As many of you may know, I just recently started working (go me), after all too many career changes and YEARS in school. I do enjoy my work very much, however I have yet to make it over the “what do you mean I wont be home by 3 Oclock” hump. Since Matt and I have been married, I have essentially cooked dinner for us almost every night (barring weekends when we usually head to the restaurants). And I have thoroughly enjoyed this. The truth is I’m a bit of a homebody. Most of my days revolve around 2 things, what I will eat for lunch and what I will  eat (make) for dinner. Since I started working, this has all gone out the window and sadly been replaced with delivery. Last week, after a hell of a couple of days (my dog, grandmother, and mother ALL had surgery! everybody is fine…except for my stockings, but that is another story)  I decided to try and seek Matt’s help and Giulia’s epicurean guidance to be able to make a quick meal. I opted for the veal cutlet and salad from early on in the book, remembering that it looked like a cinch to make. Matt headed to Trader Joe’s for requested ingredients (veal) and Matt returned sans veal and with “chicken tenders”. Please be advised, Matthew clearly looked for veal, but TJ’s did not have any. This might be a good time to mention that meat in general kind of makes me want to barf. I was vegeterian for all too many years, and when i did start eating meat again, Chicken was the first down the hatch…and first to make its way back up. Not a great combination with “chicken breast tenders”. Giulia’s recipe called for veal or chicken cutlets..oh well this would have to do.

My next hurdle was frying. I bake with butter and oil all of the time, however, for some strange reason, actually saying I will “fry” something seems unhealthy. Sure, 1/2 pound of butter in my cookies could be seen as good for you fat, but throw it on the stove with some meat, and that is unhealthy. I was so stressed out though, and sometimes, you just need some trans fat! I did wind up breading and frying the cutlets according to Giulia…and it was well worth it. I did doctor  it up a bit, but it was very crisp and suprisingly light. I am making it again this evening (with real chicken cutlets) and some garlic spinach.

Giulia’s Breaded Cutlets

2 Eggs, lightly beaten, seasons with salt

3/4 C. bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs. Parsley (I actually used italian style bread crumbs)

1 pound this cutlets

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs Butter

Lemon

Put the eggs in a wide rimmed bowl and put the bread crumbs on a plate. (I added a little but of milk to the eggs). Dip the meat into the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs.

In a skillet heat the oil and butter until melted and bubbly. Add the breaded cutlets and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side. You may have to do this two times. Refresh the trans fat in the pan if necessary! Pat cutlets with a paper towel and serve!

I made this with a really easy Spinach.

1 Bag baby spinach (pre cleaned is easiest)

4 cloves sliced garlic

1 shallot, sliced

1 tbs each butter and olive oil (the butter is so not necessary but sooooo good!)

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a pan until bubbly. Add garlic until slightly browned, add shallots and let cook until soft and a bit carmelized. Add spinach, salt and pepper until spinach wilts. Enjoy!

I am making this again tonight, it was so perfect. If you want to be healthier, you can eliminate all butter, use three egg whites and skim milk for the eggs, and whole wheat bread crumbs.

Food Club Pork Roast

6 garlic cloves

¼ cup fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 (4 ½ – to 5- pound) rib section center-cut pork loin (have the butcher bone the meat and then reassemble the roast with string)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup white wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mince the garlic and rosemary by hand (or better yet, in a food processor).  Mix them in a small bowl with the salt and freshly ground pepper.  Rub the meat with olive oil and then the garlic-rosemary mixture.  Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place pork flat side up on a rack in roasting pan, then pour white wine over it.  Roast in center of oven until a thermometer registers 140 degrees, about 90 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the meat rest on a cutting board, tented with foil, for about 20 minutes before slicing.

Discard string, separate bones from the loin, and slice meat to desired thickness.  You may cut the ribs and serve them, too, or save them to add them to a tomato sauce.  (Pork ribs add richness to sauce.)Yield: 6 servings

Overall I was really happy with how dinner turned out and most importantly Shaun loved it! Don’t get me wrong there were a few hiccups along the way. I managed to spill a good amount my macaroni and cheese when I was putting it in the oven and created a huge mess. Oh and let us not forget how I almost chopped off a finger cutting the garlic! I guess I got a little arrogant with my recently acquired knife skills while using Shaun’s precious Wusthof knives.

