beef paprika

As part of my high-protein experiment, I made beef paprika today based on a recipe I found online.  Although it takes a while to simmer, the actual prep is really easy.  The taste is good: a sweetness that reminds me of BBQ, but with the genuineness of a hardy goulash.

stuffed chicken breast

A body is like a long-term science experiment.  We can change it for the better, or completely f it up.  So, in an effort to motivate myself to eat better, I started using my calorie tracker again (it's free and gives you a really detailed analysis of your food intake).  Well, among a lot of mistakes I'm making is my lack of protein, which I need to complement my beachbody workout for this summer.

Anyway, all of this led me to try out a some high-protein recipes.  This recipe for cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast was really good and pretty easy. 

I deviated from the recipe a little.  First of all, I used feta cheese instead of pepper Jack because I like it better and that's what I had in the fridge.  Secondly, I didn't roll it, but bunched it up and wrapped the bacon around the edges.  I pressed them a little flat to look like steaks or pork wheels.  I'm not a big garlic fan, so I left that out, but added some butter ontop before baking.  Made it with rice and salad with honey mustard vinaigrette.

honey mustard vinaigrette

When weeks are long and busy, you have to make sure there are things to look forward to.  For example, every week we have TNBLTC (Tuesday night bacon-lettuce-tomato club) after classes.  Health-conscious as we are, however, we decided to switch it up with hot dogs one week.  Now, something that actually has to do with this recipe, is that from hot dog night we had some honey mustard left over and I decided to try it out as salad dressing.

Most recipes tell you to use honey and mustard, but pre-made honey mustard is almost better (but let's not get into processed foods...).  As usual, I didn't measure, but if I had to pull some numbers out of my... imagination, I would say: 1-2 tablespoons prepared honey mustard, 2-3 tablespoons (olive) oil, 1-2 tablespoons (apple cider) vinegar, and a good amount of salt and pepper.  It's strong, but if it turns out too sour for your liking, add a teaspoon or so of water.

For the salad itself, you can go wild.  I really like it with chopped up apples and strawberries.  Tip: I always add a little lemon juice to cut apples to keep them from turning brown and because I like the flavor.  In the picture I also sliced up a hot dog (a Leitmotiv, one might say).  You could use any protein, really.  Ham, pepperoni, garbanzo beans*, chicken breast...

* Did you know garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas?  I didn't.  Also, one cup covers 25% of your daily protein.

german apple pancakes

Ah yes, the German pancake.  Balancing the line somewhere between crêpe and American pancake, they are versatile and yummy.  Somehow, most of the food I make isn't very photogenic, but trust me -- it tastes better than it looks. 

My favorite thing about it is that it only has four ingredients: eggs, flour, milk, apples.  Oh, and a dash of salt.  Optionally, you can make it sweeter by either adding sugar to the mixture or on top of the finished product (maybe with cinnamon?). 

The measuring is where it gets a little tricky.  The mix should be fairly liquidy, a little thicker than for crêpes.  A good rule of thumb is one egg per person, in other words one egg per two pancakes.  Then add a couple large tablespoons of flower.  Add milk until you get the desired consistency. 

Then, in a hot skillet, add a tablespoon or two of oil.  When it's hot, take a large ladleful of the mix and pour it in.  Since it's so liquidy, your pancake will be the size of the skillet.  Flip after about two minutes or when it browns on one side (see pic).  If no one's watching, try to flip it in the air.  If you're being judged, use a spatula.

Last thing: I just dump the (peeled green) apples into the mixture.  I've seen other people neatly arrange the slices on the cooking pancake.  It's up to you.

EDIT: Because of reader responses (aka two of three people who've ever seen this blog), I need to make an edit.  First off, the measurements.  Try one heaped spoon of flour per egg and a lot of milk, so it doesn't turn out too eggy.  Also, if you're making it as a dessert (with apples, or maybe other fruits) add two or three tablespoons of sugar to the batter before cooking the pancakes.

in germany

I'm in Germany for spring break and have to use the opportunity to eat good food.  My afternoon snack: Black Forest ham, Lyoner sausage, sweet-sour pickles, bread, and spicy mustard. 

easy fish fillets

Easy and tasty fish that doesn't take too long to make.  Because we're using frozen fish, you can easily make it for one person or for as many as you want.  Choose any (cheap) frozen white fish, like cod or flounder.  It goes well with rice or any sort of vegetables.  Most people say run the fish under cold water to thaw it right before using it, but I sometimes just throw it in a bowl of warm water and change the water when it cools down.  Fish cooks fast, so start rice or potatos early.

Once thawed, pat the fish dry.  While a good amount of butter melts in a non-stick pan, season the fish with salt, pepper, and paprika on one side.  When the butter stops bubbling, it's ready.  Cook the fish on high heat (but not high enough to burn the butter) spiced side down.  Season the other side while the fish cooks.  The trick is to not move the fish.  This makes it crispy and keeps it from falling apart.

