach, torn

5 eggs

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

Preheat oven to 375F.  Press pie crust into 9" glass pie plate.  Crimp edges and chill in freezer for at least 15 minutes until hard.  In medium bowl, whisk eggs together.  Dip a pastry or basting brush into the egg mixture and brush lightly over entire crust.  (This will help the crust to brown and seal it slightly so it stays flaky once filling is added.)  Bake pie crust in oven for 10 minutes or until light brown, remove to wire cooling rack.

While crust is baking, put oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms, toss to coat, and saute until mushrooms have turned a darker brown color.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.

In the bottom of the crust, sprinkle onion and half of the cheese.  Top with spinach, evenly covering bottom. Finish with remaining cheese and mushrooms. 

Add milk, salt and pepper to eggs and whisk until combined.  Pour egg milk mixture over filling, and bake 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean, let stand on cooling rack for 15 minutes before serving so that the quiche can solidify slightly (makes serving much easier... trust me).  Slice and enjoy!

Cranberry, turkey & cheddar panini sandwich

Have I yet mentioned how much I love my new Cuisinart Griddler that I received a few weeks ago at my bridal shower?  No?  Let me count the ways...

1. It's a panini press, grill, and griddle all in one!

2. Cleaning is a cinch -- pop off the plates, wash, and towel dry.  Easy peasy.

3. I feel so gosh darn cutting edge using this.  I once envied Giada every time she'd whip up a panini and press it with ease.  Now look at me!  Giada better watch out, giant smile and all.

4. Storage is a breeze.  No worries about scratching the nonstick surfaces because the whole thing folds up and protects itself.

5. The temperature settings on it are legit.  Some griddles have ambiguous settings of "warm, warmer, hot"... what is that?!  Oh yes, I'd like my burger done "hot" please.  Lame.

All of those are dandy reasons on their own (seriously, you must get your own Griddler), but if you still need more, particularly something visually tempting, this is for you.  100% my new favorite sandwich -- the Thanksgiving panini!

Beef taco salad with chunky tomato dressing

According to Wendy's, it's there.  Don't you love that the company has revived it's famous slogan from 1984?  I hear that was quite a great year :)

Finding myself in search of beef but not quite willing to give in to fast food so early in the week (it was only Tuesday!), I thanked my lucky stars and planning prowess that I had the makings for a spicy and hearty beef dish.

Beef taco salad!  Trust me.  You want to make this right now.  So glad I dismissed that craving for Wendy's because this was a million times better!... and without any guilt!!

Smoky seasoned lean ground beef and black beans.  Crisp chopped romaine hearts.  Sharp white cheddar cheese.  Yum!

Ham & asparagus frittata

Wine?  Wisdom?  My retirement fund?  (One can only hope...)

But really, I'm talking about my cast-iron skillet!  You know, the one that I received as a birthday gift last summer.  By not cleaning it other than a light scrub with salt to remove cooked bits of food, the skillet has become practically nonstick and is so seasoned that I swear I could cook a plain egg and it'd come out tasting fabulous.

Well, I took that plain egg idea a step further when I busted out yet another frittata last night for dinner: ham and asparagus frittata!

You might say I've developed quite an obsession with frittatas.  Easy, quick, incredibly adaptable with whatever ingredients you've got.  Apples.  Bacon.  Goat cheese.

You also might ask why on earth I'm sharing another frittata recipe with you.  It's because this was, by far, my most favorite frittata to date!

Tomato & corn pie

Remember that song and dance I gave you yesterday about turning off your oven?

Well, uh, scratch that momentarily, but only if you have a functioning air conditioner in your residence.  I'm not trying to give anyone a heat stroke.  Besides, if you were too sick, you wouldn't be able to properly enjoy this mind numbingly-delicious tomato and corn pie.

(Can you tell I was trying to keep the apartment as cool as possible by closing the shades?  Oven on, shades closed.  A fair trade-off in my book.)

This time of year, my tastes have shifted from stews and meatloaves to anything littered with fresh fruits and vegetables.  I've even been known to forego cake and ice cream in favor of diced strawberries with a little whipped cream. The heat makes people do strange things, I tell you.

Party for one!

And who says planning a wedding isn't fun?  Matt and I had a great weekend, complete with a 24 hour period of rocking the heck out of our wedding plans!  On the agenda:

• 2 (cup)cake tastings and, yes, we found "the one!"
• Choosing a location for the rehearsal dinner
• Our first meeting with the minister
• Beginning our registries (its current status is "work in progress")
• Purchasing wedding shoes (a last minute sale and thus surprise buy!)

