Meat, Meet Cheese

Meat and cheese plate: the carb-counter's dream meal.



We tend to throw together meat and cheese plates on lazy Sunday nights when we would rather picnic on our coffee table than spend an hour or two cooking in the kitchen. These "lazy Sunday dinners" tend to turn into a feast for a king by the time I get finished plating everything I thought we would need for a successful nosh.



Our honeymoon was to Iceland, and I am going to be honest here: I had not heard good things about the food. With a national dish such as putrefied shark and things like puffin, raw whale meat and horse on the menus, I was kind of looking forward to the possibility of actually losing weight while traveling.



I decided I would be adventurous and try some things I might be uncomfortable with. The very first restaurant we went to was a recommendation from someone I stopped in the street. "Do you know of any great little restaurants or cafes to eat lunch around here?", I asked in English without hesitation to a young-ish pair of stylish-looking women (EVERYONE spoke English there). They directed us to a little place that was tucked slightly off the main drag.

We did not know what to make of the menu. First of all, diet coke was "pepsi max"; a quick trial and error session was all it took to figure out that one. We did not really understand what a lot of the things on the menu were, and the servers were not interested in walking us through it. Also, everything was insanely expensive! This was just a regular restaurant, cute but nothing special. The entrees could cost between $35-$50. We settled on splitting what we determined to be a "sampler-style appetizer plate" that was $35.



It turned out to be the most delicious version of a meat and cheese plate I had ever set tongue on. From then on, I knew my waistline and wallet were in trouble on this trip. At least when we asked the random woman in the street what is customary for tipping, she said in a heavy accent, "oh, we are Icelanders...we. don't. tip." I don't know if she was trying to say that we should tip since we were not Icelanders or if she was just so proud of the fact that they do not subject themselves to the custom of tipping, but who could even afford to tip on top of such pricey restaurant bills?

We went on to indulge in other great adventures while in Iceland some of which included other foods like whale sashimi (no wonder we did not see any whales when we went whale watching) and that putrefied shark I was telling you about.

Other adventures were of the outdoor variety like visiting Iceland's many scenic wonders:

Waterfalls:


Glaciers:


Geysers:


Icelandic Horses:


Countryside:


And then there was the city-life. The biggest city was Reykjavik, where more than half of the 300,000 people in the country live. While Reykjavik was by far the biggest city we visited, it was still smaller than 200,000. I believe that is about the amount of people that fit into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium AKA "The Swamp" two times.

Reykjavik:


Sushi on a conveyor belt:


Church:


Some of you may see a meat and cheese plate as a cop out for a recipe, but I really wanted to share the idea since it is just the idea if you want to have dinner at home, but you are in no mood to cook. It has a "home-cooked" vibe without any mess or effort. There is something about plating up everything to create a nice spread that is relaxing and fun. Here are some tips to create a great spread based on my past trial and errors:



*choose 3 meats - one hearty style (i.e. something you might eat on a sandwich like a great roast beef or sliced ham), one sausage type (like a thick summer sausage or salami or chorizo - you could opt for two sausages if the first type of meat sounds boring to you), and one artisan style (like prosciutto or something you might just like to taste).

*Try to get your meats and cheeses from a grocery store with a great deli counter. That way, you can just buy what you need and still have plenty of variety. Or you could just spring for whole packages of everything so you will just have to make the spread again a couple of days later.

*choose three cheeses - one hearty (maybe a tasty cheddar or muenster. In honor of Iceland, we bought havarti cheese which was a staple at any breakfast meal we enjoyed while we were there), one special cheese that has been soaked or smoked or aged, read: hard (like a smoked gouda, manchego cheese is my favorite or one of those delicious cheeses that has been soaked in merlot) and something soft and strong like a goat cheese or blue cheese.

*Throw a baguette or whatever bread you like in the oven on a low setting until the crust is toasted and the inside is warm. Don't slice it. Just let people pull pieces off of it as they go; this way it will stay warm on the inside throughout the meal.

*Nuts are a great addition to the spread. I recommend cashews, spiced almonds, candied walnuts...

*Dried fruit or jam adds a great slightly slightly sweet touch and can be rolled up on a piece of bread with one of the soft cheeses

*some veggies with a dip - something light in case the meal gets to feeling too heavy

*I love grapes with cheese.

*Red wine is a must.

*Lastly, set up somewhere picnic-style, even if you are inside. Light some candles and enjoy!

Christmas Card UpDATES: Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

I love "family update" Christmas cards. I really really do.



I want to be clear that while it may sound like it, this is not a sarcastic "love". I truly look forward to updates each year through photos and funny stories on anyone from families I am close to families I haven't seen in years and would not recognize them if they passed by on the sidewalk if it were not for their annual Christmas card updates. I suppose we will all always be curious about the people we know or even used to know and what they have been up to and what has become important to them over the years. I have consolidated my need to update anyone in my life by having a blog. I do also send out life updates to friends and family via email from time to time. However, this year, I have decided to put together my own version of a "family-update" Christmas card right here where it belongs.