With a spatula flip the fish after 3-4 minutes and cook it again undisturbed.  If you're serving vegetables with it, I like to throw in frozen vegetables a minute after I flip the fish.  Cooking things together not only spreads the flavor but saves on dishes.  They say fish is ready when you can easily flake it with a fork.  Perfect fish can be flaked with a fork on top but center should be just short of flaky.  Add some lemon or lime juice and enjoy!

eggs crazy

Sticking with the theme of everyday food, I would like to introduce you to "eggs crazy." The procedure: fry two eggs in two table spoons of butter. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. (Julia says never add salt at the end of cooking because the taste will be too strong and it won't bring out the food's natural flavors.) While you let the eggs get nice and crispy, toast two pieces of (wheat) bread.

My personal preference is to throw in some sliced tomatos a few minutes before the eggs are done. On the toast, I put (strawberry) jelly. Put the eggs onto the bread and cover with tomatoes. Drizzle the rest of the butter ontop. Poke the yolks to let them seep through to the bread. Be prepared for some salty-sweet goodness.

blt - bacon, lettuce, tomato

I wanted to commemorate not only my blog's new home, but also this amazing bacon-filled day.

Sometimes, instead of taking step-by-step pictures of recipes, I like to take pictures of everyday food I eat. I feel like there's no meal or snack or dessert too simple to make it look "gourmet." Even when making food for yourself, I think it's important to make it look delicious.

On a side note, I kind of like the fact that we only have small plates. It makes everything look rich and giant.

moving

Wait, why am I blogging again? Oh, that's right - I have homework. Instead of doing my millions of school tasks, I decided to finally move the food blog to a place that matches its name.

Welcome to alexsnax.blogspot.com.

I'm not 100% sure what will happen with alexexplainsitall.blogspot.com, but I'm thinking something along the line of art meets technology meets leisure time. We'll see.

inbetween update

So, I'm lazy again. I still have about four recipes to post from last year (!!) with a bunch of pictures just floating around inside my computer. That's one.

Two, I'm slightly obsessed with Julia Child (still). I got Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas and can't get over it. Everything you've heard (because who doesn't hear tons about Julia Child everyday?) is true about the book: it's easy to read and follow, has great tips, helpful illustrations, and it's true, she does use a ton of butter. For four recipes I've used five sticks of butter already. They were:

- Variation on Gratin de volaille (Turkey Casserole, p. 157)
- Bitokes a la Russe (Hamburgers with Cream Sauce, p. 302)
- Poulet sauté (Sautéed Chicken, p. 254)
- Mousseline au chocolat (Chocoalte Mousse, p. 604)

The chocolate mousse was pretty gross (partly because of the coffee that goes in it and partly because I made it by hand, i.e. without a mixer). Let's just say it wasn't as moussey as it could've been. On other occasions, I've also made her omlette (below) and a roast chicken (coming soon).

julia child's omelette

Today I saw Julie & Julia. I can't believe I never knew about Julia Child. I only ever saw her books and thought they were too intimidating, but needless to say they're on my xmas list now. As an homage I made a super easy and super good two-egg omelette for dinner. I'll let Julia show you how. (I put jelly on mine.)

fall soup

This soup is a combination of Thanksgiving dinner and pumpkin pie. Secret ingredient: cinnamon. Peel and boil the potatoes; fry some turkey breast pieces with a little bit of oil. In a large pot, heat the cream of pumpkin soup and add seasoning. When the potatoes are done, drain them and add them to the soup. Cut up the turkey and add to soup as well.

Shopping List:
- two 500mL boxes of Crema fina de calabaza from Knorr*
- turkey breast
- 3-4 medium potatoes
- parsley
- a few dashes of cinammon
- dash of nutmeg
- salt, pepper

* If you can't find pre-made cream of pumpkin soup (I've only seen it in Spain so far), you can try making it yourself. According to the lable, it contains about half pumpkin puree, half vegetable puree, water, and cream.

quick'n'dirty shepherd's pie

I feel like to be edgy I have to give my recipes stupid names. So, today I present you with quick'n'dirty shepherd's pie. It's fast (less than 30 minutes), filling, and delicious, if a bit lacking in the presentation department. Perfect cold-weather food or dinner for those feeling-bad-about-yourself-and-watching-youtube-videos-all-night evenings. What you need:

- pan with metal or removable handle
- 1lb (400-500g) ground beef*
- 1 jar or 1 packet of brown gravy
- (instant) mashed potatoes**
- frozen or fresh vegetables
- grated cheese

* I prefer ground beef, but you could also use mixed (beef/pork) or, if you're feeling a little fat that day, ground turkey. Haven't tried it vegetarian, but you could experiment with tofu and whatnot.
** Instant mashed potatoes are definitely good enough for this recipe, but read the package. Some only need water, other require milk and butter, so make sure you get what you need. Home-made are also acceptable.

