busy bee

I finally turned in the keys to my old place! We still have some work to do as far as settling into the new house but the mess is mainly relegated to the office. We have some art hung up now and things feel really homey. I'm borderline freaked out at what a smooth transition this has been. I guess I thought it'd feel more like a big relationship step, but instead it feels natural and easy. That is not a complaint!

In between unpacking and much needed relaxing I've had time to do a bit more cooking. I made the Thai Beef lettuce wraps in this recipe. They were really good but I'd recommend sprucing them up with a bit more sriracha  and a little garlic like I did. On the side, I just did a quick eggplant curry. Just cut up an eggplant, saute it in a little oil then add coconut milk and some curry and simmer for a bit. I used a green curry paste I got at Fiesta and wasn't that impressed with it - I plan to invest in some quality curry powder once I have time to go to the spice market.

Last night I made a good ol' standby, some Panko and parmesan crusted chicken breasts and tried a new recipe I found on Pinterest for Spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms.

I would recommend the following modifications:

-Swap out a 1/3 cup of the mayo with another 1/3 cup of cream cheese
-Add a little parsley
-Unless you want a ton of leftover filling, consider cutting the recipe in half. I made a dozen medium/large mushrooms and have about half of the filling left over. On the other hand, hey extra spinach artichoke dip, don't mind if I do...

I served the chicken and stuffed mushrooms along with a nice green salad with a homemade red wine vinaigrette and it was a yummy meal as you can see below.  My recipe for the chicken is below the photo.

Panko and Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs (if you can't find them just use regular but panko is far superior)
-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-Dried herbs of your choice (basil, italian seasoning, whatever you have or prefer)
-1 tsp garlic powder
-2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
-Flour
-1 egg, beaten
-olive oil
-butter (optional)
-salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350

-Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, garlic powder and herbs together in a large bowl. Add whatever amount of herbs you think is appropriate.  Keep in mind that all of the breadcrumbs aren't going to end up on the chicken, so think ratio.
-Set aside

-Prepare a dredging station! That means an assembly line of the following:
 -a shallow bowl or plate with the flour, salt and pepper mixture
-A bowl with a beaten egg (I like to add a splash of milk or water)
-Large bowl with breadcrumb mixture.

-Place your chicken between plastic wrap or inside a ziplock freezer bag
-Beat the hell out of them until they are about 3/4 of an inch thick. I use a mallet, but in a pinch you can use the edge of a plate
-Trim off any obvious fat or gristle. This is easy with good kitchen shears.
-Go down the assembly line and dredge them in the flour/salt/pepper mix, then egg, then the breadcrumb mixture. Pat the breadcrumbs onto the chicken to help them stick. 

-Heat up a large saute pan with a 50/50 mix of olive oil and butter. You can use just olive oil if you like, but the butter lends a nice flavor to the breadcrumbs.
-Add the chicken breasts and cook on medium heat until light golden brown, about two minutes on each side.

-Transfer chicken breasts to a baking pan or casserole dish and bake them at 350 for 20-30 minutes or so. (*bonus secret recipe: If you add some marinara to the dish and top with mozzarella before baking you have chicken parmesan my friend!) The cook time will vary depending on how thin you got the chicken, so always double check before serving. You can use a meat thermometer but I typically eyeball it. Keep in mind that the breading keeps the moisture in quite well, so don't be alarmed if it's really juicy. That's a good thing! As long as they're not pink you're in the clear.

Yummy in my tummy

Oh how it feels good to be back in the kitchen! Where a woman belongs. Just kidding. Seriously though, the kitchen at my last place was so tiny it was heartbreaking. I'm not exaggerating! Ok I am, but it did really make me sad you guys. I somehow managed to do Thanksgiving at my old place twice, but day to day it was just discouraging. My new kitchen isn't exactly huge, but I have workspace and a nice stove. It feels downright luxurious in comparison.

