Potato and goat cheese frittata with roasted red pepper and sundried tomato sauce

From this week: eggs, red peppers, potatoes, goat cheese

From weeks past: frozen spinach, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, mushroom broth, milk

Staples: oil, salt, onion


I loathe forced social events. Words like "mingle" and "meet and greet" and "network" make me want to vom. So you can only imagine how terrible the law firm summer associate dance was for me. The 9 to 5 (or 7 to 9, whichever the case may be) was no prob, even semi-enjoyable; but the lunches with partners, baseball games in the firm suite, and wine tasting casino night (yes, that's real) were hell. I know, right? Free food, wine, and entertainment - poor me.

But for serious, I hated it all. Except for maybe I sort of had a teensy tiny bit of fun at one event: the cooking class! Not only did I get to show off my cooking skillz, but everyone was so occupied that they no longer wanted to mingle or meet or greet me. AWESOME!

I also learned how to make a Spanish tortilla de patatas with a roasted red pepper sauce. Of course, although I still have things like the instructions to access the office's supply closet (???) almost two years later, I failed to save a copy of that recipe. I wanted to replicate the deliciously egg-y and sweetly sauced dish, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of flipping the big mass like tortilla recipes seem to require. And I wanted cheese. And I felt like I should add something green. And I didn't have enough red peppers to make a sufficient amount of sauce (because, obvi, I have other plans for it).

So really, I didn't replicate that recipe at all.

And to think, this whole time I've been blaming the recession for the firm's refusal to make me a permanent offer...

Potato and goat cheese frittata

Serves 6-8

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 lb yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach

1/2 tsp kosher salt

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 oz goat cheese

Whisk eggs and milk together and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat in a 10 inch oven-proof skillet. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add second tablespoon of olive oil and potatoes. Cook until just tender, about 10-12 minutes. Add frozen spinach and stir until defrosted.

Put oven rack in top 1/3 of oven. Preheat broiler. Add onion and salt to skillet and stir. Pour in egg/milk mixture and cook, lifting up edges with a rubber spatula and letting raw egg run underneath, for 5 minutes (the center will still be runny). Break up goat cheese with your hands and drop onto the frittata. Place under broiler and cook until just solid, about 8 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then loosen edges with a rubber spatula and flip onto a plate. Serve topped with roasted red pepper and sundried tomato sauce (below)

Roasted red pepper and sundried tomato sauce

Makes about 1.5 cups

2 red bell peppers

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

4 cloves roasted garlic (you can buy pre-roasted garlic or roast it yourself and freeze)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used mushroom broth)

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

Roast peppers: place oven rack in the top 1/3 of the oven (with just enough room so the red peppers don't touch the heating element) and preheat broiler. Place red peppers on a dry cookie sheet and then put under the broiler. Broil until the skin is black (really, black), then turn and do the same all the way around the pepper. Place peppers in a paper bag while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. When peppers seems cool enough to handle, peel them with your hands (the peel should come right off). Remove seeds and stems.

Make sauce: heat one tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes (you can do this at the same time as the onions for the potatoes and kill two birds with one stone). Process (or blend) cooked onions, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, garlic, and salt. While food processor is running, pour in broth and remaining oil and process until smooth and saucy. Store in the fridge and heat in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove before serving.

Black bean and corn dip

From weeks past: corn, sour cream, habanero jack cheese, black beans

Staples: red onion, garlic, spices, hot sauce, oil

I wasn't really planning to blog about anything I did with my leftover enchilada ingredients. My knowledge of Mexican cuisine is limited to your basic taco, fajita, quesadilla... that's pretty much it. So I made a quesadilla, which was essentially the same as my enchilada recipe but without the sauce and not rolled up. A taco or veggie fajita would just be the same, minus the melted cheese.

But then I made this weird little dish with my leftover 1/2 a red onion, 1/2 a can of black beans, some corn, and 15 minutes.

And it was heavenly. Like refried beans, but sweeter and chunkier and more substantial. I'm calling it a dip because that's probably how it makes the most sense, but I'm not gonna lie: I felt totally comfortable eating it with a fork.

Black bean and corn dip

Serves 4 as a dip, 1 as a dish

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 can black beans

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used habanero jack)

1 tbsp sour cream

hot sauce to taste

Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add cumin, red pepper flakes, beans, and water. Stir and mash beans with the back of a wooden spoon so that some chunks remain. Let simmer until slightly thickened (the texture of refried beans). Stir in corn and cook until thawed. Pour mixture into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.

