State Fair Food

Since Brian and I knew we wouldn't be able to make to the State Fair this year, he had the idea to have fair food at home. We picked up some veggie corny dogs, and he wanted to make fried pickles. As we were walking toward the checkout line at the store, i jokingly said we should try fried oreos too. He stopped dead in his tracks, and so it was a go.

Here's our attempt at State Fair food at home! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericagill/sets/72157624964972425/

Heirloom Caprese Avocado Salad

Aren't these heirloom tomatoes beautiful! This was an heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, pesto, and baby greens with balsamic vinegar.

Faux Salade Niçoise

Blurry picture...darn...

I'm sure the French probably hate anything faux French, but I threw together this salad with ingredients I had around the house. I had fresh tomato, but I didn't have capers, so I thought sun-dried would add a nice brininess. Brian called it "a nice kitchen-sink salad."

Ingredients:

2 red skinned potatoes - boiled

2 eggs, hard boiled

1 can tuna, drained

sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

red bell pepper, chopped

olives, sliced

onion, chopped

feta cheese

Dressing:

Red wine vinegar

olive oil

squirt of spicy brown mustard

Edamame Orange Salad with Miso Dressing

Ingredients:

Spinach

Edamame

Orange, peeled and chopped into large pieces

Broccoli slaw

Red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Cashews

green onion

For the dressing:

Miso (I used Hikari Minute Miso)

Soy Sauce

Garlic Chili Paste

Rice wine vinegar

Mirin

Toasted sesame seed oil

Brian's Birthday, Fish and Chips, and Peanut Butter Torte

Brian's birthday was a couple of weeks ago. We both took the day off and we went to the zoo. Afterwards, we went to Central Market to find something to make for dinner. After annoying the fishmonger with our indecisiveness (He wanted to do something easy, I wanted something special), the fishmonger pointed out some North Atlantic Cod. It was beautiful and on sale. I said, "That would be great for fish and chips." But we did not have a deep fryer. We do now!!!

We came home and made amazing fish and chips (beer battered with Liberty Ale). We used Alton Brown's recipe.
Afterwards we had a Peanut Butter Torte I made. It was from Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, which I finally purchased a copy for the library after reading about Tuesdays with Dorie for so long on the Food Librarian's site and others.

It was so incredibly rich, like a fluffy peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate ganache. After the fried food and this, we were both nearly ill. Brian seemed to be happy with everything and said, "I don't regret one bite."

Pesto and Pea Pasta with Salmon

Brian cooked the Salmon in a saute pan. He rubbed a bunch of herbs and spices on it before he cooked it in olive oil.

The pasta is:

Whole wheat penne

Frozen peas

Pesto (Classico)

fat free half 'n' half.

Happy New Year!

For New Year's Day, Brian grilled BBQ shrimp, and I made a black-eye pea salad for good luck. Cornbread muffins and avocado slices for good measure.
The salad recipe came from AllRecipes Black-Eyed Pea Salad. I used red wine vinegar instead of balsamic because I thought that would have a lighter flavor. The muffins were just a cheap mix, but they were pretty good.

For dessert I made a bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Both the recipes came from the classic Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Every left over pieces of good loaves of bread I had, I stuck in the freezer, I just now had enough to make the pudding.

Happy New Year!