I also decided to take a stab at “Nana’s Blueberry Muffins”. As you guys know we have a gluten allergy in the family so I decided to make these muffins gluten free. Please keep in mind that I have never baked a thing in my life. I am lucky I know the difference between a whisk and a spatula! I told Shaun earlier in the week that I wanted to bake so he was nice enough to get me a set silicone bake ware in a pretty red. Instead of regular flour I used “Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour “. I also added a little bit of vanilla extract, nutmeg and cinnamon. I wasn’t sure how gluten free flour was going to make the muffins taste so I wanted to spice them up so to speak. Don’t ask me how much of each spice I added because honestly I just eyeballed it. I know it sounds stupid for someone who has never baked before. I just added as much spice as I’ve seen my Dad add to his muffins. Growing up my Dad always made us a special breakfast on Sunday to give my Mom a break in the kitchen. No joke my Dad makes the best blueberry muffins!!

I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree cause the muffins turned out great!

Nana’s Blueberry Muffins

Butter, softened, for greasing muffins tins

1 3/4 Cup self-rising flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup milk

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1 Egg

1 Cup Blueberries

1 Tablespoon Butter (Optional)

1/4 Cup Sugar (Optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the muffin tins. Mix flour and sugar, stir in the wet ingredients, then add the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes, cool for ten minutes, and put on a cooling rack. While the muffins are still warm, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and place in a saucer. Put the 1/4 C. sugar in a separate saucer. Dip the muffins into the butter than roll in the sugar.  This step is optional but I highly recommend it.

Yield: 9 Muffins; recipe can be doubled.

I am pretty excited to hang out with the women of CTB on Wednesday and celebrate the blog and completion of the first book! I am however not looking forward to making the gnocchi we all agreed to make. Although I think the only reason I am not looking forward to it is Gnocchi seems complicated to make. And let’s not forget the fact that I have never ever had this dish before. It is going to be hard to make something without a reference point but I am up for the challenge. Worst come to worst if I burn it, there is always frozen pizza to save the day! Wish me luck…

Everyone I have told about Cooking the Books thinks it is a fun and awesome idea.  But I have to say there hasn’t been one person who didn’t laugh or chuckle when I told them that I was going to cook!  It’s pretty much a known fact that I only make things that are microwaveable, so I can understand everyone’s amazement.     Since this is one of the first times I was going to try to cook, I wanted to make one of Giulia’s recipes that meant something to me.  It’s funny because with my cooking ability or lack thereof.  Most people might imagine that I would just do something ridiculous like “Kit’s Drunken Soup”.  I have to admit that “Kit’s Drunken Soup” is totally up my alley.  (You will just have to check out I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti to know what I am talking about!)  However I wanted to make real food, so I took a stab at the “Grilled Marinated Flank Steak”.  It seemed like an easy enough recipe that even I would have been able to pull it off.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

2 to 3 pounds flank steak

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Place meat in a bowl or Ziploc bag with remaining ingredients and marinate for 30 minutes on the counter and as much as overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat broiler or grill.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Slice thinly.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

I was pretty excited to try and make this recipe.  During the week I don’t have time with work to come home and cook (aka experiment!!).  I figured this would be perfect for Saturday night dinner.

Shaun has been really supportive about me learning to cook.  He went with me yesterday to Whole Foods to pick out the meat and get the ingredients.  Without him I would have been a deer caught in headlights at the meat counter.  I insisted that we make the special trip to Whole Foods because I wanted beef that had been grass fed.  (Shaun and I watched Food Inc the other day.  It really opened my eyes to a few things and now I only want to eat grass fed meat.)  Yes, the meat was more expensive but it was worth every penny.

Shaun gave me a quick lesson in knife skills and directed me on how to mince garlic.  He laughed at me when I though the whole bulb of garlic was a clove.  How the hell was I supposed to know?!

Jeanine Mincing Garlic

As a side dish I made brown rice fusilli pasta with red sauce.  Shaun has a gluten allergy so regular pasta is out of the question in my house.  And for those of you that were wondering, the red sauce was store bought.  I will try to make my own sauce next time.  Rome was not built in a day people.

Overall the meal was a success.  It was awesome that I got to learn from Shaun.  It made me feel good to know that Shaun loved the meal and he was proud of me.  He called me his wife the “Chef”.  While I don’t think I deserve all this fanfare I can’t wait to try this again next weekend.   Next I am going to try the “Food Club Pork Roast”.  When I told Shaun that I wanted to make a roast he said “the microwave queen wants to learn how to use the oven”!

I want to thank Shaun for being patient with me and Giulia for all the awesome recipes.