Greetings friends and family! What's up with you? Feel free to send your responses via a family-update Christmas card to my home address (anytime of year). In case you were wondering about me at all over the past year, let me unsolicitedly update you.

Family: That's going pretty well. I now have three nieces as Rachel Marie was born October 19th. Zach and I adopted an addition into our little LA family, Stanley Weissmilian, back in the early spring. While it took him quite a while to adjust to his couch-potato lifestyle, he seems to have accepted that he will have to happily live out his days in his "retirement home".



Zach and I have been doing a pretty good job waddling through the responsibilities of adulthood, job, bills, Christmas card updates. This may actually be the first holiday season I can announce that we are both very happy with our jobs at the same time. While each of us have like past positions, we are finally both pretty satisfied this year. These jobs afford us the glamourous lifestyle of watching a lot of TV or Netflix instant (through our sweet Roku hookup) while eating gummy bears on the couch Stanley so generously shares with us. We also enjoy:
*going to the gym (increasingly less this year)
*complaining about the Ralph's grocery store down the street and how they never have anything I need, but it is just so close that I wouldn't consider going somewhere else
*getting to know our neighborhood chinese takeout workers
*traveling to far off places (see blog post about local travel)
*fighting about politics...not usually with each other but with people in/on the news (again with the TV)

Television shows we have liked this year include (in no particular order):
Mad Men (AMC)
Glee (Fox)
The Office (NBC)
Dexter (Showtime)
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Entourage (HBO)
Big Love (HBO)
Penn and Teller's Bull$h*t! (Showtime)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Parenthood (NBC)
In Treatment (HBO)
Jersey Shore (MTV)
Damages (FX)

Movies we have liked his year (in no particular order):
The Kids are Alright
City Island
Black Swan
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Catfish
Cyrus
Star Trek
Inception
The Fighter
Hot Tub Time Machine
Please Give
Tillman Story
A Single Man
The Switch
Never Let Me Go
The Social Network

New Years resolutions:
None, they don't work.

I just changed my mind about not having a New Years resolution; I hear by commit to convincing my dear friends Case and Becky to move to Southern California. Starting now:




Dilemmas I foresee coming up in the next year:
*Should we keep or cancel the Costco membership when we only go about 3 times a year?
*Should we celebrate out 5 year anniversary jointly with Stanley's adoption anniversary? This will set a precedent for years to come.
*Will I finally spring for a proper umbrella before the next time it rains in LA, or will I stick with the mini-umbrella we struggled with during the great week of constant rain in early December of this year?
*Will I stop cooking things I have already made on this blog over and over again so I can have finally some new material to share?
*How long will it take my hair to grow out of this between stage it is in where it is not short enough and not long enough?

Lastly, I worry I may spend quite a deal of time in the coming year wishing I were a part of this random family I photographed on the beach in La Jolla because then I could submit some great pics to Awkward Family Photos. Yes they are wearing neon matching Disneyland t-shirts.

There you have it. Maybe while you are at it, you should have these too.



These little gems are great for a Christmas appetizer. I wish you all a Merry Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy New Year...Thanks for reading my blog!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

(recipe from Cooking Light Magazine)

3/4 cup (6 ounces) goat cheese
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 whole pitted dates
6 thin slices prosciutto

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a fork. Slice dates lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open dates; place 1 rounded teaspoon cheese mixture into each date. Cut 1 prosciutto slice in half lengthwise and then crosswise to make 4 equal pieces. Repeat procedure with remaining prosciutto to form 24 pieces. Wrap each date with 1 prosciutto piece; place dates on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until filling is thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

Copycat: Salami, Turkey, Goat Cheese Sandwich

Have you ever had someone copy everything you say?



Under certain circumstances, it can be quite annoying. However, when it is from the lips of adorable children, still learning the way language works and the true meaning of phrases like "excuse me", it is unbelievably precious. I spent an amazing day playing with my nieces, Olivia (4 yrs), Charlotte (1.5 years) and Rachel (2 weeks old).


Rachel Marie at 2 weeks

Like any good big sisters, Charlotte and Olivia would hover over Rachel, stroking her and talking sweetly to her the way they have observed their parents doing so. Charlotte kept calling her "Bachel" and getting nose to nose with her while Olivia kept cradling her saying "You're okay, you're okay", to Rachel whenever she would start to cry. It was explained to me by my sister-in-law that Olivia was mimicking my brother's response to Rachel's crying in saying "You're okay, you're okay." I am pretty sure I heard Charlotte telling "Bachel" she was okay as well a couple times throughout the weekend as well.