Get out your vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, etc.) if frozen. Start by browning the meat with a little oil. Meanwhile, in a medium pot get the mashed potatoes started. If you're choosing the home-made option, try to have them almost done by the time you start the meat. Once that's going, heat the gravy (jar) or boil the water for it (packet). When the meat is cooked through, at the vegetables and simmer until thawed.

Next, dump the gravy over the meat/vegetable mixture and stir. Plop the finished mashed potatoes on top and spread. Add some sprinkled cheese. Broil (with overhead heat) the whole pan until cheese is crispy (make sure the pan's handle won't melt -- and obviously use a pot holder when taking it out of the oven). This should take only a few minutes, so watch it closely. Let cool for a minute, then stuff your face.

oma's stuffed peppers

Here's what you'll need for the stuffed peppers:

- 1kg/2lbs ground meat (beef or mixed)
- 6-8 bell peppers (whatever color you like)
- 1 cup rice
- 1 onion, chopped
- tomato paste
- ketchup

- 2-3 tablespoon of flour
- salt, pepper, paprika, parsley

First, we'll make the meatballs because they'll take 45 min - 1 hour to boil. In a bowl, mix the meat, chopped onion, rice, seasoning, and parsley. Before you get your hand all meaty, put a big pot of water with a dash of salt to boil. Then mix everything with your hands. The size of the meatballs will depend on the size of your bell peppers. (I usually make a few without peppers.) While they boil, hang out, listen to music, or do some homework if you're feeling productive.

After about 45 minutes, start preparing the bell peppers. Some people like to save the tops as lids because they think it's "cute," but I just throw them away. Wash inside and out. If you have giant bell peppers, you could even cut them in half. When the meatballs are done, take them out of the water. Take about a cup or two of the broth and put it in a sauce pan. Fill the original pot (still with the rest of the broth) up with wather and boil the peppers.

In the sauce pan with the broth, add about half a cup of ketchup and a small can or two of tomato paste. Whisk in a table spoon or two of flour and boil for a minute. When the peppers are soft (maleable, but not falling apart), drain the water and introduce a meatball to each pepper; cover with sauce. Finished.

party dips double feature - part 2 - tomato butter

People always seem to like my tomato butter, so I make it sometimes for BBQs and parties.  It's super-easy to make and has a lot of flavor.  All you need to do is chop up the dried tomatos and mix everything together.  You should cool it, but take it out at least an hour before serving so it's not too hard.

• 2 sticks soft butter (room-temp, not melted)
• 1 tube or 2 small cans of tomato paste
• couple tablespoons of soy sauce
• chopped sun-dried tomatos
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of Italian herbs to taste
• pre-mixed or make your own with oregano, basil, etc.
• salt
• pepper

It's best on baguette or some sort of white bread, but I eat the leftovers on wheat for breakfast.  (The sausage in the pic is a smoked-pork version of a merguez sausage, which is really popular in Germany, specifically in Saarland where I live.)

And the party double feature is complete!

party dips double feature - part 1 - guacamole

So, I was invited to a friend's BBQ this week. She asked me to bring the tomato butter I'd made last Summer (see Part 2), which is quick and easy. But I wanted to bring something different, too. I was trying to think of something new and maybe exotic, and ended up on guacamole. Although really common in the States, it's relatively unknown here in Germany (even though Tex-Mex is becoming pretty popular).

The only thing to watch out for are the avocados. Not only are they expensive (alright at $1 each in the US, but 1.49Euro/$2.12 in Europe), but if they are over- or under-ripe they can't be used. I like the smaller black ones best. Choose ones that aren't too hard to the touch, but avoid mushy ones. I always buy an extra one because inevitably one or two will be bad. Also, be quick with the lime juice -- brown guacamole looks gross.

Here's what you'll need:
4 - 5 avocados (or more depending on amount)
2 - 3 limes
1 big tomato
1 medium onion (I like red ones)
Goya Adobo powder (see below)
pepper


The process is pretty easy. As with most of the things I cook, I don't really measure. Cut the avocados in half length-wise and twist apart - save the pit if you want an avocado tree! Hold it in your hand and hatch the inside with a knife into squares; scoop out into bowl with spoon. Roll a lime on the counter to get the juice going, cut in half. Sprinkle a little over each avocado in the bowl to keep it from getting brown. Mash them with a fork, or puree them with a blender/mixer if you want to get fancy (I like it chunky).

Then just add the seasoning and pepper to taste, chopped onion, and chopped tomato (without seeds). All the Adobo really is, is salt, garlic powder, and some oregano. If you don't have it, just use those things.  I don't know about you, but my kitchen always ends up looking like crap after I make it, but it's worth it.  Maybe fill it into a nicer bowl (see next Part 2), bring some tortilla chips, and you'll be the hit of the BBQ.