This week (1/10)

- 2 red bell peppers

- bag of potatoes

- bag of reddish apples

- salsa

- goat cheese

- fontina cheese

- almonds

- can of chickpeas

- can of black beans

- eggs

Vietnamese tofu with cucumber slaw

From this week: tofu, green bell pepper, cucumber

From weeks past: anchovy paste, brown rice, jalapeno

Staples: soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, hot sauce, honey, brown sugar, vegetable oil, Saigon cinnamon

Have you ever been haunted by a word or a phrase or a name? You hear it spoken or see it written for the first time, or for the first time in a long time, and then you can't get away from it. An hour later you hear someone on TV say it; the next day, you read it in the newspaper; a week goes by, and your friend drops it in casual conversation.

It happens to me all the time. And often it's creepy and unpleasant. Unless it's food-related, and then it feels like a gift from the gods.

Case in point: banh mi; a funny little name for a delicious concept. I think I heard about it for the first time on the food channel's "The Great Food Truck Race." Nom Nom Truck (another funny little name) served up the Vietnamese sandwiches, and I was fascinated - first, by the way the cute name rolled off the tongues of the even cuter gals who own the truck, and then, by how awesome the sandwiches looked. Baguette: good; mayonnaise: good; pickled veggies: good; Vietnamese food: good. Good + good + good + good = good, I say.

Those sweet words followed me everywhere. I saw recipes for the sandwich on blogs, I heard it mentioned on other tv shows, I stumbled across an NY Times feature on it. And then, I got really lucky. While trying out a nearby Richmond restaurant, I spied it on the menu. With cucumbers. And a spicy sauce. And a tofu option. It was meant to be.

And it was stupendous. We went back a second time, and I got it again (okay so that doesn't say SO much about how it tasted since I'm sort of a creature of habit, but I'll just tell you I was right about all the goodness). But it's pretty messy, and I don't make a lot of sandwiches at home. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure why. I was about to say something about avoiding big hunks of bread in attempt to eat healthy at home but then I remembered this and this and this.

Regardless, I got just as much satisfaction by replicating the spicy sauce and the pickled cucumbers and replacing the french baguette and mayo with brown rice and green peppers. The sauce is spicy and salty and sweet, the cucumbers are bright and tangy, and the tofu is tender and meaty.

Sidenote: I bought tofu labelled "local" at Whole Foods, and it's bangin'. Not sure its deliciousness has anything to do with its geography, but if you can find tofu that looks dryer and vacuum-sealed with plastic all around it (rather than sitting in a box of water), buy that. Also, freezing and thawing really does make a difference. If you have two or three hour's foresight, prep the tofu that way instead of by pressing.

Vietnamese tofu with cucumber slaw

Serves 3-4

1 block extra firm tofu

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp warm water

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp hot/chili sauce

1 tsp anchovy paste

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon (optional)

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

Cucumber slaw

1/2 cucumber

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 pickled or fresh jalapeno, finely minced

Prepare cucumber slaw: peel every other 1/2 inch of cucumber (see picture above), then grate using food processor or a box grater, and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Mix with rice vinegar and jalapeno and set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish.

Prepare tofu: pat tofu dry, then cut into about 2x2x1/4 inch pieces (see picture above). Lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, then remove and thaw (about 30 minutes).

Marinate: while tofu is thawing, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, garlic, chili sauce, anchovy paste, honey, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and cinnamon. Place thawed tofu and marinade in a ziploc bag and move around so all the tofu is covered. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Cook: while tofu is marinating, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add green pepper and cook until just beginning to soften. Remove from skillet. Using tongs, lay 1/2-1/3 of tofu pieces in one layer in the skillet, reserving marinade. Cook for about 5 minutes, until downside is brown and caramelized. Flip and cook until brown, about 3 more minutes. Remove and repeat until all the tofu is cooked. Turn heat down to low, then add cooked tofu and green peppers and reserved marinade. Cook over low heat until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over brown rice and top with about 1-2 tbsp of cucumber slaw.

Black bean and veggie enchiladas

From this week: bell pepper, corn, cheese, tortillas

From weeks past: spinach, tomato paste, black beans

Staples: oil, onion, tomato sauce, spices, salt

I got a stomach bug for Christmas, and it ruined my New Year's. Not because I'm a wild party animal and I had to stay in for the night, or because I'm a night owl and I didn't get to ring in the New Year and then some, but because I'm a glutton and I couldn't stuff my face.

Being sick is about the only thing that keeps me from eating to excess. On New Year's Eve, Alex actually expressed sorrow at my uncharacteristic inability to consume my share of our menu - frozen appetizers, ice cream sundaes, and candy. You and me both, man.