Another great Charlotte shot just for kicks:


It really hit me how spongy those young minds are when Olivia and I sat down to play "hair salon". I did her hair first. I gave her little french braid pigtails. The whole time I was doing her hair, I kept saying, "You're gonna love it. It will be so awesome", in an attempt to get her to sit still in anticipation of the big reveal of how truly awesome the final product would be. When it was Olivia's turn to do my hair, she kept saying, "You're going to love it. It will be so awesome" in the same tone as her wacky Aunt Lindsey.

And love it, I did!



I too, am guilty of playing copycat when it comes to food. Zach and I have a favorite sandwich shop in LA called the Larchmont Village Wine Spirits and Cheese Shop. The sandwich is just perfect and cannot possibly be improved upon so I just decided to copy it. I did end up tweaking the ingredients because Zach and I bought some bomb goat cheese and olive bread in Temecula last weekend. I think the most important thing about the sandwich is the quality of the ingredients. Everything is so tasty. Just do it, okay?



Copycat Larchmont Village Wine Spirits and Cheese Shop Sandwiches

(makes 2-3 sandwiches)

1 loaf of a crusty french bread (or any artisan bread - I used olive bread)
1/4 lb hard salami (I used part salami part turkey to lower the calorie count)
4 slices of manchego cheese (we used out Temecula Cheese Shop goat cheese)
1 tomato
a few handfuls of spring mixed greens
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

You know what to do. Put it all together. The oil and balsamic vinegar go on the inside of the bread.



We enjoyed these sandwiches with some hearty vegetable soup.

A Classy Twist on the Classic - Grilled Cheese and Gazpacho

Things I learned this weekend:

*To surf …well almost…we will try again next weekend
*Standing under a freezing waterfall makes me feel very alive...and scream like a girl
*I like the vibe and the food at The Six
*The Switch was a much better movie than I expected
*Stanley really likes to Skype
*Not to fan yourself when you are pretending to be surprised
*My nieces are cuter every time I see them
*The only thing better than grilled cheese with warm tomato soup is grilled cheese with gazpacho (cold tomato soup).

Zach, Becky and I had a little family dinner last night and enjoyed some cold gazpacho, Spanish wine, mixed greens with balsamic apples and shallots, crusty grilled cheese with goat cheese and manchego cheese, york peppermint patties and good conversation! The gazpacho recipe is from the French Laundry Cookbook. The French Laundry is one of the nicest restaurants in California, located in the Napa Valley. They serve a nine-course menu full of quality small plates that are usually quite intriguing sounding. I have never been, but I hope to go someday. So for now, I just have to settle with recreating their recipes at home.

Gazpacho is a Spanish cold tomato soup that can be served chunky or smooth. I plan on trying it both ways, but this one was smooth. The French Laundry recipe includes a balsamic vinegar reduction on top, but I left it out of mine (I will still include it in the recipe though). My grilled cheese was simple yet very flavorful. Enjoy!



Gazpacho
(recipe from 'The French Laundry Cookbook' - serves 6)

1 cup chopped red onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped English cucumber
1 cup chopped and peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups tomato juice
Sprig of thyme
Balsamic Glaze (see below)

Mix all the ingredients except the balsamic glaze together in a bowl or other container, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, remove the thyme and blend all the ingredients in a blender until the gazpacho is smooth. You will have about 2 quarts. For a smoother texture, strain the soup to yield about 1 quart. Refrigerate the gazpacho until ready to serve.

To complete: Ladle the cold soup into bowls and squeeze dots of balsamic glaze over the top.

NOTE: Thomas Keller of French Laundry recommends using either Welch's or Fresh Samantha's tomato juice...the quality of the tomato juice is very important to the recipe.

Balsamic Glaze

2 cups balsamic vinegar

Heat the vinegar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the liquid. Place the saucepan on a heat diffuser and let the liquid reduce very slowly (it shouldn't simmer) for 2 to 3 hours, until it has reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze. There should be approximately 1/2 cup of glaze. Keep the glaze in a squeeze bottle at room temperature for garnishing: if the glaze is too thick, warm the bottle in hot water to loosen the glaze.


Fabulous Grilled Cheese:

French Bread (I used wheat) - you can sub any artisan bread
Manchego cheese
spreadable goat cheese
EVOO
Kosher salt

I am not including amounts for the ingredients because it will depend on the amount of sandwiches you need to make. If you cannot figure it out, you should stick to the ole white-bread-American-cheese-slices-with-butter kind of grilled cheese (nothing wrong with that).

Split the French bread loaf down the middle, and spread the goat cheese on the inside of both slices of bread.
lay out the manchego cheese slices, and close the sandwich together.
Brush the outside of the sandwich (top and bottom) with the olive oil, and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
Place sandwiches on a sandwich press if you have one. If not, place in a pan over medium heat until the cheese in the middle is gooey. If the bread is toasted, but the cheese is not melting, you can finish the sandwich off by broiling it in the oven to get the cheese melted.