This may sound cheesy to you (mmm...cheese...what was I saying? Oh yeah) but cooking is very important to me. It's more than a hobby, it's an outlet for my creativity and something that increases my happiness and improves the quality of my life and those around me. That said, my first dish at the new place wasn't the best example of this - I totally ripped off a recipe I found on Pinterest and modified it, but I wanted something simple since I'm a little rusty. You will notice that some of the measurements and stuff are kind of vague. I like to wing it in the kitchen which means I have to reverse engineer it in order to write down the recipe, so play around with it!

Without further adieu I bring you:

 Lemony Goat Cheese Pasta with Asparagus and Shrimp

Please bear with me on the photo. My digital camera is still packed so it was taken hastily with my Iphone. 

Ingredients:

1 pack of spiral pasta
1 dozen small/medium shrimp
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
Olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp herbs of your choice (Original recipe called for tarragon. I substituted herbs de provence and a pinch of dill)
4 oz goat cheese (I used peppercorn. You can use plain, garlic & herb, whatever)
1 clove garlic
Butter (optional)
White wine (optional)
To taste: lemon juice, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese

Instructions:

-Get your water boiling with a little salt and olive oil.
-While it's getting there, do your prep. This means cut your asparagus, grate your lemon peel, mince your garlic and prepare your shrimp (I used frozen ones, so I just had to thaw them in cold water for 5 min.)
-When your prep is done, get a large saute pan going with a little olive oil or butter (I use a 50/50 mix of both) and garlic.
-Add your pasta to the boiling water and set timer for 5 minutes
-While the pasta is cooking, add shrimp and a splash of white wine to saute pan and cook until they are no longer translucent, flipping once in the middle. I used tongs to make it easy, and took into account that a little residual heat would cook them up.
-By now your 5 minutes is up on the pasta. Don't drain it yet - add the asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes.
-Drain pasta, but not too thoroughly. A little water in the pan is good.
-Add spices, lemon zest and drizzle some olive oil in the pasta
-Add goat cheese, breaking it up with your fingers as you drop it in
-Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste, then mix it all up real good
-Mix in shrimp, making sure to get some of the sauteed garlic in with it
-Serve and garnish with freshly grated parm! Use the stuff in a can and I will disown you.

 And there you have it! A tasty versatile dish without a lot of effort or time. The goat cheese is an automatic creamy sauce, and the lemon zest really makes it taste fresh and bright. You can throw in whatever you want too. Use chicken instead of shrimp, swap out another veggie for the asparagus, whatever you want! Leave out the protein and have it be a side! If you don't like goat cheese 1: You are crazy and 2: It's ok! Don't panic. Use cream cheese or mascarpone. I haven't tried this cold yet but I bet that'd be good too. As long as it ends up in your mouth, you're doing it right.

Excitement!

Greg and I are officially living in sin. We have a few things left to do at our old places but the bulk of it is done. We have some really kickass friends that put in a lot of work - probably more than they signed up for. It went really smoothly and, much to my delight, we are really clicking as far as agreeing on where to put stuff, decorating ideas, etc.

Speaking of which, we've been the recipients of several comments and jokes about how Greg will need to put all of his stuff in the back room or attic and get used to me taking control of the aesthetics of the place. I find this really odd coming from people who know us both. First off, I love his things - they're a reflection of who he is and our new home should reflect that too. Also, it's not like I don't have some wacky stuff. I have a fair amount of my dad's art (my whole living room was decorated around a piece he made) and while it's absolutely gorgeous it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's hard not to feel a tiny bit insulted, but I think they are just lighthearted jokes based on gender stereotypes. Either way, I still can't wait to prove everyone wrong :)

While I'm very excited about the way everything is going to look when we're all settled in, I'm even more excited about how this place is so functional and suits our needs perfectly. A large attic for storage, a kitchen I can really cook in, 2 bathrooms, a back patio and front loading washer/dryer that we bought from the previous tenant for a shockingly low sum. I think we're going to be really comfortable and happy here. I'm thrilled for a lot of reasons!

