cooking in my underwear

Today was my first workout in almost a week, and I was dreading it.  Last week, in the throes of a mysterious bout of exhaustion, I decided to forgo my Zumba class in favour of getting to bed really early and getting some sleep.  And sleep I did, for almost 24 hours, getting up only to use the bathroom, and eat a couple of bowls of soup.  And after a frantic Friday spent catching up on my backlog at work, I was grateful for the long Columbus Day weekend, most of which I spent in bed, in a near-comatose state. You would think that I would have leaped from my bed this morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to take on the world.  But alas, my tail was not the least bit bushy, in fact, it was dragging.  It dragged all day, impervious to all the caffeine I consumed and all the internal motivational speeches I gave myself.  I forced myself to the gym tonight, and pounded out my hour on the treadmill, fighting all the way. I'd like to thank my fellow...

In a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat, soften a large chopped onion, some minced garlic and a chopped green pepper.  Add 2 pounds of ground meat (I used a mixture of beef and lamb), salt, a tablespoon of ground cumin, a tablespoon of paprika, 3 or 4 tablespoons of chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of ghost pepper flakes .  Stir, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until the meat is browned. Add an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and the same amount of water and simmer, covered, until the meat is tender.  Then add 2 cups of butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes, and a 29 oz. can of black beans (drained and rinsed), cover and simmer until the squash is cooked through.  If you find the chili becoming too dry and in danger of scorching during the simmering process, add some water  (or beer if you're feeling wild).  Serve over brown rice and top as desired with sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar, sliced scallion, diced fresh tomato, etc. Warnin...

Cook some whole wheat pasta in boiling salted water, remove from heat and drain while still slightly undercooked.  While the pasta is cooking, season some thin-sliced pork chops with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook in a bit of olive oil, in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side.  Remove the pork chops and set aside.  Add fresh broccoli to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes.  Then add the drained pasta and a 15oz. can of diced tomatoes and cook until the pasta and has reached the desired texture.  Serve the pasta mixture topped with the pork chops. If you have any leftovers, this is great the next day as a pasta salad (dice the leftover pork chops and mix in with the pasta).  Tastes delicious hot or cold.

It all started out as a rather ordinary Saturday afternoon, as my sweetie and I decided to take advantage of one of the long-standing seasonal events in our area, and made our way to the Chile Pepper Fiesta at the Brookyn Botanic Garden.  Knowing that the fiesta is usually very popular regardless of the weather, we decided to get an early start, in order to avoid the inevitable crowds.  This turned out to be a wise move, as we were greeted not only by an entrance free of lines snaking around the block, but also by the lovely Pepper Sisters (later christened Belle Pepper and Holly P e ñ o by the loopy MC at the main music stage).   As far as sweetie was concerned, our first order of business was to secure some Brooklyn Chili and a good spot on the lawn, both of which were accomplished with minimal fuss, since the gardens were still fairly empty at this point. We lay around on the lawn enjoying what turned out to be a wonderfully warm day, listening to all the g...

They say that exercise is often easier when you do it with friends.  Well, since I began this regimen I've had the constant company of two new riding partners:  disappointment and pain . The first one shows up bright and early every morning when I get on the scale.  In spite of my seemingly endless hours on the treadmill over the past three weeks, the numbers are agonizingly slow to change.  And while I am well aware that the daily weighings are only meant as reinforcement of my goal, I can't help but feel a bit downtrodden when I come face to face with the snail's pace of my progress (which, on some days, is measured in negative numbers). My other new buddy is with me day and night, distracting me from work and tormenting me in my sleep. Every joint in my body feels like it's filled with broken glass.  My muscles throb and spasm.  My body doesn't like exercise, it wants to remain still and sofa-bound, and the o...

In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, sautee some minced garlic in a bit of olive oil, add juice of one lemon and cook for about a minute.  Add a package of frozen corn kernels, a diced red pepper and three small zucchini, diced.  Season with salt and pepper, and stir in a couple handfuls of minced basil.  Cover and cook until vegetables begin to soften.  Mix in about a pound of fresh jumbo shrimp (shelled and cleaned).  Cover and simmer until shrimp is cooked through. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the juices.

For the salad, combine halved (or quartered, depending on the size) cherry tomatoes, diced fresh mozzarella and minced fresh basil in a large bowl with a dressing of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Allow to sit for 10 or 15 minutes before serving, so that the flavours can combine. For the scallopini, season thin-sliced turkey cutlets with salt and pepper, dust with flour and cook in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  They will take about 2 minutes on each side.  Remove the turkey from the pan and add a small handful of capers, a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a handful of chopped fresh parsley and a couple tablespoons of butter.  When the butter is fully melted, pour the sauce over the turkey to serve. ps I forgot to add the parsley to the sauce before I took the picture.