What About Goats?

I love goat cheese. I feel as though it is also an "it food" that I failed to mention in my previous post, "It Foods."



In honor of goats and their amazing cheese below please find a few of my favorite facts about goats pulled directly from the amazing web page I found, Facts About Goats.

Goats were the first animals domesticated by man in 10,000 B.C

The phrase Judas goat is a term that has been used to describe goat that is trained to herd other animals to slaughter while its own life is spared.

Goats were the first animals to be used for milk by humans.

Goats were first brought to America by Columbus in 1493.

Worldwide, more people eat and drink milk from goats than any other animal.

A mature, healthy male buck can breed 20 to 40 does.

The pharaoh Cephranes thought so much of his goats that he had 2,234 buried with him.

Goat’s milk is easily digestible and less allergenic than cow’s milk.

Goat’s milk is higher in calcium, vitamin A and niacin than cow’s milk.

Mahatma Gandhi consumed goat milk every day for more than 30 years.

Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized, and it can be digested in less than 20 minutes where as cow’s milk can take almost all day.

Healthy kids ("kids" are baby goats) can stand within minutes after birth and are able to move with the herd almost immediately.

Goats do not have tear ducts.

Goats and octopus’ pupils of their eyes are rectangular.

Coffee was first discovered when goat herders noticed the animals acting very energetic after nibbling on coffee beans.

Abraham Lincoln’s sons had two goats that lived in the White House with them.

I made mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving (who didn't?). To me, it always seems like mashed potatoes are a blank canvas. There are so many ways to get creative with them because the taste is so mild that they sort of take on the flavor that you add to them. In the past, I have made garlic mashed potatoes, rosemary potatoes, mustard potatoes and cheddar and bacon baked potatoes all of which are easy and delicious. However, this year was the year of the goat cheese mashed potatoes.

How About Them Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes:

(makes 6 servings)

2 lbs of potatoes (any kind you like)*
Salt (to taste...don't be shy about it)
3 tbsp butter
6 oz goat cheese (use more of less depending on preference)
1 C milk
1 tsp black pepper
fresh chopped chives (to sprinkle over top)

*If you do not want the skin and you plan to peel the potatoes, use large potatoes and cube them before boiling. I use the small red potatoes, boil them whole and mash them with the skin still on...I like the skin)

Boil the potatoes in a large pot, adding a few pinches of salt to the water.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain the water from the pot.
Allow the potatoes to cool for a couple minutes.
Add the butter and salt (to taste) and mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
After you have mashed them almost all the way, add the milk, goat cheese and black pepper.
Continue mashing until the potatoes have reached the consistency you prefer.
Sprinkle the chives on top just before serving.



Note: Definitely taste the potatoes as you add the ingredients because you will likely find you would like to add more of something. I almost always end up adding more salt and goat cheese.

Pictures of goats are from PublicDomainPictures.net.

Chicken Brian

"Chicken Bryan...so yummy!!!" - a text I received from my brother, Brian, a few weeks ago after my sister-in-law made this recipe for him. It is a dish "inspired" by a meal you can order at Carrabba's Italian Grill called, well, "Chicken Bryan". So I guess when I say "inspired", what I really mean is a healthier, less-involved (but still tasty) version of exactly the same thing. Except mine is called "Chicken Brian" after my brother, father of two, wife of one, and 2nd to none.

I should also mention this recipe is an amazing option for all you low-carb dieters out there. It is very satisfying, for a (virtually) no-carb dish, if you serve it up with some grilled or steamed vegetables or a nice salad. It is also one of the easiest things I make on a regular basis. The restaurant version has it in a delicious lemon-basil-butter sauce, but I have skipped that completely simply because the dish doesn't need it and neither do your thighs.

Chicken Brian:

serves 4

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
4 oz soft goat cheese (crumbled or sliced - should be consistency of cream cheese)
1 small can of sun dried tomato paste OR small can of sun dried tomatoes (they should be in a can of olive oil, not in a dry package)
salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F
Heat olive oil in pan over med-high heat on the stove-top.
Season the chicken breasts by lightly coating them balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Sear each side of each chicken breast by placing them on the heated pan for about 30 seconds on each side
Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and put them in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven and turn the heat up to broil.
Generously smear the sun dried tomato paste (or you can put 3 or 4 sun dried tomatoes, halved)on top of each chicken breast (keeping them on the baking pan)
Generously sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles on top of the sun dried tomato (or you can put two or three slices on top)
Stick the pan with the chicken breasts back into the oven under the broiler for another 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to slightly toast.



This one in the picture was made with the crumbled goat cheese and the bottled halved sun dried tomatoes. If you use the paste, it should coat the entire chicken breast.