As I recovered from my illness, all I wanted was junk food. I'm not sure why (and I'm certain there's a sophisticated medical explanation), but when I don't really feel hungry - whether it's because I've just been sick and have to force myself to eat (rare) or because I'm stuffed and want to force myself to eat (less rare) - I can't imagine eating anything healthy. Fruits and vegetables? No. French fries and milkshakes and Cheesecake Factory strawberry lemonade? Yes, please.

Now that I'm better, I'm easing whole foods back into my diet. I don't want to shock my system, you know. I'm starting by coating my vegetables in cheese.

My stomach is never too queasy for cheese (lactose-intolerant, I'm not). Sharp cheese is like my chicken soup; spicy cheese, my Pepto-Bismol. So I combined the two in this. But you could use any cheese. And any combination of vegetables. I chose these because I had some and the others were easy and I'll use them in other recipes. Whatever you have lying around would be delicious, even starchy vegetables like potatoes (pre-cooked).

Making these is also a pretty fun Sunday-night activity: mixing up all the components and setting up an assembly line...

...rolling up the little enchiladas.

Exciting! Who says I'm not a wild party animal?

Black bean and veggie enchiladas

Serves 3

Enchilada sauce:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

8oz can tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until very lightly browned. Add cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and sauce. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt. Set aside.

Enchiladas:

1 recipe enchilada sauce (above)

6 small corn tortillas

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

3 oz fresh spinach leaves, torn, tough stems discarded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pickled jalapeno, minced (about 1 tbsp)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin, and cook, stirring, until garlic is very lightly browned. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Take off heat, add corn and stir until corn is defrosted. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl. Stir 1/2 cup of each of the cheese into the mixture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Wrap stack of corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds, until just soft. Make sure you have all of the ingredients set out near the baking dish. Remove one tortilla from the pile at a time, fill with veggie mixture, roll up, and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Continue until all of the rolled tortillas are in the baking dish (you'll probably have to put one perpendicular to the others). Spread enchilada sauce over the rolls in an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is bubbling.

This week (1/3)

- sour cream

- bag of clementines

- pink lady apples

- 1 green bell pepper

- 1 English cucumber

- extra sharp cheddar cheese

- habanero jack cheese

- corn tortillas

- frozen chopped spinach

- frozen yellow corn

- tofu

- dried papaya spears

- dried cranberries

Restocking:

- tomato sauce

- crushed red pepper

- rolled oats

- soy sauce

Roasted beet pizza

From this week: spinach

From weeks past: beets!, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, best whole wheat pizza crust

Staples: olive oil, garlic

Hmm.

I'm perplexed. I can't figure out how I feel about beets.

A few weeks ago, after my first beet debacle, I went on a tirade about how eating beets went against nature. Humans, I said, are biologically programmed to dislike foods that look or taste or feel like flesh or blood. If we weren't, it'd be cannibalistic chaos! And beets, to me, look exactly like solidified blood. Ick.

But the truth is, I think they taste pretty good. Sweet, earthy, slightly starchy. Hmmm.

I thought I should give cooking with beets a second chance - a better chance. Stewing them was a mistake. If I was turned off by the blood-like solid that is whole beets... you see where I'm going.

I decided to stack the deck in beets' favor by sneaking them in my favorite thing: pizza (I know I just made one, but this is a totally different one - variety, another awesomely logical advantage of pizza...). Nestled in a bed of mozzarella and feta cheeses, surrounded by slightly bittersweet, chewy fresh spinach, all atop a thin, crispy crust coated with garlic olive oil. How could that be bad?

It couldn't. It was delish. But I'm not sure the beets really did anything for it.

The sweetness was kinda nice against the salty cheese and garlicky oil, but I think the crust was probably sweet enough.

The color contrast was pretty, but the red stains were off-putting.

I ate 4 pieces, but by the fourth piece, I had picked all the beets off.

Hmmmm.

Roasted beet (or not) pizza

Serves 3

1 ball pizza dough (i.e. 1/2 recipe best whole wheat pizza crust)

1 small beet

3 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

handful of fresh spinach leaves, torn

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Roast beet: Preheat oven to 400. Wash beet and place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Cook for 45-90 minutes, or until a knife slides into the beet with very little resistance. Cool, peel, and slice into 1/4 inch slices.

Make garlic oil: While beet is roasting, heat olive oil and garlic in a small pan over medium low heat for 15 minutes. It's okay if the garlic sizzles, but don't let it get more then slightly toasty brown. Remove from heat and let sit until you're ready to assemble.

Assemble pizza: Preheat oven to 500. Press dough out into a 1/4 inch thin round and place on a cookie sheet (or pizza peel, if using a pizza stone). Brush round with most (about 2 tbsp) of garlic oil. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with beets and spinach. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and feta. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake on cookie sheet (or slide onto pizza stone) for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned and cheese is bubbling. Let cool slightly before serving.