You guys: a stranger on the internet doesn't like me. *Gasp*

See, I got in a fight on the internet. I know I know, but to be more accurate others were fighting - I was being reasonable and (fairly) respectful. But it still resulted in an angry letter and being blocked. My whole worldview is shattered. Actually, the reason I'm writing this is that I realized I didn't give one single fuck about what some stranger thought of me. In my younger days I was desperate to be liked by everyone, so these little realizations are interesting. I still find myself saying things like "I'm not confrontational at all" only to realize that statement isn't true and hasn't been for several years. Realizing that we often typecast ourselves has been, for me, one of the keys to moving past some of the mid 20's growing pains I've had recently.

What about you? Are there ways you continue to define yourself that may no longer be accurate?

I told you I wouldn't update that much. Sorry! I'm about to be very busy with packing and moving so I'll have even LESS time to write. See, after two years my boyfriend and I have decided to shack up and I'm very busy and excited. What I'm saying is, don't give up on me! Living with Greg will no doubt result in hilarious stories to regale you with so just be patient.

PSA

I know buying jeans can be such a crap shoot so I wanted to share my latest find with you ladies. Levi's has a line called Denizen that you can buy at Target and I love them. They are super cheap and good quality and they aren't those crappy low rise jeans that show your ass crack (gross!) and give you muffin top (unflattering!) So check them out! And make sure to thank me next time someone compliments your butt!

Already?

I hate to get all political in my second post, but I want to talk about Ron Paul for a minute. And not in the way all of your other Facebook friends are talking about Ron Paul. See, the thing is I'm completely baffled as to why some of my more liberal friends are supporting him and I want to explain why.

I'll start with the positives. Ron Paul seems like a nice guy. I'd love for him to be my neighbor. He's clearly an intelligent man and spent many years as a well-respected doctor, often providing medical care pro-bono for low income people. He is on the right side of the War on Drugs and the Patriot Act. But even aside from the fact that he thinks global warming is a hoax, or that he slapped his name on some racist newsletters he says he didn't write, one issue really sticks in my craw and is the main reason I could never consider voting for the man.

And that's abortion rights. I'm am staunchly pro-choice and a monthly donor to Planned Parenthood (an organization that he wants to ban federal funding for actually) so it may be surprising for you to learn that I understand and respect his stance. I understand the religious (and other) motivations that spur people to be pro-life. I respect those views even though I don't share them, but once they seep over into my rights and freedoms I take issue.

Take a look at the Sanctity of Life Act, which Paul helped introduce to Congress, to get a better idea of where he stands. Not only would the act have defined life as beginning at conception, but it would have rendered Roe V. Wade moot and meant "that each state has authority to protect the lives of unborn children residing in the jurisdiction of that state."  Huh. Well, say goodbye to abortion in Texas. This is the very type of legislation that terrifies my liberal friends, yet they're throwing their support behind Paul. I have a hard time reconciling that.

I understand that's just one key issue. Take your pet cause and extrapolate away. In many cases he may come out favorably, I don't know. But I can't help but fear what would happen to our civil rights if some of the more backward thinking states are left to their own devices. Federal deregulation sounds good in theory but as someone who lives in a conservative state I count on those federal regulations to protect my rights.

Ron Paul is an idealist and when you compare to him our usual crop of pandering, spineless politicians I think that, in a way, that's something to be respected. The problem is that when I take his nice shiny ideas and actually practice some forward thinking about how they'd play out, the result is terrifying to me. He seems to want to be president of the country we wish we had, not the country we currently have. I think the chances of him being elected are very slim, but I feel compelled to speak about him in particular because my liberal friends aren't throwing their weight behind Romney for obvious reasons.

On a related note, I hate to be partisan but with the way women's rights are being eroded on an almost daily basis it seems, I feel that voting a Republican into office is just too risky, especially one that supports getting rid of the few federal protections we do have.  When I was growing up I hated the idea of voting along party lines, insisting that I would always consider each candidate on their own merit. But that would only be possible in the country I wish we had, not the country we do have. For me, as an adult? It's democrat all the way.