We had a great time, especially Matt with his scanner gun duties.  The sales associate who helped us was a riot and totally got our attention at the beginning when she...

Threw a plate made of bone china across the floor!  Yes, you read that correctly.  After Matt and I recovered from our collective heart attack, she explained to us that bone china is super sturdy.  Who knew it was THAT sturdy!?  We spent the next few hours identifying our kitchen and home needs and putting that scanner gun to work.

Tip to couples who will register in the future: check your registries when you get home from the store!  There were quite a few items on the list that we hadn't scanned and therefore removed immediately.  I have no idea how it happened, but I'm going to gently blame Matt for trying to scan my backside (100% true) and picking up random bar codes throughout the store. 

After planning a party for 150 people, planning dinner for one was a cinch!  I was ravenous and had no patience for the oven, so I whipped up a sampler platter for me, myself, and Irene I. 

There were turkey roll-ups, carrots, whole wheat crackers, red peppers, and celery with a big scoop of hummus for dipping.   It was just what I wanted -- no work or fuss, a grazing type of meal, and packed with nutrition but light on calories.  After 10 cupcakes in a 24 hour period, I had to cleanse my system juuuuuuuuust a bit :)

Roasted red pepper, mushroom & chicken sandwich

Have you ever gone somewhere and eaten something and couldn't get it out of your head?  It happens to me quite a bit.  Well, more often these days.  You see, I was on a streak of something like 10 days having dined out for at least one meal.  Easily record-breaking, possibly impressive, and slightly gluttonous, I know.  

Lots of visitors and celebratory meals for one occasion or another has us touring the city's culinary offerings.  We hit up many of the usual places but one new place that made quite an impression on me: Coca Cafe in Lawrenceville.  Fresh salads, creative sandwiches, and fragrant soups.  Fun fact: A sampling of the Tuscan French onion soup inspired me to make some at home.  Anyway, the service is spunky and friendly and the food is just so fresh.  Not just the ingredients, but the concepts.

Exhibit A: Roasted red peppers and portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, chicken, Jarlsberg cheese with ricotta on thick toasted sourdough bread.  I'll give you a minute to reread that and let everything sink in.

Asparagus & mushroom tarts

News flash: as of today, Matt and I are getting married in exactly 6 months and one day!!!  Exciting, right?! It seems like just yesterday that he had the crazy notion of spending the rest of his life with me and proposed. I couldn't be happier!!

Though we've only officially been engaged six months or so, we've been dating for over four years.  In that time, we've learned so much about each other and still discover new things every day.  Thankfully, one thing I committed to memory right away was how to smooth things over and get what I want. :)

(You thought this was going somewhere sweet, didn't you?)

But really, relationships are all about knowing how to compromise.  It's about giving a little so each party can be happy.  It's also about knowing your darling's weak spots or, as I like to call them, victory buttons.  For example, Matt knows that if I'm being stubborn regarding something or he'd like to ask a big favor of me, all he has to mention is a little trip to Razzy Fresh or Oakmont Bakery (for the butter stars... mm!), and I'm putty in his hands.  P-u-t-t-y.  It's a bit shameful (though not surprising), really.

Likewise, if I need an opinion regarding fonts for our wedding invitations or a ride to the mall to return something, there is a short list of weapons that'll ensure the job gets done.  Matt has few victory buttons (at least that I've unearthed so far) and they're all edible.  (Aren't we just perfect for one another?!)  His number one is hot dogs.  He's like a shark -- put a hot dog within 500 yards of his smeller and he'll locate it within minutes.  Since hot dogs don't exactly turn heads when it comes to culinary masterpieces, I had to settle for his #3 and #4 victory buttons: asparagus and mushrooms.  (In case you're wondering, #2 is cherry pie, but last season's supply is gone and we're waiting on this year's.)

Monte Cristo sandwiches

(I've flown the coop and headed south!  :)  I'll be spending the next few days on vacation in Savannah, Georgia.  While I'm off enjoying the sights and tastes of the area, I've prepared some recipes to keep your eyes and stomachs happy and satisfied.  Any questions or comments will go unanswered until I return.  Thanks for understanding!)

Quick!  Name a few of your favorite foods.  If I said that to Matt, somewhere in his top 5 would come mentions of French toast and sandwiches.  This comes as no surprise since one of our very first conversations revolved around lunch and that sandwiches were one of the greatest things on the planet.  Looking back now, had I mentioned this very meal, I'm convinced he would've proposed on the spot :)  Hindsight is always 20-20, right?

What exactly is this very meal?  A Monte Cristo sandwich, of course!