Jessica C.

Spaghetti all’Aglio e Olio with Marinated Summer Vegetables

I made dinner using an Eat for Eight Bucks recipe by Michele Humes.

Really delicious, although you need to have two+ hours available for baking the tomatoes. I’d say a good, easy, cheap weekend dish. I ended up spending more like $11, since I bought a baguette and didn’t have canola oil in my pantry.

One of these days I’m going to try Michele’s Pork Belly Sandwich recipe. Yum!

Ceviche! Currently marinating in the fridge, preparing to be devoured this evening.

Ceviche is definitely my favorite summer food. Possibly my favorite food, period. I’ve never attempted to make it before, though, so hopefully this goes well.

As I was reading through different recipes last night I was thinking it looked really easy. The fish is “cooked” by the acidity in citrus juice, so you don’t even have to heat up the stove.

Reality: Yes, it’s easy, but it’s also very dangerous. Mostly for your eyeballs.

See, first there’s the onion. I don’t know why, but this onion was especially tear jerking. I was full on, mascara-down-the-cheeks, weeping as I sliced it. The saddest onion ever chopped.

Then there’s the lemons and limes. I used the juice of four limes and three lemons for my ceviche and juice from two of those lemons squirted right into my already irritated eyeballs.

So, then I took a break to stubble blindly to the bathroom for a little eye wash.

Next hazard: habaneros. By this point, though, I was very alert to the danger. I managed to remember not to touch my eyes after cutting the peppers before washing my hands. I have made that mistake in the past. Not pleasant.

It will all be worth it, though. I would gladly sacrifice a little eyesight for delicious ceviche.

Calzones have become one of my favorite meals to make. You can stuff them with pretty much anything you want, they’re easy to put together and they make awesome leftovers. In fact, they’re almost better after a day or two in the fridge once the ingredients really get to know one another. I recommend them if you’re looking for stuff to bring to work for lunch.

The dough:

Pre-made! I’ve made them using Trader Joes pizza dough in both white and whole wheat. Both ways are delicious. I also used Pillsbury pizza dough once and, well… they were really good, although probably a lot less healthy.

One bag of dough makes about four calzones. I usually end up with about twice that much filling, so it’s better to just go ahead and make eight. They keep really well. You won’t regret it.

Filling:

Filling can be pretty much whatever! What’s your favorite flavor of Hot Pocket? Make that!

I’ve made them Tex-Mex style and Italian style in the past, but really the possibilities are endless.

For the Tex-Mex calzones (empanadas?) I put some lean ground turkey in a pan, seasoned it with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin and cook until browned. Then add green and red pepper and onion. Other ingrediants would work, too. Jalepenos, olives… Whatever sounds good. When the veggies are softened up a bit, the fillings done. Then I form the dough into flat discs, about 8 inches across and dump some of the filling on top. Sprinkle with cheese and then fold the dough over and pinch the edges to seal.

Italian style is even simpler. I just heat up some pasta sauce, add Trader Joes chicken sausage and maybe a little onion or fresh basil or whatever is kicking around, looking delicious. Then I form my discs, add my filling and top with mozzarella.

When the calzones are formed, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 425 for about 12 minutes, or until they start to brown.

These are like a gift to your future self. Nothing makes me look forward to lunch more than knowing I have calzone waiting for me.

Breakfast

My mom called me this morning and asked if I could whip up some deviled eggs for her work potluck.

I said, “Heck, yes!”

I love making deviled eggs. Mostly because I love eating deviled eggs, and when you make deviled eggs there is usually a little of the filling left over to eat with a spoon. Gross? Shut up!

I never really make them the same way twice, because I never follow a recipe and I just use whatever’s on hand. This can be dangerous. Last Christmas I accidentally made them so mustard-y that my grandpa had to spit his out. Oops.

These ones turned out much better.

Ingredients:

• Eggs! Hardboiled, cut in half, yolks scooped into a bowl, whites displayed on an attractive deviled egg-specific tray.
• Mayo
• Mustard- I used dried mustard. Careful with this stuff! a little goes a long way. Dijon, yellow or whatever would also work.
• Salt n Pepa
• Little bit of hot sauce
• Minced shallots
• Fresh dill- chopped up and also placed in an attractive frond atop the eggs.
• Paprika. A deviled egg is not a deviled egg without a little dash of paprika on top.

The only problem with deviled eggs is you can’t sneak one before your mom’s potluck because the deviled egg-specific tray will surely give you away.

Prosciutto Mango Panini with mozzarella, mint and arugula.

I intend on making these fancy-pants sandwiches for dinner tonight.